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You’ve heard the saying that “Poor people brag about the size of their TV, while rich people brag about the size of their library.” I know, I bang on about it – but it’s true. One of the best things that a seeker of wealth can do is to learn from the all-time greats. I can personally attest to the fact that this works: Years ago, I made it my business to kill my television and to acquire and devour as many of the best books on success and wealth as I could. Yes, that photo is my desk and part of my collection.
I’m not alone in this. Various other successful entrepreneurs from David DeAngelo to Tai Lopez show off their “Success Library”. How’s yours coming along?
So here’s my careful selection of 55 of the absolute best of all time. There is so much gold in here I cannot possibly give enough praise. Honestly, I think the best thing you can do is to buy all of them, stack them up and proceed to read every single one, voraciously. I can’t imagine that it would be possible to do this and then do anything other than succeed on a grand scale; and you could probably get it done in the time you waste on social media… 😉 I’ve linked to each one on Amazon so that you can “look inside” and see the reviews for yourself. Enjoy!
1. Felix Dennis – “How To Get Rich: One Of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets”
One of my absolute favorites. I have read it from cover to cover several times. Dennis started with virtually nothing and made his way onto the “rich lists” through building a publishing empire. There is so much gold in this book I cannot even summarize it – and “Uncle Felix” delivers it in that grand style that was uniquely his. It’s rare to find a ‘get rich’ book by someone who has actually made hundreds of millions of dollars.
2. George Berkowski – “How To Build A Billion Dollar App”
Berkowski has serious credentials, having studied rocket science and economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and business at the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris. He was Chairman of MIT’s Enterprise Forum in the UK and has extensive experience in the world of developing mobile apps. Rave reviews.
3. J. Paul Getty – “How To Be Rich: His Formulas”
“I made my first million dollars in the front seat of a battered, secondhand Model T. Ford”… they don’t come much richer than Getty and this unique look at the life “in the trenches” that took him to the very top, is a must for anyone seeking to rise in business.
4. Robert Greene – “The 48 Laws Of Power”
Hugely famous and influential, this book dissects the “Machiavellian” approach to success, using illustrations from the power moves of the courtiers of old to distill the topic down to 48 immutable laws. A brilliant, erudite and enjoyable read.
Gerber describes the typical path of what happens when someone is gripped by the “entrepreneurial seizure” a.k.a. sticking it to the man and being your own boss. He illustrates the key points of failure that take most under the waves, and how not to become one of them.
6. Brad Stone – “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon”
Documenting the meteoric rise of Amazon to becoming the king of e-commerce in just a few years, this book gives us insight into how it was done.
7. Timothy Ferriss – “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”
Famous “Success Hacker” Tim Ferriss loves to push the envelope of personal possibility and this is his most famous book. A classic on the art of reclaiming your life from the grind and focusing on your most important life goals.
8. Thomas J. Stanley – “The Millionaire Mind”
Stanley undertook a detailed study of actual millionaires in order to understand what separated them from those who were not so successful financially. It’s a must-read into the real processes of wealth generation.
A brilliant success book that demolishes the myth of the necessity of the college degree and demonstrates how real business knowledge is built.
Kiyosaki’s simple yet powerful advice made this book a runaway bestseller and it’s now the #1 best-selling Personal Finance book of all time. Hugely influential, a must read.
As the saying goes, each of us is given as many hours in the day as was Da Vinci, Elon Musk and Beethoven. Strategies of time management are a vital component in a life that amounts to something magnificent. Useful and practical.
The legendary Branson is an exemplar for any entrepreneur. One of the best people that you could learn from.
13. Ashlee Vance – “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future”
This huge bestseller dives deep into the life of one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Musk is an inspiration for any entrepreneur – his boldness, drive and seemingly unlimited ability to think big have demonstrated what it takes to execute on ideas with the power to change the world.
14. Napoleon Hill – “Think And Grow Rich”
One of the most famous success classics of all time. Napoleon Hill interviewed many of the wealthiest people of his day in order to learn whether there were fundamental principles at work that could be learned and embodied by others.
