45 Books Recommended by Entrepreneurs and Global Leaders

The books recommended by entrepreneurs and global leaders are like a map to treasures hidden around the world. You can uncover a lot of stuff that made these big shots successful. You can get motivational gems and productivity tricks as well as startup tips from these books recommended by successful entrepreneurs.

This article is a VIP pass to the reading list of these famous folks. These books recommended by famous personalities can change how you think and do things.

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran

This list of books recommended by famous personalities begins with The Prophet. It’s among the most popular books recommended by Osho. It’s a philosophical work that explores the themes of love, marriage, and freedom through the poetic wisdom of a prophet.

Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha is another book recommended by Osho during his sessions. It follows the spiritual journey of a young man named Siddhartha as he seeks enlightenment and self-discovery. And it’s a must-read for everyone.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Osho for Spiritual Growth and Transformation

Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari

Sapiens is one of the best books recommended by billionaires around the world. It’s a historical book exploring the journey of humankind, tracing the evolution of Homo sapiens. Sapiens is also among the books recommended by Kunal Shah.

Read more: 5 Books Recommended by Kunal Shah for Achieving Business Goals

Winning Now, Winning Later, by David M. Cote

Among the top books recommended by Indra Nooyi is Winning Now, Winning Later. The book provides insights into leadership and long-term success in business. And it’s one of the must-read books for business owners.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Indra Nooyi for Business and Beyond

Wise and Otherwise, by Sudha Murthy

While there aren’t many books recommended by Sudha Murthy, she’s a prolific writer herself. Wise and Otherwise is one must-read book written by her. It’s a collection of real-life anecdotes and moral stories shared from her experiences.

The Journey Home, by Radhanath Swami

The Journey Home is one of the most impactful books recommended by Gaur Gopal Das. It narrates the author's spiritual quest and adventures. You can learn about his journey from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Gaur Gopal Das for Spiritual Wisdom

Life’s Amazing Secrets, by Gaur Gopal Das

Gaur Gopal Das himself has written several books on spirituality. This Life’s Amazing Secrets book offers practical wisdom for a fulfilling life. It’s an engaging philosophical book sharing life lessons through deep conversations.

Everybody Matters, by Bob Chapman

Everybody Matters is one of the best books recommended by Simon Sinek. In his tweet, he mentions that a company should put people first. The book shares the stories about creating an environment of care, compassion and connection that builds companies.

Read more: 11 Books Recommended by Simon Sinek for Aspiring Leaders

Skin in the Game, by Nassim Taleb

Skin in the Game is another of the popular books read by famous personalities. It’s one of the top books recommended by Naval Ravikant. It’s a business book that explores the concept of personal accountability in decision-making.

Thing Explainer, by Randall Munroe

Another must-read book that Naval recommends is Thing Explainer. In this book, the author simplifies complex concepts using only the most common English words. From data centres to airline cockpits, the book describes many regular stuff around us.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Naval Ravikant for Personal Growth and Success

Real-Life Scenarios, by Athena du Pré and Eileen Berlin Ray

Real-Life Scenarios is one of the books recommended by Gary Vee. It has a collection of 31 cases that reflect the latest research and practice in the Health Communication field. Gary mentioned it as a book that can impact a lot of people.

Read more: 5 Books Recommended by Gary Vee for Business Success

Crushing It!, by Gary Vee

Gary Vee has published several books around marketing and business success. Crushing It! Is one of the most popular among them. The book guides you on leveraging personal brands for personal and professional success.

Guerrilla Marketing, by Jay Conrad Levinson

Another of the books recommended by famous authors is Guerrilla Marketing. It’s one of the best marketing books recommended by Seth Godin. The book will introduce you to several unconventional marketing strategies.

Read more: 15 Books Recommended by Seth Godin That Shaped His Thinking

Purple Cow, by Seth Godin

Seth Godin himself has published several books himself over the part years. The Purple Cow book is among the most notable among them. It advocates the idea of making your products remarkable from within.

100 Plus, by Sonia Arrison

100Plus is among the most-read books recommended by Peter Thiel. The book touches the possibilities and challenges of human life extension. It delves into various facets like family, career and relationships.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Peter Thiel for Strategic Thinkers

Zero to One, by Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel has authored the bestselling startup book Zero to One. And it’s a must-read for anyone considering the idea of their startup. The book provides insights into entrepreneurial innovation and factors that can influence businesses.

Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World, by Fareed Zakaria

Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World is one of the top books recommended by Mukesh Ambani. Even though he isn’t considered a bookworm particularly, this recommendation is a must-read. It explores the global challenges and opportunities post-COVID-19.

Big Little Breakthroughs, by Josh Linker

Big Little Breakthroughs is another book recommended by Mukesh. Unlike his previous book recommendation, this book is around business setup. The book encourages small innovations for significant impact.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Mukesh Ambani for Innovation and Inspiration

Somebody’s Daughter, by Ashley C. Ford

Somebody’s Daughter is a poignant memoir about a young girl, reflecting on identity and belonging. It’s one of the must-read books recommended by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah said that she felt like it’s her own story.

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

Becoming is another recommendation from Oprah. It’s the autobiography of Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the US. In her blog, Oprah mentioned that she wants the whole world to read this autobiographical piece.

Read more: 15 Books Recommended by Oprah Winfrey for Your Mind and Soul

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a comedic science fiction series. It might lead you to many answers related to the universe, although sarcastic. Now, you might have already guessed that it’s one of the books recommended by Elon Musk.

Elon Musk, by Ashlee Vance

Next, in this list of books recommended by celebrities is the Elon Musk book itself. It’s the biography of this visionary entrepreneur struggling through his innovative ideas. And several entrepreneurs and famous personalities have recommended reading this book.

