The Best Novels for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Learn About Business the Unorthodox Way
Surely there are thousands of other fiction books you could win.business knowledgethis is not over on this list. So if you think you've read one of the best novels for entrepreneurs, don't hesitate to propose to us and we'll update the list.
Noble House of James Clavell
All of James Clavell's Asian saga is brilliant, and the most recent one is Noble Haus. (Miniseries starring Pierce Brosnan are also available.)
The most important lesson he taught me is“Neng che to lao – A capable man has many burdens. Since I am more capable than most, I have to sweat more than most.”
It means that:
- The more skill you have, the more effort it takes to use it;
- You need to believe in your own abilities and strengths;
- you shouldn't be complainingwhen you have more on your plate than othersBecause this is for a reason.
It's a great quote about what the right attitude should be in life and business.
Eva Dimitrova,startup consultant
Steve Farber's Radical Leap
I found Steve Farber's The Radical Leap in an old box in an apartment I shared with my ex. I'm so grateful I stayed behind because the story and what I learned from it will stay with me forever.
It really is a short, easy read about this California surfer who meets a very serious businessman at the beach. His conversations are about surfing and the ocean, but in a beautiful way he taught me everything I know aboutbe a spectacular leader🇧🇷 The stories taught me that, ultimately, running a business must be planned. And that design must be free to change and go beyond the usual constraints and fueled by personal passion so that everyone who follows me can do the same in their own lives and careers.
Leadership is happiness. And whether we fail or win, we have to be bold enough to work with extreme happiness. That is the goal.
Cassady Dill, Director of Marketing to the Rich
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes spent years rotting in jail for a crime he didn't commit. When he finally got the chance to escape, he meticulously planned his escape to give himself the best chance of success. Ultimately, he managed to escape and eventually live an opulent life.
Often when we find ourselves working hard at our business with little or no reward, we struggle to hold on to hope that things will get better. Dantes teaches us to make the most of every opportunity given to us and tonever lose hope.
James Major, Founder ofpanda safe
The Big Five of Life by John P. Strelecky
My favorite business book, among many that advise us on leadership skills, is a novel: The Big Five For Life. John P. Strelecky is able to make us see and feel the benefits of working in a company whose objectives are aligned with our personal Purpose. Everyone would stop fighting an internal battle between work and life.🇧🇷 And it is our role, as entrepreneurs, to create the conditions and environment for our teams to be remunerated for what satisfies them, obtaining less return.turnover rates,better productivityand more profit. It should be required reading for all leaders.
Giulio Zecca, Founder of innovAchievers
Duna by Frank Herbert
Dune is about Paul Atreides, the eldest son of a feudal lord in an age when manors travel and fight from planet to planet. Finding himself on a deserted planet, Paul allies himself with the planets' natives, the Fremen, who teach him their ways and eventually help them control the plane, thus controlling melange, also known as "spice", a valuable substance that is the key to space travel.
This novel teaches usthe importance of strategic alliancesand how they can propel us into new areas through their connections and industry knowledge. Every business leader needs to find Fremen who can help them break into critical companies and industries.
Drew Falkman, director ofcreate mode
The Dark House by Charles Dickens
I choose Bleak House by Charles Dickens, published in 1853. The book is about generations of a family trapped and plagued by endless court cases, Jarndyce v Jarndyce. People are born in the case, relatives die, but the endless case drags on.
Eventually, after 100 years or so, the case is closed. Because? As the estate paid so much in legal fees, all of the estate's money is gone.
Lesson learned: Legal procedures are time-consuming and prohibitive and should be a last resort. Try to resolve disputes in other ways if possible. It might even be cheaper to walk away and move on.
Sharon Geltner, president sincefroogle public relations
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
This is a much loved children's book where a little mouse gets a cookie. So, you quickly order a glass of milk, a straw to drink the milk, a napkin to wipe yourself with, and a bunch of additional requests related and unrelated to the original cookie order. The boy who gives the rat everything he needs is patient, kind and understanding.
