Traditional education and I are not good friends. I attempted to get a 4 year degree in business with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and it didn't work out. I don't have good study skills and I have a chip on my shoulder as it relates to homework (which I think is just busy work). Add to that the cost of tuition and books and I've sworn it off forever. I do however think of myself as an educated person. In addition to the education I have derived from real life experience (which of course has no equal) I am an avid reader (or listener if you think listening to books doesn't count as reading). Naturally, since learning by reading is something I am passionate about I'm always recommending books to people based on what they are looking to do/learn/change. Yesterday I was accused of “having a book for everything.”
On occasion I do run into people who ask more broadly for a book list that I would recommend. I have developed this book list for individuals who I am mentoring and I thought it would be appropriate to share it here. Since I'm always reading new books and discovering older books that are really awesome I will return to this post to update it when I find a new golden nugget I think has to be on this MUST READ list. (Click here for my article on how you can double the number of books you read)
Lastly, before I give you the list, let me disclaim that I'm listing these books in an order that I think naturally builds on itself. If you are looking for books about a specific subject you may want to jump around. Also, if you are looking for a good book list based on specific business or personal development categories you may want to check Josh Kaufman's 99 Best Books List. He originally built the book as a curriculum he calls the Personal MBA. Since then he has written his own book which summarizes all the principles (listed below).
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Cargnegie
- The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
- 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
- Automatic Millionaire by David Bach
- The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris
- Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
- Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
- The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
- The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
- Built to Last by Jim Collins
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
- First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham
- To Sell is Human by Dan Pink
- Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard
- The Millionaire Next Door – Thomas Stanley & William Danko
