I think my wife would say that I am obsessed with business books… whenever another one comes out, I rush to buy it either on Amazon or Barnes & Noble (yes they still sell books guys – I recommend trying from time to time).
I look at the cover, and I start eating them at the speed of sound.
But then I find myself 50 pages into these stories and sometimes they just don’t click. It’s not the time to read them it seems… so I just leave them on the shelf for a while.
I want to make this process easy for you, so you don’t waste time going for weeks if it’s not the right time:
Here is my list of top 4 books for every entrepreneur, but more important, when to read each of them
#1 – Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight (Nike Founder) [NKE]
WHEN TO READ IT: when you are about to launch your business. It will kick adrenaline into your veins and you will feel you can do it, you will feel nothing can’t stop you. It will make you travel with him to Japan, feel the joy of the first shoes he sells… enjoy it!
#2. What it takes, by Stephen A. Schwarzman (Blackstone Co-Founder) [BX]
WHEN TO READ IT: when you are defining your next 5 years in life, it will teach you it’s never too late to start, the venture it’s never too big to dream about and it’s always about continuous learning, through excellence. For those in Banking / Consulting, it will help you realize that even post MD, you can be an entrepreneur.
#3. Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson [AAPL]
WHEN TO READ IT: (first, whenever you have enough time – the book has over 700 pages). This is a book to read when you want to understand what extraordinary looks like, what purpose is about, and how you, can create the world we live in. It will teach you each of us can change the world, and it’s just our decision to do it. And it will teach you the effort required to get there, it’s no easy task.
#4. Elon Musk, by Ashlee Vance [TSLA]
WHEN TO READ IT: when you are dreaming big, very big. The vision of Elon is unmatchable, it will kill any sense of fear to dream big. If you are in to solve the most important problems, this IS A MUST. It will show you how a clear vision, with few key principles can make you drive a business over decades. He sets the ambition, then convinces a handful of all-stars to go and make that a reality.
More to come. Hope I saved you some time.
