These Books Are Must-Reads For Entrepreneurs

Every field has its seminal texts that are truly must-reads for anybody who wants to get started or delve deeper, and entrepreneurship is no exception. Entrepreneurship books are hot commodities, often getting their own shelves in book stores, but choosing among the glut of them can be difficult. We’ve selected some of the finest examples to read, and for both budding and experienced entrepreneurs, these are full of nuggets of wisdom that you can take with you and apply to your life.

Ryan Holiday’s “Perennial Seller” - Everybody wishes to make things that will endure rather than fading away when the next big thing comes around. How do you do that? “Perennial Seller” has the answers. It looks at top musicians, writers, brands, and artists and discusses how they focused their work not on making something that strikes like lightning and fades away, but on making a lasting impression with the audience. It’s about focusing on quality rather than just getting people’s attention. This is the perfect book for dreamers who want to make an impact with something they care about rather than people who want to make it big just for the sake of doing so. 

Jon Acuff’s “Finish” - Success is often simply about persistence, and if you have a great idea but aren’t able to follow it through, you don’t stand a chance. That is the message of “Finish.” If you make a New Year’s resolution, be one of the 8% of people who stick to it (based on a stat from University of Scranton), rather than one of the 92% of people who give it up. Acuff works from that statistic in the book and in his own life, finding ways to get people to take their goals and actually follow through on them. The book gives both the why and the how on this subject, explaining the importance of accomplishing what you set out to do as well as giving steps on how to do that. His approach is action oriented rather than theoretical, and following his steps will surely help you do what you want to do in life. 

Cal Newport’s “Deep Work” - The world has always contained vices that we needed to resist to be successful, but now those vices are as widespread and tempting as ever, even if they appear harmless on the surface. That is because we are tempted by the constant distractions thrown at us 24/7, with our phones always beckoning us to see the newest notifications, social media posts, and other of our minor addictions. Focusing has become harder than ever, and that has negatively impacted the ways that we work. As “Deep Work” explains, being able to truly focus for an extended period of time is one of the best ways to set yourself apart from your competitors, and it is a skill that must be cultivated. Newport will teach you just how to get that skill, and how to become a more productive person who can drown out all of the distractions that follow us wherever we go. 

thatChet Holmes’ “The Ultimate Sales Machine” - Holmes’ book is also about focus, but in a different way. “The Ultimate Sales Machine” discusses how being too ambitious can be a barrier to success as many companies don’t see the growth they want because they are too scattered. Their goals are too varied and they lack the focus needed to deliver a product or service that truly excels in just a few areas. To quote from Holmes, "Becoming a master is not about doing 4,000 different things, it's about doing 12 things, 4,000 times each." Know what you want to be the master of and focus on that as it is that mastery which will make you stand out. The book talks about marketing and sales and what goes into a successful company, and it steers you away from common pitfalls and towards a path to success.