1. Business @ the Speed of Thought by Bill Gates
In the book, published in 1999, Gates predicted that in the next 10 years business would change more than in the last 50 years. Did this prediction come true? Well, yes, it did and that is a great reason to reread this book written by one of the biggest leaders of the information revolution. Modern business is a powerful system and being intelligent and intuitive is no longer enough to succeed. Bill Gates shares his knowledge about the principles of successful business and teaches how to use modern information technologies right. He provides personal examples from his business and that makes this book even more interesting to read.
2. Buffett’s Bites: The Essential Investor’s Guide to Warren Buffett’s Shareholder Letters by Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet has made more than $50 billion due to successful investments. In this book, he shows his business correspondence with his partners and investors starting from 1957. His golden rule of communicating with investors is to provide the information you would want to receive yourself. Reading the letters and the tips from one of the richest people in the world is quite fascinating, isn’t it?
3. Open Society: Reforming Global Capitalism by George Soros
George Soros has made more than $19 billion so far. That makes his book really worth reading. Critics call this book the manifesto of the new capitalism. In this work, Soros criticizes different social and commercial taboos as well as revises people’s attitude towards capital that rules the countries. His thoughts and ideas are very fresh, clever and unusual. Everyone who is into politics, business and social problems need to read it.
4. Losing My Virginity: The Autobiography by Richard Branson
Richard Branson is a well-known British entrepreneur who owns more than 400 companies in Great Britain and is one of the richest people in the country. “Losing My Virginity” is not just a story of success and a guide of how to do business right. It is also a fun book written be an extremely successful man who once decided to live his life in the fullest. He is truly a great example to follow and a very wise man to learn from.
5. The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump
Actually, this scandalous American billionaire has written 15 books so far, but you should start with his first one. The best thing about “The art of the deal” is that Tramp describes in details the strategy of creating his business with life examples and tells how exactly he has been making deals, negotiating with his partners and making the decisions. Everyone who has something to do with business has to have this book and to learn from one of the greatest businessmen in the world.
6. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
This is a legendary book written by the world-renowned politician, diplomat, inventor, scientist and author Benjamin Franklin. The book tells about the first half of the author’s life. It is especially interesting because Franklin describes the formation of his personality. Franklin was without doubt a very gifted person. All the good circumstances in his life contributed to his success and all the bad ones just trained his willpower. The events of his life show that any kind of activity and every field of knowledge can be learned by a person with an inquiring mind and active energy.
7. How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger
This is a story of an extraordinary American man told by himself. Frank Bettger had come a long hard way before becoming one of the most high-paid commercial agents in the world. He shares the secrets of how he managed to achieve such a success after disappointing failures. This book is a must for everyone who has to do with sales and for those who want to learn how not to give up after failing in something.
8. My Life & Work by Henry Ford
This autobiographic book of one of the most remarkable inventors and managers of the 20 century is written in the bright, energetic and inspiring manner. It contains a lot of material that has a historical value yet it is still of current importance for modern economists, engineers, designers, sociologists and managers. This book is not just an interesting story about the “father” of the US car industry. It shows the practical experience of the foundation of the biggest car factory of that time.
9. Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life by Nick Vujicic
This is a story of life and success of a person with no arms and legs. Despite having no limbs, Nick Vujicic has a very full life: he has two college degrees, he is happily married, he writes books and even swims. This book is an inspiring and emotional story of overcoming hardships and despair, believing in yourself and being happy. Nick speaks openly about his physical and emotional sufferings and how difficult it was to find a way to accept his condition and live a full life. In this book, Nick formulates the life rules that have helped him and shares them with his readers.
10. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
Ed Catmull is a co-founder and president of Pixar Studios. This book is a mixture of a guide for managing business and personal memoirs of the author. The book is perfect for managers who want to push their colleagues to new achievements, who seek originality and creativity and who want to succeed no matter what. This is a great journey to the Pixar Company where art is created. Featured photo credit: Reading a book/CollegeDegrees360 via flickr.com