15. Mark Anastasi – “The Laptop Millionaire: How Anyone Can Escape the 9 to 5 and Make Money Online”
Even though a few years old, many of the steps are still highly actionable and the overall “mindset” is absolutely superb. A fantastic book that far exceeded my expectations.
Written by someone who went from troubled circumstances to building a company doing over $20 million in annual revenue, this book identifies the differences between those who reach their goals and those who do not.
17. Zig Ziglar – “Secrets of Closing the Sale: For Anyone Who Must Get Others to Say Yes!”
The legendary Zig Ziglar was a world famous motivational speaker, teacher and trainer – and a writer of over thirty books on personal growth and leadership. Considered a master of sales technique, he taught the principles of the “win-win”, saying “You can have everything you wanting life, if you help enough other people get what they want”.
Brian Tracy’s reputation as a success coach is well deserved and this is considered one of his best books. Everything I have read from him has been brilliant.
19. Renae Clark – “Product Research 101: Find Winning Products to Sell on Amazon and Beyond”
This book teaches how to identify and source winning products and get started with e-commerce business.
Brilliant internet marketing training from the ultra-successful creator of Clickfunnels. Rave reviews galore.
21. Tony Robbins – “MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom”
Best selling blueprint for financial freedom from one of the most famous success coaches of all time.
Essential guide to taking a startup from idea to financial independence from McLaughlin, who has a long track record of business success and an “Entrepreneur Of The Year” award to his name.
Does what it says on the tin, this book is full of words that have proven success in sales campaigns. In the days where “getting the click” is one of the most important of all business skills, these words will improve your headlines and clickthrough rates.
24. Scott Fox – “Click Millionaires: Work Less, Live More with an Internet Business You Love”
An essential guide for “lifestyle entrepreneurs” who want to run a business “from the beach” or wherever you desire. It’s now entirely possible – due to outsourcing, automation and global connectivity (and I’ve done it myself). When you can catch a transatlantic flight and make more money while you are in the air than the cost of the flight, then you have truly arrived… 😉
25. Zig Ziglar – “See You At The Top”
Another classic from Ziglar, and possibly his most famous book. I love his work and mindset. Can’t go wrong with this one.
26. Walter Isaacson – “Steve Jobs”
The classic biography of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time. A huge bestseller and a must read.
27. Grant Cardone – “The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure”
Cardone built an impressive fortune from the ground up in Real Estate, and has considerable talent at teaching others how to be successful.
28. George S. Clason – “The Richest Man In Babylon”
Written in the 1920’s, this famous book of “parables” is an all time classic of investment principles.
One of the most highly regarded books on copywriting, deep and insightful. Lots of gold here.
30. Sam Walton – “Sam Walton: Made In America”
This is an essential, not only for the business principles and extraordinary personal values but as a shocking testament to how different the Wal-Mart of today is from the original company that Walton founded.
31. John Carlton – “The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Getting Your Shit Together”
I really enjoyed this book. Unexpectedly brilliant and inspiring.
32. Ryan Holiday – “The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph”
A cult classic and another one of those books that you can pick up, open at any page and get some inspiration from.
33. John Caples – “Tested Advertising Methods”
In advertising, testing is king and real data is the cornerstone of a successful ad campaign. Caples’ classic book is packed full of real examples and actionable advice from a pro.
34. Robert B. Cialdini – “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”
Another world-famous book. Cialdini breaks down influence to simple concepts that can be applied in sales, relationships and other arenas.
35. Phil Knight – “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike”
A branding masterclass and a fantastic “winners tale”. Everyone now is importing products from the Far East, however Knight was doing it way before it was even considered a viable model. He discusses Nike’s rags-to-riches rise from being refused startup loans by local banks through to being one of the world’s most successful brands.
36. MJ DeMarco – “The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime”
I loved this book. It’s packed full of business training and has earned its place as a #1 business bestseller.
37. Peter Thiel – “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future”
Thiel was one of the “PayPal Mafia”, along with Elon Musk and Reid Hoffman, and has many years of experience at the top levels of the Silicon Valley world of startups. There’s hardly anyone alive more qualified to write this book than him and it’s considered an entrepreneur classic.
