Q: What is your favorite business book and why?
--Sally, Arizona
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council. Founded by Scott Gerber, the Y.E.C. is a nonprofit organization that provides young entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, community and educational resources that support each stage of their business's development and growth. The organization promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment.
Anything By John C. Maxwell(01 of29)
John Maxwell is a rare breed of author who's actually walked the talk and speaks from experience. Having built several successful businesses, his books are filled with actionable content and outstanding advice. From relationship building to dealing with setbacks, he offers clear and sound advice on succeeding as a leader.--Lisa Nicole Bell (@LisaNicoleBell), Inspired Life Media Group
The Boss Of You, Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears(02 of29)
Even with most of my books in storage, I keep a dog-eared copy of The Boss of You in my upper right-hand desk drawer. Written for women, but applicable to everyone, the book contains everything one needs to know about starting, running, and maintaining a business, from figuring out start-up costs to making your business legit to garnering repeat clients.--Steph Auteri (@stephauteri), Career Coaching for Word Nerds
Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty, Harvey Mackay(03 of29)
Among all the business books on my shelves my favorite is Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty by Harvey Mackay. It's "the only networking book you'll ever need." As I've learned, networking is certainly the most crucial aspect to being an entrepreneur. --Benjamin Lang (@entrepreneurpro), EpicLaunch
The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber(04 of29)
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber dispels why some small businesses fail, while others succeed. It's a step-by-step guide to starting your own business.--Dan Schawbel (@danschawbel), Personal Branding
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, Tony Hsieh(05 of29)
The reason is simple enough: We all deserve to be happy first and foremost, and the CEO of Zappos reminds us how to instill those values into our company/organization's culture.--Tammy Tibbetts (@tammytibbetts), She's the First
Think and Grow Rich, Naploeon Hill(06 of29)
You don't need anything other than to know your WHY? Because if your WHY is big enough, your HOW will show up. Napoleon Hill wrote Think And Grow Rich 100 years ago after interviewing 500 successful business people and he found the secret to their wealth was their never ending burning desire. You have to be so committed to being successful that nothing will get in your way and nothing will.--Louis Lautman (@louislautman), Young Entrepreneur Society
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand(07 of29)
I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend a piece of fiction, rather than a straight up business book. Whatever you might think of her as a person or her philosophies, Ayn Rand is a brilliant writer, and Atlas Shrugged is a book that I come back to over and over again. If I'm ever feeling like I don't have enough people to look up to, her characters fill that role for a while.--Colin Wright (@colinismyname), Ebookling
You Squared, Price Pritchett(08 of29)
Your mindset, not your skills nor experience, is the biggest factor in determining your success as an entrepreneur. While You Squared isn't a typical business book, it helps you look at things from a different perspective, especially when you're pushing on through. It's more of a pamphlet than a book but it's a handy reference guide when the going is tough.--Lea Woodward (@leawoodward), Kinetiva
Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi(09 of29)
If you're looking for guidance in creating entrepreneurial relationships make sure to read Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone. Keith offers up powerful tools for creating powerful, long-lasting business relationships. --Gabrielle Bernstein (@gabbybernstein), Her Future
The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss(10 of29)
Ferriss does an excellent job presenting business concepts for entrepreneurs in the new world - the new rich as he coins it. The book is loaded with excellent examples from other entrepreneurs and even comes with homework assignments to preform before reading the next chapter.Each assignment really makes you think about your business as you read the book. Plus he gives fantastic web resources. --Jerry Piscitelli (@portopong), Portopong LLC
22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries & Laura Ries(11 of29)
Few business owners and entrepreneurs understand the importance of branding. Written by Al Ries & Laura Ries, this no nonsense guide loaded with examples will help you the next time you launch a new venture and prevent you from making deadly mistakes in your current business.--Matt Mickiewicz (@sitepointmatt), 99designs
Made to Stick, Chip Heath & Dan Heath(12 of29)
The Heath brothers explore the anatomy of what makes ideas and messages sticky. When you start a business you will at some point want people to know about it and what better way than through ideas and stories that are guaranteed to resonate based on an applicable and proven playbook design to transform the way you communicate.--Ryan Stephens (@RyanStephens), Ryan Stephens Marketing
Conversations With Millionaires, Mike Litman(13 of29)
I would recommend Conversations with Millionaires: What Millionaires Do to Get Rich That You Never Learned About In School by Mike Litman. He interviews people like Jim Rohn, Mark Victor Hansen,Sharon Lechter and Michael Gerber. The book covers many philosophies in one short book. It's also available free as a PDF.--Michael Bruny (@ambassadorbruny), Run The Point
Good To Great, Jim Collins(14 of29)
I loved the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. It really changed the way I do business. The concepts are absolutely timeless and help in any kind of business. My personal favorite is the fly wheel principle: the first few turns of the wheel are the hardest but a great business eventually gets to the point where it can spin on its own.--Vanessa Van Petten (@vvanpetten), Lakewood Systems, Inc.
