Dorie Clarrk
Reading business books was crucial
in accelerating my learning, and helping me
become a better entrepreneur. These
are the books I consider to be foundational, and
which I refer to again and again. Hope you enjoy.
How to Fail at
Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. A
charming,
contrarian, and
fascinating success ‘how to’ (or ‘how not to’) memoir by the creator of Dilbert. This is one of
the best books of business stories I’ve read. His periodic allusions to “hitting
the diversity ceiling” in corporate America make him sound like a whiner, but beyond
that, the book is a gem.
Choose Yourself by
James Altucher. This isn’t a business advice book, per se, but more an engaging memoir of
business ups-and-downs. Altucher is a beautiful copywriter (study his writing
style – you can’t put it down) and disarmingly honest about his life and struggles, which
has served him very well in business.
Influence by
Robert Cialdini. This is the classic on persuasion – beautifully written and chock full of
blow-your-mind facts. Everyone needs to read it.
Pre-Suasion by
Robert Cialdini. This is a companion volume to Influence, and a
substantial contribution
to understanding how to make influence work for you in the moments before you make
the ask.
The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is a classic for
good reason. You’ll learn
important and perennially useful concepts like “start with the end in mind” and the
importance of “sharpening the saw.”
Abundance: The
Future Is Better Than You Think. by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. A fascinating
look at future trends and why they’re so hard to spot. This has philosophical implications
for all of our business ventures, as well.
Sell Your Book Like
Wildfire by
Rob Eagar. If you’re marketing a book, Rob’s advice is spot on, and smarter
than what most in-house marketers at publishing houses will tell you.
Never Eat Alone by
Keith Ferrazzi. The best book on networking I’ve ever read. Well worth your time.
The E-Myth
Revisited by
Michael Gerber. The classic small business book, providing the useful concept of “working
on” your business (i.e., systematizing), rather than “working in” your business
(i.e., doing all the stuff yourself and getting overloaded so you can’t grow). I
learned a lot from this book.
Outliers by
Malcolm Gladwell. This is the book that popularized Anders Ericsson’s
famous “10,000 Hour
Rule” of expertise. It’s referred to so often in business circles, you ought to read it.
The Tipping Point by
Malcolm Gladwell. Same goes for this one. It’s part of the cultural fabric now.
Made to Stick by
Dan and Chip Heath. Consider this a follow-on or companion volume to The Tipping Point.
The Heath brothers take Gladwell’s 30,000 foot perspective and try to make it
actionable for business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Getting to Plan B by
Randy Komisar and John Mullins. A look at how startups pivot by a well known Silicon
Valley VC and a British professor. Chock full of interesting case studies you can learn
from, both regarding your business and your overall professional life.
Ask by
Ryan Levesque. A deep dive on survey methodology. That may sound dry, but it’s an essential skill
when it comes to understanding your customers.
11 Rules for
Creating Value in the Social Era by Nilofer Merchant. This short book is a great primer on the
future of the economy and important trends like the sharing economy, crowdfunding,
etc. It will make you look at your business, and your business model, in new
ways.
Power: Why Some
People Have It and Others Don’t by Jeffrey Pfeffer. Pfeffer is
Stanford business
school professor who provides a clear and smart roadmap for how to win at office
politics and successfully navigate other people’s pettiness.
The Lean Startup by
Eric Ries. This book is read by every startup aspirant these days, and with good reason.
His concepts, such as the ‘minimum viable product,’ have become a very useful
framework in how to launch a product quickly and cheaply to establish demand,
before you go all in. A nice companion to Peter Sims’ book below.
Just Start by
Leonard Schlesinger, Charles Kiefer, and Paul Brown. A great
entrepreneurship primer
for when you’re overthinking things. They remind you that taking action of some
kind, no matter how small, is the necessary ingredient.
Little Bets by
Peter Sims. A look at how to experiment in small and strategic ways, without putting
yourself or your company at too much risk.
The Education of a
Value Investor by Guy Spier. It’s nominally a book about
investing, but it’s actually about
business ethics and what careers and lives should be made of.
Launch by
Jeff Walker. If you plan to do internet marketing, Jeff Walker sets the
standard. Many people
have copied him, with greater or lesser success, but it’s worth consulting the original and determining
which pieces to keep or reject.