Written by an International Grandmaster of Memory and memory record holder, this book teaches you techniques that literally enable you to “upgrade your brain”. Everyone can benefit enormously from this, whether in business or not.
Jeff Walker is an old pro in the internet marketing game and has been hugely successful at digital information product launches, doing over $400 million in sales. So you might say he knows what he’s talking about. One reviewer wrote “I used Jeff’s Product Launch Formula to create a seven-figure-plus business I absolutely love.” You can’t really get a much better review than that for a business book.
An in depth study of the man who founded Microsoft and went on to become the richest man in the world for almost 20 years. Love him or hate him, there’s much you can learn from him.
41. Chris Voss – “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It”
– This book is absolutely amazing. I knew it was going to be decent from the reviews, but I was absolutely blown away. A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI distils a lifetime of negotiation experience into an amazing set of techniques that can be applied in any sort of negotiation. Highest recommendation for this one!
Page after page of rave reviews for this fantastic book on creating a reliable plan for business growth.
43. Nir Eyal – “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”
A deep dive into the psychology of compelling products and their creation, this is a fantastic guide to product development and in particular, creating products that become indispensable and even addictive to their users. This book is aimed at digital products / tech in particular. Tons of rave reviews, with some critique leveled on the ethics of the modern phenomenon of “product addiction”.
Social media can hardly be ignored in modern business. The founders of the world’s big social media sites have become some of the fastest billionaires in history – however these giant platforms have created opportunities for thousands of others to develop very successful businesses under their umbrella. This highly rated guide shows you how to get your foot in the door.
45. David J. Schwartz – “The Magic of Thinking Big”
An all time classic that sold 6 million copies, this one has influenced a huge number of people to reach for the stars, “acquire the secrets of success and achieve everything you’ve ever wanted.
This list would not be complete without something from Buffett, perhaps the man with “the most impressive track record capitalism has ever produced”. This selection of Buffett’s best writings is packed with sound business principles.
Graham has been called the greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century and this book now updated for the modern market, has been regarded as “the stock market bible” since its original publication in 1949.
48. David S. Rose – “The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business”
A raft of rave reviews for this roadmap for startup founders and serial entrepreneurs.
If you are starting a startup, you will need to not only develop something amazing but you will need to negotiate the world of getting finance for your operations. Venture capital has the money and therefore power, but you need to keep control of your vision.
50. David Nasaw – “Andrew Carnegie”
The fantastic bestseller is the rags-to-riches life story of one of history’s most famous businessmen. Carnegie moved to Pittsburgh at age thirteen, starting as a lowly bobbin boy in a cotton factory and going on to become the richest man in the world. He then spent the rest of his days giving away the enormous fortune he had accumulated and crusading for international peace.
Rave reviews for this guide to “side hustles” and startup internet businesses that can be run from home.
52. T.J. Stiles – The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
Pulitzer Prize-winning ags-to-riches story of Vanderbilt, who went from humble origins to becoming one of the wealthiest men in history. His actions were highly influential shaping the modern business landscape. Rave reviews for its research, writing style and insight.
53. Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson – “Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer And Venture Capitalist”
An in depth investigation into how deals are constructed and negotiated from two seasoned venture capitalists with over 40 years of investing experience as VCs, LPs, angels, and founders.
54. Jocko Willink – “Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual”
One of my favorite motivational texts. This book is absolutely amazing for when you need a “power shot” of motivation to get you into kicking-ass-mode; whether you are working on your business or working out, it works. I leave my copy open either on my desk or in my workout space. One of those books you can randomly open at a page and just get fueled up by. Absolute recommendation.
55. Ron Chernow – “Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.”
No study of wealth would be complete without an investigation into the life of the world’s first billionaire! Described as both a rapacious robber baron and a lavish philanthropist, this book delves into the private papers of this enigmatic figure in order to reveal the man within.
That’s it! Let the world know what you think of this selection and most importantly, if there are other amazing wealth books you would recommend, please mention them in the comments. 🙂
Note – all the Amazon links on this page are affiliate links and I get a small commission on sales at no additional cost to the buyer.