This story is a great lesson in customer service. think about how you canmeet a customer's needs, no matter how many requests they have or how long it takes. Work on fulfilling them until they are like the mouse at the end of the book, completely satisfied with their experience.
Deborah Sweeney, CEO da MyCorporation
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that taught me about the importance of developing a personal moral code. Owning a small business tested all my principles: how to deal with adversity, how to be present, how to appreciate success, how to treat others, how to overcome the temptation to cut corners and stay true to your vision. 🇧🇷
If you are going to be an entrepreneur, read this book. This will help you develop a moral compass and stay true to it no matter what.
Nick Standlea, CEO datest prep gurus
The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C.M. kornbluth
The world is in total chaos and is dominated by large corporations, specifically advertising agencies. Despite its dystopian setting, this book tells the truth behind consumerism. Pohl and Kornbluth brilliantly emphasized the power of advertising and how people are strongly driven by materialism.
As an entrepreneur, this will remind you that the business industry is survival of the fittest. If you don't equip yourself with the best skills and knowledge, you're going to drown in the cutthroat competition. So don't allow yourself to be weak.You must be wise and strong to survive..
Karl Armstrong, Founder ofEpic Win App
George Orwell's Animal Farm
One fiction book that taught me some powerful lessons about business leadership is Animal Farm by George Orwell. In the book, once the pig took the humans down, they pointed out all the bad things the humans had done. They even created a set of commandments that went against everything humans were. However, as the story progressed, the pigs themselves proved to be "above" the other animals, and eventually began to live like humans, becoming everything they hated.
In an organization, this situation is extremely common. Leadership intent always starts with treating everyone equally, but this can change as the company grows and revenue increases. Priorities change and leaders neglect the foundation of the company. Therefore, as a business leader, one should never lose sight of the company's vision. Lead by example and uphold the foundation on which the company was built.
Albert Lee, founder ofhome life lab
A saga Sialkot de Ashwin Sangh
The Sialkot Saga by Ashwin Sanghi is definitely a unique business thriller and an interesting book. Arvin and Arbaaz, both bright and insightful businessmen, compete against each other. Being at each other's throats, their feud is deeply rooted in the story that must unfold.
My main takeaway from this book is thatcompetition in business is normal🇧🇷 However, as a leader and entrepreneur, you must look beyond the rivalry. Because those you are competing with can help you and lend a helping hand to success if you let them. Not only in business, but also in personal life.
James Pearson, CEO da eVenturing Enterprises
Sidney Sheldon's Stars Shine
The biggest lesson to be learned from this, however, is that in business, you shouldn't completely trust anyone, even when they seem nice to you. There are people who have hidden agendas and just want to get close to you to take advantage of you. You have to be aware and always take care of yourself, because that's what everyone else is doing. Of course, this doesn't necessarily apply to personal life, just business, mostly.
Sonya Schwartz, founder of Her Norm
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, George Spafford and Kevin Behr
The Phoenix Project is the story of how a struggling auto company got back on track after a monumental turnaround on a major project for its technology department. In the central chapter, the main character was reminded of an important thought from The Theory of Constraints: any improvement made anywhere beyond the bottleneck is an illusion.
I have always applied this concept to my business whenever I am faced with challenges. I look for the bottleneck and focus all of our resources on resolving that problem before proceeding with any other improvements.
Fred Blair, Founder ofdazzling rims
Aesop's Tortoise and Hare
Business growth is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to practice and practice and get things right to be successful. The business lesson he taught me was that slow and steady wins the race in the long run.
Yes, we could make 1,000 marketing videos a month, but we would collapse. I prefer to scale slowly, implement processes and delegate properly. It has made me a better business owner by realizing that I have to develop my team on a monthly basis and always monitor our written processes.
Trevor Rappleye, CEO de Corporate Filming
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The Giving Tree tells the story of a boy and a tree. Whatever the boy wants from the tree, the tree gladly gives him, for shelter, apples to sell, branches to heat his house, and finally its trunk to build a boat.
As business owners, we often fail to set the necessary boundaries for recovery so that we can continue to serve our customers to the fullest. This will eventually lead to a tree with no more trees to give.
