Business books | Check out these recommendations by leaders!

The thing about beginning anything new is that you have to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar terrain. One of the most sorted ways to do that is by reaching out to people who have already done it successfully. They will have advice, suggestions, and help that will be unlike what anyone else can give you.

Here is a list of leading business people that you will undoubtedly recognize by name and their valuable suggestions of the best business books to read can help you succeed. It is important to note that the suggestions made by these well-established business people are based on the fact that they recognize that it takes overall growth in a person to bring about success. 

1. Tim Cook

Best known as the CEO of Apple, Tim also serves on its board of directors. He began his journey with an MBA and worked at IBM for over a decade, after which he was the Vice President of Corporate Materials for Compaq. He was the leader of Apple’s Macintosh division then the Chief Operating Officer before becoming the CEO of Apple in 2011.

Some business books to read as suggested by Tim Cook include- 

• Competing Against Time by George Stalk Jr. and Thomas M. Hout
• Gandhi: An Autobiography – The Story of My Experiments with Truth – By Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi
• Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon by Larry Tye
• March: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
• March: Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin

2. Sheryl Sandberg

A graduate of Harvard MBA, Sheryl began her career as chief of staff for the then US Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers. She later joined Google, where she had responsibilities in the ad and sales team, which she helped grow from 4 to 4000 team members. 

She was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Facebook in 2007. After that, she joined the board of The Walt Disney Company in 2009 and the boards of Women for Women International, V-Day, and the Center for Global Development. In 2012, Sheryl became the first woman to join Facebook’s board of directors.

Some of the business-related books suggested by Sheryl Sandberg include- 

• The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington
• The Lean Startup by Eric Riles
• Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of The People You Manage by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
• The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman and Ben Cas.
• Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown
• Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies by Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh
• Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt
• Face to Face: The Art of Connection by Brian Grazer
• Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis
• Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time by Bill McGowan

3. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 

An Indian billionaire entrepreneur, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is the executive chairperson and founder of a biotechnology company called Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology. After this, she pursued her master’s degree in Brewing from Australia. She was the only woman who was enrolled in a brewing course in which she was at the top of her class. 

In 2014 she headed the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), the first woman to do so. At present, she is a member of the board of governors of the Indian School of Business and is also a term member on the board of MIT, USA, till 2023.

Here are some of the best business books to read that Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recommends-

• Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
• Jack Welch And the GE Way, Management Insights and Leadership Insights of The Legendary CEO by Robert Slater
• Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
• Fortune At the Bottom of The Pyramid by CK Prahalad
• Leapfrogging To Pole-Vaulting, Creating the Magic of Radical Yet Sustainable Transformation by Raghunath Mashelkar and Ravi Pandit

4. Reed Hastings 

A co-chief executive officer (CEO and chairman) of Netflix, Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr., is also the co-founder. He graduated with a master’s degree in Computer Science. 

In 1991, he founded Pure Software and produced products for troubleshooting software. In 1996, along with Marc Randolph, he co-founded Netflix. He is an active philanthropist when it comes to education and politics.

Here are the best business books of all time as suggested by Reed Hastings-

• Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
• Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord
• Tool and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age by Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne
• Principles for Success by Ray Dalio

5. Bill Gates

The co-founder of Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, is a software developer, author, and zero-carbon energy investing philanthropist. He dropped out of Harvard to build Microsoft with his childhood friend and co-founder, the late Paul Allen. 

While at Microsoft, Bill was a software developer, chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), president, and chief software architect. He has written three books titled The Road Ahead, co-written with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson, Business @ the Speed of Thought, and How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.

Bill Gates swears by two books that he considers the best business books to read-

• Business Adventures by John Brooks
• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

Key takeaways

• There is a path that many entrepreneurs make when setting up their businesses, but that isn’t the only way. 
• If you want more options and clarity on what you can do, then putting together a bookshelf of the best business books that can guide you is a wonderful place to start.                                                      
• The fact remains that there are more books on business than you will ever have the time to read. So, begin with the books listed in this article; not because we say so but take the word of the flourishing business people who have recommended those books.

Now that you know the best business books, grab a copy and start reading! If you have any questions/suggestions, drop a comment below or reach out to us. 

Liked this blog? Read next: Books to read | Top 5 fiction books every college student must read!

 FAQs 

Q1. Which are the best books for starting a business?

Ans- The Lean Startup by Eric Riles, Zero to One by Peter Thiel, and Atomic Habits by James Clear are a few examples of good books to read when starting a business.

Q2. What is a good business communication book?

Ans- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; it also happens to be a book highly recommended by Bill Gates.

Q3. What are some good business ideas books?

Ans- Some amazing business ideas books include- 

• Will It Fly by Pat Flynn 
• Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz

WRITTEN BY

Aastha

Sr. Content Writer

Aastha Arya is a Senior Content Writer at iSchoolConnect who writes about topics covering study abroad trends, exclusive news updates and prolific college courses. She has a 4-year of experience in this field and also likes to keep tabs on recent events, visa policy changes, and many other concerns that affect international students.

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