60 Great Books To Spur Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

The selection of books on business seems limitless, but entrepreneurs can pay special attention to those that offer a spark of entrepreneurial spirit. Inspiration, innovation, management, leadership, and more are all addressed in these books. Read on to find an excellent collection for any entrepreneur’s library.

Entrepreneurial Passion

In these books, you’ll learn about the passion behind entrepreneurship.

1. The Fountainhead: Ayn Rand’s book encourages entrepreneurs to work without asking for permission.
2. Oh, The Places You’ll Go: Dr. Seuss’ book will remind you to stay positive and focused.
3. The Little Big Things: Tom Peters explains how you can pursue excellence in your business.
4. Crush It!: Gary Vaynerchuk explains how to cash in on your passion with this book.
5. Never Get a “Real” Job: In this book from Scott Gerber, you’ll find out how to ditch the idea of getting a real job.
6. You Need to Be a Little Crazy: Read this book to understand how to be just crazy enough to grow your business.
7. Impro: Keith Johnstone discusses how to face the unexpected as an entrepreneur.
8. Ready, Fire, Aim: Serial entrepreneur Michael Masterson offers important business lessons.
9. A Whole New Mind: Daniel Pink’s book encourages reinvention for entrepreneurs.
10. Rework: Rework will inspire you to toss out the old rules of business.
11. How to Own the World: How to Own the World explains habits and attitudes that can make you successful as an entrepreneur.
12. Go Big or Go Home: Take Wil Schroter’s approach to business and go big.
13. The Winning Spirit: Build an excellent network with a winning spirit inspired by Lisa Wicker’s book.

Inspiration

Find inspiration in these entrepreneurial books.

1. Yes, You Can!: Sam Deep encourages readers to practice positive thinking in business.
2. Rules for Renegades: Rules for Renegades will help you revel in your individuality.
3. Small Giants: Bo Burlingham’s book is all about focusing on satisfying business goals that really matter.
4. Critical Thinking: Read Critical Thinking to consider why both good and bad are needed for balance.
5. StartupNation: StartupNation offers inspirational stories from the online community of the same name.
6. The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: This book is written for entrepreneurs just getting started.
7. Bill & Dave: Bill & Dave explains how Hewlett Packard was built.
8. The Happiness Hypothesis: Find out what makes you successful with The Happiness Hypothesis.
9. Go It Alone!: In Bruce Judson’s book, you will find stories, tips, and more for entrepreneurs.
10. Buddha: 9 to 5: Enlighten your workplace and improve your bottom line with the help of this book.
11. Business Stripped Bare: Richard Branson’s book discusses his golden touches that have helped create 7 different billion dollar organizations.
12. Typo: Not every inspiring story is a successful one. Typo discusses a struggling typesetting company.
13. Founders at Work: In this book, you’ll find interviews from top Internet entrepreneurs.
14. Peak: Chip Conley offers advice for finding your company’s mojo.

Innovation

Read these books to find encouragement for innovation.

1. The Knack: The Knack is all about handling whatever comes up as an entrepreneur.
2. The Innovator’s Dilemma: In The Innovator’s Dilemma, you’ll learn why it’s important to pay attention to innovations.
3. The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Find out how to fit into the market with the help of this book.
4. Switch: Switch is all about overcoming obstacles with change.
5. Delivering Happiness: Tony Hsieh’s book is all about making others happy with your work.
6. Becoming a Category of One: Becoming a Category of One explains how to defy comparison and become extraordinary.
7. The Big Book of Small Business: This book discusses doing the small things right to take your small business to the next level.
8. Stirring It Up: Check out Gary Hirshberg’s book about innovating while going green.
9. Purple Cow: Purple Cow from Seth Godin encourages business owners to be remarkable.

Management & Leadership

With the help of these books, you can build your people skills for better management, leadership, and more.

1. Click: George C. Fraser will help you build better networking relationships.
2. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us: Seth Godin’s Tribes explains how to lead your tribes, be they employees, customers, or investors.
3. Your Management Sucks: Take a different approach to management by reading Your Management Sucks.
4. Linchpin: Seth Godin’s book will help you become indispensable.
5. The Prince: Machiavelli’s book offers insight into leadership and more.
6. Crazy Bosses: Read these stories about crazy bosses to avoid becoming one.
7. Out of the Crisis: Read this book from W. Edwards Deming for help being an entrepreneur/manager.
8. New Ideas from Dead CEOs: This book offers timeless lessons in business and leadership.
9. No Telling: This book offers the secrets of Marine Corps leadership applied to business.

Work/Life Balance & Productivity

Stay on top of your work and life with happiness by reading these books.

1. The 4-Hour Workweek: Timothy Ferriss explains how to escape the 9-5.
2. Flying Solo: Flying Solo shares great advice for putting your priorities in order.
3. Getting Things Done: David Allen wrote the book on stress-free productivity.
4. Do More Faster: In this book from Brad Feld and David Cohen, you’ll find out how to accelerate your startup’s success.
5. The Business of Happiness: Ted Leonsis encourages readers to pursue happiness for success in business and life.

Marketing & Psychology

In these books, you’ll find the secrets to getting inside your customer’s mind.

1. Structural Holes: Learn about the sociology of competition and business in this book from Ronald S. Burt.
2. Six Pixels of Separation: Read Six Pixels of Separation to find out how to connect your business to everyone.
3. Getting Business to Come to You: Check out this book to learn how to market your services and products.
4. Blog Schmog: The Truth About What Blogs Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Business: Blogging is a great tool for many business owners, but it’s not a magic bullet. Find out what they can and can’t do by reading this book.
5. Reality Check: Guy Kawasaki will encourage you to be better at being smart about your business.
6. Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: David Siteman Garland offers smart strategies for marketing and promotion.
7. Selling the Invisible: This book offers an updated guide to modern marketing.
8. The Referral Engine: Check out The Referral Engine to learn how to harness the power of referrals.
9. Coolhunting: Chasing Down the Next Big Thing: Become a trendsetter instead of a trend follower by reading this book.
10. UnMarketing: UnMarketing encourages readers to stop marketing and start engaging.

This article was first posted on Oedb.org and is republished here with permission.