Straight From The Gut, Jack Welch(15 of29)
Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch is a powerful testament to the changes that can be made by those willing to buck tradition, and to encourage ideas from every corner of a business. Welch managed to make one of the world's corporate giants move with the speed and open-mindedness of a start-up, and his telling of the tale offers many insights into successful business practices. --Vanessa Nornberg (@metalmafia1), Metal Mafia
Losing My Virginity, Richard Branson(16 of29)
Branson gives you tremendous insight on his entertaining journey as an entrepreneur. Throughout his successful career, there are two constants that he manifests time and time again: perseverance and passion. With all the ups and downs you will experience as an entrepreneur, reading about Branson's perseverance and passion will truly inspire you. --Jay Khor (@jwkhor), Versutia LLC
Personal MBA: Master The Art of Business, Josh Kaufman(17 of29)
Coming from a non-business background, this has the fundamental business advice I needed to survive as an entrepreneur running my first online gig. I wish I would have read it earlier. He really knows what it means to run your own venture. This book will save you the angst of not knowing if you're doing it "right." He'll show you are.--Ishita Gupta (@ishitagupta), FearlessStories.com
How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie(18 of29)
Dale Carnegie is someone that might have asked a similar question before he got started in business. That's why his timeless book is a must-read. --Logan Lenz (@loganlenz), Endagon
Founders At Work, Jessica Livingston(19 of29)
It's a great book about what to do and not to do from entrepreneurs who have the experience already. It's clear and to the point and it's really hard to put the book down. --Fredrick Nijm (@addoway), Addoway.com
Tuned In: Uncover the Extradordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs, Craig Stull, Phil Myers & David Meerman Scott(20 of29)
Those who are most successful in business seemingly have a sixth sense in understanding the market. They don't just react to it, but become excellent at predicting it. This requires a heightened sense of perceptive acuity. For this reason, I found the book, Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs very important. Market insights and foresights are gold.--Kent Healy (@Kent_Healy), The Uncommon Life
Walt Disney, An American Original, Bob Thomas(21 of29)
For entrepreneurs, good books can be your window to the world, helping you to build a better business. Success leaves clues, so read as many biographies as you can. My two favorites are Walt Disney, An American Original by Bob Thomas and Made in America, The Biography of Sam Walton by Sam Walton and John huey.--Adam Witty (@adamwitty), Advantage Media Group
Enchantment, Guy Kawasaki(22 of29)
I'm generally a fan of Guy Kawasaki's writing -- he has a phenomenal grasp on business. His latest book, "Enchantment," hit a special spot for me, though -- it just connected with me in a way that piles of other business books haven't quite managed to.--Thursday Bram (@thursdayb), Hyper Modern Consulting
Small Giants, Bo Burlingham(23 of29)
Read Small Giants by Inc. Editor Bo Burlingham. It provides tremendous insight into the critical decision points of several companies. A few of the featured founders have gone on to become small business experts in their own right. These leaders had a very clear idea of what was important to them and you see their values and visions play out in the structure and trajectory of their businesses.--Adelaide Lancaster (@ingoodcompany), In Good Company
Three Feet From Gold, Napoleon Hill(24 of29)
Three Feet from Gold is a modern day sequel to Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which is a book I read at least once a year. The title comes from the Darby story in Think and Grow Rich where two men give up on gold mining after not finding gold and sell their land to a junkman who discovers one of the largest veins of gold ever uncovered just three feet away from where Darby stopped digging.--Natalie MacNeil (@nataliemacneil), Imaginarius
The Ultimate Sales Machine, Chet Holmes(25 of29)
This is a very powerful book not only because he is so experience but because he makes it very clear what needs to be done. While running 9 divisions for Charlie Munger (Warren Buffet's mentor), Chet went from overwhelmed to overachieved through the 12 steps he covers in his book. I pull from this book often when talking business growth, marketing and other business functions with team members.--Nick Friedman (@NickFriedman1), College Hunks Hauling Junk
The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Mike Michalowicz(26 of29)
I read Mike's book and immediately something struck in me and it just the boost I needed. He's raw, edgy, real and that's what being an entrepreneur is about. He says "what would you do if you only had 3 sheets of toilet paper?" As entrepreneurs we have to learn to use what we have and then double it. --Ashley Bodi (@businessbeware), Business Beware
Getting Things Done, David Allen(27 of29)
As an entrepreneur, you will need a whole new level of time management capabilities. I started with David's principles and then developed my own unique formula for achieving work/life balance for myself and my time coaching clients. --Elizabeth Saunders (@RealLifeE), Real Life E®
Rework, 37 Signals(28 of29)
The dudes at 37 Signals redefine the way work and business is done. Jason and David ask the fundamental question of why do we do things this way? You'll pull your head out of these pages and your mind will be flipped upside down. The book has fun pictures too!--John Meyer (@johntmeyer), 9 Clouds
Add More ING To Your Life, Gabrielle Bernstein(29 of29)
Add More ING To Your Life by YEC member Gabrielle Bernstein is a fantastic business book for entrepreneurs, particularly female entrepreneurs. Work life balance is an area that every entrepreneur struggles with, and Gabby teaches you how to stay true to your inner guide, which is applicable to any tough business situation. She also stresses knowING your worth, which is important for women as well!--Kris Ruby (@sparklingruby), Ruby Media Group
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