Melanie Fine, owner of Melanie Fine
God is English (Swann Family Saga) de R.F. Delderfield
A favorite fiction book that taught me great business lessons was God Is an Englishman (Swann Family Saga) by R.F. Delderfield (1912-1972). The main character, Adam Swann, starts a wagon business in 1860 during the growth of railroads in England.
Some lessons:
- Trust your gut; Appreciate your ideas andbe careful not to let others influence you too much.
- Treat your staff the way you would like to be treated.
- Find a way (or a place) to work where you won't be interrupted and allow yourself to think.deeply about the challenges you face.
Laura Hart, CEO and founder ofrobofun
FAQs
Which book every entrepreneur should read? ›
If there's one book every entrepreneur should read, it's The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. In this 448-page book, you'll learn all about how to work less, earn more, and travel the world all at the same time. The 4-Hour Workweek shares a number of principles explaining how to build an online income.
What is the most read book in 2022? ›- It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
- Verity by Colleen Hoover.
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.
- Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover.
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry.
- Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover.
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
- A Heart That Works.
- Afterlives.
- All the Lovers in the Night.
- All This Could Be Different.
- An Immense World.
- Ancestor Trouble.
- Animal Joy.
- Anna: The Biography.
In fact, the average number of books read by a CEO is 60 books per year, or five books each month. “What I know for sure is that reading opens you up,” says Oprah, “It exposes you and gives you access to anything your mind can hold. What I love most about reading—It gives you the ability to reach higher ground.”
What is the number 1 most read book? ›The Holy Bible is the most read book in the world. In the past 50 years, the Bible has sold over 3.9 billion copies. It is the most recognizable and famous book that has ever been published. The Bible is a collective book with many different preachings based on God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is one book everyone should read? ›- "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
- "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
- "The Diary of Anne Frank" by Anne Frank.
- "1984" by George Orwell.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling.
- "The Lord of the Rings" (1-3) by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- "The Great Gatsby" by F.
Rank | Title | Author |
---|---|---|
1 | Da Vinci Code,The | Brown, Dan |
2 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Rowling, J.K. |
3 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Rowling, J.K. |
4 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Rowling, J.K. |
- The Book of Goose, Yiyun Li.
- All This Could Be Different, Sarah Thankam Mathews. ...
- Vladimir, Julia May Jonas.
- If I Survive You, Jonathan Escoffery. ...
- Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart. ...
- Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, Kim Fu. ...
- Trust, Hernan Diaz.
- Signal Fires, Dani Shapiro. ...
- 1 . In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. ...
- 2 . Ulysses by James Joyce. ...
- 3 . Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. ...
- 4 . One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. ...
- 5 . The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. ...
- 6 . Moby Dick by Herman Melville. ...
- 7 . War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. ...
- 8 .
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (January 4)
- Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (January 4)
- Lost and Found by Kathryn Schulz (January 11)
- Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (January 11)
- I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg (January 11)
What are the current top 10 fiction books? ›
- Fairy Tale by Stephen King. ...
- Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. ...
- The Cabinet of Dr. ...
- Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan. ...
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. ...
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. ...
- Horse by Geraldine Brooks. ...
- The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.
Consider the extreme reading habits of other billionaire entrepreneurs: Warren Buffett spends five to six hours per day reading five newspapers and 500 pages of corporate reports. Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. Mark Zuckerberg reads at least one book every two weeks.
How many hours a day do entrepreneurs work? ›How Many Hours Do Entrepreneurs Work per Week? According to Gallup, 62% of business owners work over 50 hours a week. This number is higher than a standard 40-hour-workweek. Many people build their startups to be independent and work fewer hours, but it turns out differently.
How many hours should I read a day? ›However, numerous studies have defined that 15-30 minutes is a minimum interval we should dedicate to reading each day. Neuroscientists agree that even simple lifestyle changes, like daily 15 minutes with a nose in a book, will support your brain health for a lifetime. Think about it.