Read more: 11 Books Recommended by Elon Musk for Entrepreneurs

The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi

The Book of Five Rings is one of the popular books recommended by Joe Rogan. It’s a classic Japanese text on martial arts and strategy. Joe said that it’s one of the most valuable things anyone has ever written.

Tribe, by Sebastian Junger

Another book that found mention in Joe’s posts is Tribe. The book explores the sense of belonging and community, and Joe considers it epic. It combines history, psychology and anthropology to understand how one can learn from the practices of tribal societies.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Joe Rogan for a Well-Rounded Reading Experience

Superintelligence, by Nick Bostrom

Superintelligence is one of the profound books recommended by Sam Harris. It’s a philosophy book exploring a possible future where machines surpass human intelligence. Sam mentioned that he found the book thoughtful and impressive.

The Last Word, by Thomas Nagel

The Last Word is also a book recommended by Sam Harris. It debates over subjectivism and relativism in reasoning through language, logic, science and ethics. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy of reasoning.

Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is the memoir of the Nike co-founder. And it’s among the most common top books recommended by billionaires and entrepreneurs. It’s also one of the books recommended by Tim Cook.

Read more: 5 Books Recommended by Tim Cook for Inspiration

Rework, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Rework is one of the most-read personal/professional development books recommended by Mark Cuban. The book challenges traditional business norms and ways, and it’s the perfect playbook for anyone who dreams of setting a thriving business.

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead is another radical book recommendation coming from Mark. This novel touches the concept of individualism. It’s written around the life of an architect and the entire field of architecture in general.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Mark Cuban That Inspire Change

A Promised Land, by Barack Obama

A Promised Land is one of the popular books recommended by Anand Mahindra. It’s the first volume of the presidential memoir of Barack Obama, the former president of the US. The book chronicles Obama’s political journey and his life as the president.

Girl Power, by Neha J Hiranandani

Girl Power is another recommendation coming from Anand Mahindra. The book is a collection of fifty powerful stories of ordinary Indian girls who made it big in the world. It’s an empowering book for young readers.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Anand Mahindra That Resonate with Success

Hot Seat, by Jeff Immelt

Hot Seat is one of the lesser-known but exceptional books recommended by Bill Gates. It’s a fascinating memoir of Jeff as the CEO of General Electric. And it reflects on the leadership challenges he faced during his tenure.

The Overstory, by Richard Powers

Another Bill Gates book recommendation worth reading is The Overstory. The book is about forests and environment in general. It shares the story of nine Americans whose unique life experiences with trees bring them together to address the destruction of forests.

Read more: 15 Books Recommended by Bill Gates for Intellectual Growth

The Intelligent Investor, by Benjamin Graham

The Intelligent Investor is a classic guide to value investing. It provides strategies on how to estimate the value of stocks based on key parameters of the company’s long-term prospects. It’s one of the best books recommended by Warren Buffett for beginners.

Tap Dancing to Work, by Carol J. Loomis

Tap Dancing to Work is a chronology of various work done by Warren Buffett. While the book particularly focusses on his investing journey, it also has a collection of articles and snippets about other facets of his life.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Warren Buffett for Shaping Your Success

Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda

It’s one of the deep, spiritual books recommended by Steve Jobs. It’s an autobiographical book that explores the life of a spiritual master. It’s like a guide to meditation that Steve first read as a teenager.

Be Here Now, by Ram Dass

This insightful book on spirituality is another favourite Steve Jobs book. The book explores spiritual consciousness and mindfulness. And it’s all about one man’s personal transformation and acceptance of the principles of Yoga.

Read more: 11 Books Recommended by Steve Jobs for Innovation and Personal Growth

Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson

One of the top books recommended by Indian celebrities is Who Moved My Cheese. The book is a motivational short story meant for business leaders and professionals. It’s one of the books recommended by Sandeep Maheshwari.

The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz

The Magic of Thinking Big is another of Sandeep’s favourite. It’s a good book for anyone who wants to dream big and have high ambitions from their life. The book advocates for positive thinking and goal-setting.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Sandeep Maheshwari for Positive Thinking and Self-Reflection

The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel

The Psychology of Money is one of the best books recommended by Ankur Warikoo. The book delves into the behavioural aspects of finance. It shares timeless lessons on wealth, greed and happiness that comes by doing well with money.

No Rules Rules, by Reed Hastings

No Rules Rules discusses the corporate culture at Netflix, and it’s Ankur’s another favourite read. The book provides a sneak peek into Netflix’s culture. And it has several examples of staffing & empowering leaders.

Read more: 15 Books Recommended by Ankur Warikoo for a Balanced Life

The Effective Executive, by Peter F. Drucker

The Effective Executive is considered one of the revolutionary books recommended by Jeff Bezos. The book offers timeless principles for effective leadership. You can also discover the key habits of mind essential to business effectiveness.

The Innovator’s Solution, by Clayton M. Christensen

It’s another groundbreaking book that Jeff recommends. The Innovator’s Solution is all about how companies can move beyond the so-called Innovator's Dilemma and become disruptors themselves. It provides many strategies for successful innovation and business.

Read more: 9 Books Recommended by Jeff Bezos for Business Transformation

The Score Takes Care of Itself, by Bill Walsh

Now, towards the end of this book recommendation list by entrepreneurs comes the books recommended by Jack Dorsey. It’s a leadership book that outlines the principles and strategies of the legendary football coach.

Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande

Checklist Manifesto is another Jack Dorsey recommendation that’s worth checking out. The book explores the power of checklists in various professions, demonstrating how a simple tool can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance overall performance in complex tasks.

Read more: 7 Books Recommended by Jack Dorsey for Business and Life

And those were all the books recommended by successful entrepreneurs I have for you today.

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