Welcome to one of the top entrepreneur podcasts, where I offer free and paid online business courses to help you learn everything you need to know about starting your business! In this episode of The Sweaty Startup, I’m accompanied by Max to talk about the 10 best business books to read right now. With winter and the holidays approaching, it is the perfect time to dive into some books which have contributed to our success as entrepreneurs. In past podcasts, I’ve reviewed some of my favorite books, but I’ve never dedicated an entire episode to talking about which books are the best.
As an entrepreneur, reading is the best way to contribute and brainstorm new ideas. In turn, this has contributed to our success. For Max, every time he reads a good book, he brainstorms additional ways to improve his business.
There is a right and wrong way to read a book. Many people listen to an audiobook at a fast speed, or they’ll skim the pages because they feel like there is too much fluff. However, it’s important to critically reflect on what we’re reading (or listening to) and apply the ideas that matter. You can listen to an audiobook, but it’s better to read a physical copy, as you can highlight critical information and make important notes on how to tie in those ideas to your life and your business.
Just like with this podcast, you don’t have to agree with everything you read. The point is to find those golden nuggets that will help you be a little bit better. With that said, here are the 10 best business books to read:
#1: Deep Work by Cal Newport
Learn how to focus on solving a problem without outside influences or distractions. Access strategies from the author that will help you to achieve success. Find the time to reflect, and discover creative solutions you wouldn’t have found otherwise in a distracted world.
#2: Small Business 2021 Taxes by J.K. Lasse
Understand how the tax code works for small businesses and learn the best ways to save money. Includes information about what you can write off as a deduction or business expense. You’ll also learn about tips, guides, and strategies for properly filing your taxes and saving money.
#3: Poor Charlie’s Almanac by Charles T. Munger
Explore the mind of the brilliant investor, attorney, and billionaire Charlie Munger (business partner to Warren Buffet and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway) and his thoughts on overcoming cognitive biases that lead us to make poor decisions.
#4: EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
Financial guru and real estate investor Dave Ramsey talks about establishing a business and how to treat your employees. Learn practical advice from Ramsey on how to be a good boss and a likable person.
#5: Idea Man by Paul Allen
Idea Man is a memoir of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. By his early thirties, Paul Allen became a billionaire, investor, and owner of several companies. Later, due to medical reasons, he retired from Microsoft and started investing in projects or ideas he liked. As a result, his contributions have positively impacted communities as he’s used business as a tool to help people.
#6: The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
About the bottleneck principle, this book tells the exciting fictional story of a man who takes over a factory and is in a desperate race to find out why it’s failing before it’s too late.
#7: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss will teach you the skills and strategies he learned from saving lives. Learn how to be more persuasive in negotiating business deals in both your professional and personal life.
#8: Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
By the time he was in his thirties, John D. Rockefeller owned 90% of all the oil companies in America, making him one of the wealthiest persons in the world. This biography tells the life story of both a brilliant and controversial businessman and philanthropist.
#9: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio shares valuable lessons on how to make good decisions by recognizing what our blind spots are and how they impact us.
#10: The Dip by Seth Godin
When do you give up? And when do you keep going? This short read will open your mind about what you’re working on and what your long-term goals are. Godin’s book will help you make important decisions, thinking more about value than money when building a business or working on a project.
Three Key Takeaways
- Reading books helps contribute to ideas, which contributes to success. Never stop learning and growing your businesses and ideas.
- Reflect. Sometimes we skim through the pages or listen to an audiobook at a fast speed, so we can get past the fluff because we think it doesn’t apply to us. It’s important to critically reflect on what we read and apply what we learn.
- You don’t have to agree with everything you read. The point is to find those golden nuggets that will help you be a little bit better.
For more valuable content like this, learn everything you need to know about starting your business with one of my online business courses.
The Sweaty Startup is Brought to You By:
Launch Kits
- $750 Website turned around in seven days
- Visit launchkits.com/sweaty
- $50 off your launch kit
- FREE Jobber integration
- FREE Gsuite account (includes domain, email at your domain, Google Voice, and Google Analytics)
Jobber
- Automates your workflow
- Send quotes to clients
- Schedule jobs
- Send invoices
- Receive payments
- Track your progress
- Keep a record of client details & history
- Visit sweatystartup.com/jobber to learn more