I consume books the way a starving man eats KFC. Want to join me? Here are some of my favorite reads, especially chosen for entrepreneurs, marketers, and aspiring thought leaders.
$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No by Alex Hormozi
Maybe I liked this book more because I expected less. Hormozi delivers practical advice that goes far beyond what the cover implies.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
How would you like to publish more books, articles, or papers? And not just more, but better ones. Enter deep work.
80/20 Sales & Marketing by Perry Marshall
There are $10 tasks, $20 tasks, $100 tasks, $1,000 tasks, and $10,000 tasks, and you, as the expert you are, should be focused on $10,000 tasks.
The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
You’re wasting 80% of your time and effort. This book will help you figure out how to use 20% of your time to get 80% of the results you want.
The Prosperous Coach by Steve Chandler and Rich Litvin
If I could recommend only one book to any current or aspiring coach, it might be this one.
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Radical Candor is not about being a jerk, just the opposite. It’s not about changing your personality to be someone you aren’t. It’s about giving all of us the tools we need to make communication easier and more effective.
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
The normal way to run a business is to take your revenue, spend what you have to in order to run your business, and then what’s left over is your profit. Profit First flips that and says take your profit out first, then run your business with what’s left.
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
Rarely do I give out five star ratings, but this is the most immediately useful business book I’ve ever read, and every entrepreneur and executive needs to read it.
Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker
Trying to figure out that whole virtual assistant thing?
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
I don’t have any tattoos and never will, but I can easily understand why Ryan Holiday has “Ego is the Enemy” tattooed on one forearm, and the title of his last book The Obstacle is the Way tattooed on the other.
The Power of Self-Confidence: Become Unstoppable, Irresistible, and Unafraid in Every Area of Your Life by Brian Tracy
What would you do today if a positive outcome were guaranteed?
Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Everybody is a writer. Not everybody knows it yet.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo
Want to give a TEDx talk? Read this first.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The most quotable book, ever.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Succeed or fail, it’s really up to you. If you don’t feel like it’s in your control, you will after you read this book.
The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman
If you’re starting a company, this is THE BOOK on what to do and what not to do when creating your leadership team.
Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses by Joe Pulizzi
Want to do what you love, help others, and make money? This book shows you how.
The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane
You can use these tools to manipulate others, just like you can use words to manipulate others, but you would never stop learning new words so as to not manipulate others.
Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
One of my top five business books of all time.
Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday
Want to do your own PR? Start here.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Control your habits so your habits don’t control you.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
The surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results is that you’re trying to do too much, and you need to do less. Specifically, you need to do one thing.
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
If you provide great value, money and success will take care of themselves. If you don’t believe it, try it for a month and see what happens. But read the book first.
Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Everyone loves Good to Great and the part about getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. This is the book that tells you how to do that.
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days by Jessica Livingston
I heard that Josh Coates, CEO of Instructure, said this is the only book entrepreneurs need to read.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Not a fan of Stephen King’s writing, except for this book, which is the best book on writing–ever.
Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
HR doesn’t strike me as a fascinating topic, but this book is fascinating.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
If you only read one personal productivity book, this should be it.
Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Jeff Sutherland
I rarely read books more than once, especially business or work related books. But I read Scrum four times in a row, in four days.
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
My #1 book recommendation when it comes to thought leadership.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Introverts have just as much to contribute as extroverts, but we listen to and trust extroverts more. Why? And how can we change? These and other questions are answered in Susan Cain’s book.
Boyd by Robert Coram
A most fascinating biography every startup entrepreneur should read–if he wants his business to survive.
Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype by Jay Baer
Tired of selling? Want customers to come to you, already sold? This book shows you how to make it happen.
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
Money changes people. The life of John D. Rockefeller, oil magnate, is a warning to every entrepreneur.
Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday
The best introduction and overview I’ve found to growth hacking or growth hacker marketing. A short, quick, easy read.
Smartcuts by Shane Snow
“Smartcuts.” Oh yeah, that’s clever, isn’t it? I wasn’t sure about the title either, but the book starts off with an intriguing story about a college student breaking the world’s record for defeating Super Mario Bros., and just gets better from there.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
You won’t believe how much of what we know about how people think came from the studies Kahneman and his buddies performed, and how relevant they are to your job.
Getting More by Stuart Diamond
Don’t let the title turn you off. Getting More is not about manipulation, control, or domination. It’s about effectively communicating and working with others.
I am currently reading Duhigg’s “Power of Habit” and I also strongly recomend it (and various others from the list). I would also recommend Duhigg’s “Smarter, Faster, Better.”