What is the most read novel of all time? ›The Bible. Easily the most read book in the world is the Bible for obvious reasons. It is estimated to have sold over 40 million copies in the last 60 years. You can even find it at most hotels.
What is the most sold novel? ›- #1 – Don Quixote (500 million copies sold) ...
- #2 – A Tale of Two Cities (200 million copies sold) ...
- #3 – The Lord of the Rings (150 million copies sold) ...
- #4 – The Little Prince (142 million copies sold) ...
- #5 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (107 million copies sold)
According to Guinness World Records as of 1995, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed.
What is the best book every written? ›- Anna Karenina. Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. ...
- To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group. ...
- The Great Gatsby. F. ...
- One Hundred Years of Solitude. ...
- A Passage to India. ...
- Invisible Man. ...
- Don Quixote. ...
- Beloved.
The second most read book in the world is the Holy Quran.
Which book no one can read? ›The Voynich manuscript is an illustrated codex hand-written in an otherwise unknown script, referred to as 'Voynichese'.
Which novel is best for life? ›
- Finite and Infinite Games by James P. ...
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
- Principles by Ray Dalio.
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear.
- Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
- The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan. ...
- Checkout 19, by Claire-Louise Bennett. ...
- Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. ...
- The Furrows, by Namwali Serpell. ...
- Trust, by Hernan Diaz. ...
- An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, by Ed Yong. ...
- Stay True: A Memoir, by Hua Hsu.
1. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. [Highly recommended on the list of books that change your life.] “The real question is not what do we want to become, but what do we want to want?”
What is a 5 star read? ›Recommendable and Rereadable. Finally, a five star read is one that I recommend to everyone (for years to come) with no hesitation or qualifications. It's a “must read” book and a book that I'd like to reread some day!
Who is the number one entrepreneur in 2022? ›Gaston Taratuta is EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2022 | EY - Global.
What book does Elon Musk read for business? ›Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
In this biography of Franklin, “you can see how he was an entrepreneur”, Musk said in an interview with Foundation, a platform for non-profits working on climate change issues. “He was an entrepreneur. He started from nothing. He was just a runaway kid.”
Sunny Sehrawat is the co-founder of Digitech Media. He is also the CEO and Publisher of Business View Magazine. Sunny has over 5 years of experience in the field of digital marketing and has helped numerous businesses grow online.
Which Famous Five book should I read first? ›MY #1 FAVOURITE. The start is easy: all-time favourite is Five Go to Smuggler's Top, so that has to occupy the #1 slot. I have always loved Smuggler's Top, though I find the 'why' very hard to put it into words.
Who is the #1 best-selling author 2022? ›Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel It Ends With Us is the best-selling book of 2022 according to NDP BookScan.
What novels are trending now? ›- The Sacred Well Murders (Paperback) ...
- Immoral Origins (The Desire Card, #1) ...
- The Odd and the Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction (ebook) ...
- Death Leaves a Shadow (Marlowe Black Mystery, #2) ...
- Paradox Effect: Time Travel and Purified DNA Merge to Halt the Collapse of Human Existence (Paperback)
What are the 5 most popular book series? ›
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
- Goosebumps by R.L. Stine.
- Perry Mason by Erle Stanley Gardner.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
- Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
- Choose Your Own Adventure by Various Authors.
- Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal.
- The Railway Series by Rev. W.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney.
- Noddy – Enid Blyton.
- The Railway Series – Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry.
- San-Antonio – Frédéric Dard.
- Nancy Drew – Carolyn Keene.
- The Baby-Sitters Club – Ann Martin.
- Star Wars – Multiple authors.
- Fifty Shades – E. L. James.
They're reading self-improvement books, biographies, books about successful people, things like that, says Tom Corley, the author of “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life: Strategies That Transformed 177 Average People Into Self-Made Millionaires.” Many successful people learn from people who have come before them.
What successful people read every morning? ›- Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, reads at least three newspapers every morning from cover to cover. ...
- The president enjoys The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People. ...
- Sapiens. ...
- Thinking Fast and Slow. ...
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. ...
- Originals, How Non-Conformists Move the World. ...
- The Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. ...
- The Alchemist.
A good night's sleep — roughly seven to eight hours, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine — can yield tremendous benefits for an entrepreneur, as sleeping has a major impact on mental health and overall well-being.
How long do most entrepreneurs sleep? ›Forbes points out that most successful entrepreneurs get between five and eight hours of sleep. Rather than worrying about when that sleep takes place, concentrate on whether or not you are getting the right amount of sleep to meet your needs.
What should entrepreneurs do every day? ›They Plan Their Day Ahead
Plenty of successful entrepreneurs plan their day the night before, but you can also do it first thing in the morning. Take stock of all the things you need to do that day and schedule the most complex tasks for that time of day when you are at your most focused and productive.
To improve students' reading comprehension, teachers should introduce the seven cognitive strategies of effective readers: activating, inferring, monitoring-clarifying, questioning, searching-selecting, summarizing, and visualizing-organizing.
What is the 5-hour rule? ›
The 5-hour rule involves spending five hours a week, or one hour each working day, focused on deliberate learning. This means setting aside time to give your full attention to learning and development, without getting distracted by other work.
What is the 5-hour rule for success? ›The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. It's a trick used by the richest and most successful people in the world. Here are three easy steps to start your own 5-hour rule.
What do top CEOs read? ›- Business Books. Being a successful businessman requires more than just industry knowledge. ...
- Leadership Books. A good leader is someone who can inspire and motivate others to achieve great things. ...
- Strategy Books. ...
- Personal Development/ Self-Help Books. ...
- Industry-Specific Books.
- Finance Skills. Budgeting and knowing how to keep track of finances is essential for entrepreneurs. ...
- Communication skills. Being a strong communicator is very important for entrepreneurs. ...
- Leadership Skills. ...
- Time Management. ...
- Sales.
1. Bill Gates: co-founder of Microsoft. Bill Gates is famous entrepreneur in the world and the co-founder of Microsoft, one of the largest software companies in the world. He is also one of the richest men in the world, with a net worth of over $80 billion.
Which books read successful leaders? ›- The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. ...
- Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. ...
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. ...
- The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard. ...
- The Obstacle is The Way by Ryan Holiday.
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. ...
- Principles by Ray Dalio. ...
- High Output Management by Andy Grove. ...
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. ...
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. ...
- Poor Charlie's Almanack compiled by Peter D.
Built to Last is Jeff Bezos's favorite business book, and it's easy to see why. Over six years, author Jim Collins and research partner Jerry I. Porras examined eighteen long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors.
What is the best book to become a billionaire? ›...
Beginner Level
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
- The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
- The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone.
1. Communication. Every entrepreneur needs to be an effective communicator. Whether a person is a solo entrepreneur or runs a Fortune 500 company, they need to understand how to communicate effectively to all stakeholders and potential stakeholders that touch the business.
What are the 3 C's of entrepreneurship? ›
The entrepreneurial mindset consists of three key elements: Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value—the 3C's. This emergent understanding came from years of work with KEEN faculty, students, and industry.
What are the 9 common traits that entrepreneurs should always have? ›- 9 Common Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs. ...
- Have a vision for your business. ...
- Be curious about every aspect of your business. ...
- Know when to ask for help. ...
- Have integrity and a sense of fairness. ...
- Be willing to learn from your mistakes. ...
- Have confidence and a strong belief in yourself. ...
- Be able to inspire those around you.
With a net worth of $2.6 billion, Oprah Winfrey is the most famous woman entrepreneur in media and entertainment. Winfrey runs the multinational cable network OWN and co-founded Oxygen Media.
Who is the hottest entrepreneur? ›- Zubin Saxena. Age: 40. ...
- 40 under Forty: Celebrating Young Leaders. The Economic Times 40 under Forty is the definitive listing of India Inc.'s top business leaders. ...
- Abhishek Rastogi. Age: 40. ...
- Amita Gupta Katragadda. Age: 36. ...
- Amit Jain. Age: 38. ...
- Ankur Gupta. Age: 36. ...
- Arjun Juneja. ...
- Ashni Biyani.