top business biographies to read

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18 Best Business Biographies to Read

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: October 21, 2021

You found our list of top business biographies .

Business biographies are narratives that tell the stories of entrepreneurs and the birth and growth of influential companies. These works deal with topics such as childhood influences, education and early career, business founding, and the evolution of entrepreneurial empires. The purpose of these books is to provide further context and insight into the personal factors that contributed to the creation of companies, and to inspire and educate current and future entrepreneurs.

These works are a subset of business books and are similar to entrepreneur books and CEO books .

This list includes:

• autobiographies of business founders
• biographies of business leaders
• entrepreneur biographies
• business biographies about women

Here we go!

List of business biographies

Here is a list of biographies of business leaders that shed light on how to launch and nurture legacies and empires.

1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog is one of the most popular autobiographies of business founders of all time. This memoir has received endorsements from the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

In his own words, Nike founder Phil Knight recounts the journey of founding the sneaker company and its ascent into a top athletic wear brand. Knight gives a peek into his early life and influences, as well as insights into his leadership and business philosophy. Shoe Dog is a masterful illustration of tenacity, vision, and the business lifestyle.

Notable Quote: “Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment.”

Read Shoe Dog .

2. Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone

Amazon Unbound is Brad Stone’s followup to the bestselling book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon. This latest biography about the founder of Amazon charts the company’s rise to global titan status and chronicles Bezos’ evolution as a leader within the past decade. The work includes the company’s development of cloud technology, Alexa, and Prime Video, as well as acquisitions of Whole Foods and The Washington Post . The book continues the narrative of the story of Amazon and its founder and lays forth the next chapter in the saga of the e-commerce giant.

Notable Quote: “Jeff is master of ‘this isn’t working today, but could work tomorrow.’ If customers like it, he’s got the cash flow to fund it.”

Read Amazon Unbound .

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3. Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca

Iacocca: An Autobiography is a firsthand account of the life of the legendary auto executive. Lee Iacocca’s life is a prime example of the American dream– raised by immigrants, he rises up the ranks in corporate America and dominates the auto world. In the course of this journey, Lee Iacocca revolutionized the automobile industry and earned icon status. The autobiography traces the highlights of Iacocca’s illustrious career, from his part in creating the Mustang and ascent to president of Ford, to saving the Chrysler brand, and defeating hurdles along the way. Iacocca: An Autobiography is a motivational read and a rallying call for resilience.

Notable Quote: “In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits. People come first. Unless you’ve got a good team, you can’t do much with the other two.”

Read Iacocca: An Autobiography .

4. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow

Titan  traces the life of legendary businessman John D Rockefeller. This biography aims to examine Rockefeller through a new lens. Many other accounts either overly-glorify Rockefeller as a hero or condemn him based on The Standard Oil Company’s later scandals. Ron Chernow angles to lift the veil on and gain insight into the notoriously private Rockefeller by compiling a comprehensive account of his full life. The book follows John Rockefeller Sr from his childhood to death. In doing so, the author not only recounts the moves and deals that helped build a business and charity empire, but also shares stories and quotes that more thoroughly flesh out the figure behind the great deeds.

Notable Quote: “Rockefeller equated silence with strength: Weak men had loose tongues and blabbed to reporters, while prudent businessmen kept their own counsel.”

Read Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

5. The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution by Gregory Zuckerman

The Man Who Solved the Market is a bestselling book about Jim Simons, the mathematician who pioneered an algorithm-driven approach to investing that achieved unheard-of market returns. The book unpacks Simon’s backstory by tracing the codebreaker’s early adolescence, education at MIT, early career, and finally the late-life acclaim and founding of Renaissance Technologies. Gregory Zuckerman connects Simons’ story to the broader current climate and notes the influences the discovery had on the wider world. The Man Who Solved the Market also holds lessons about teamwork and professional collaboration.

Notable Quote: “Scientists and mathematicians are trained to dig below the surface of the chaotic, natural world to search for unexpected simplicity, structure, and even beauty”

Read The Man Who Solved the Market .

6. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big is equal parts amusing and profound. In this book, Dilbert comic creator Scott Adams traces his career, paying special attention to the flops, setbacks, and disappointments. By focusing on failure, Adams explains how he was able to transform losses into lessons and eventual opportunities. The author’s signature wry sense of humor elevates the underdog narrative beyond motivational fluff and into actionable advice.

While telling his own tale, Adams drops tidbits such as:

• Goals are for losers. Systems are for winners.
• The most important metric is to track your personal energy.
• Conquer shyness by being a huge phony (in a good way.)

While this book is structured more like a self-help guide than a traditional biography, it is full of personal anecdotes that provide a much more rounded picture of the famous cartoonist.

Notable Quote: “Failure always brings something valuable with it. I don’t let it leave until I extract that value.”

Read ​​ How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big .

7. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

The Snowball provides a personal portrait of the Oracle of Omaha. In this exclusive biography, Warren Buffet allows Alice Schroeder and the readers intimate access into his inner life by way of years of one-on-one interviews with the author. The book reveals previously non-public details about Buffet’s childhood, career, and relationships, and sheds light on the investor’s inner-drivers, values, and areas of personal growth. The Snowball shows Warren Buffet’s human side and gives extra context to the magnate’s extraordinary accomplishments.

Notable Quote: “Intensity is the price of excellence.”

Read The Snowball .

8. Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last by Wright Thompson

Pappyland is a tale of familial entrepreneurial duty and legacy preservation. The book tells the tale of Julian Van Winkle III’s battle to save his father and grandfather’s lifework and the reputation of the family whiskey business. The work chronicles Van Winkle’s early struggles to keep the business afloat in leaner years to the eventual rise to several-hundred-dollar-a-bottle prestige, and the resulting need for innovation and reinvention that stayed true to the company’s roots. Few entrepreneur biographies touch so heavily on themes of family devotion and obligation, making Pappyland a moving and relatable read as well as a practical business study.

Notable Quote: “That’s the work of adulthood. Sorting out the good and bad within.”

Read Pappyland .

9. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger

The Ride of a Lifetime is a self-penned profile of Disney executive Robert Iger. The book recounts Iger’s rise from entry-level employee at ABC to head of the most powerful media company in the world. Iger reflects on the industry changes that he saw and had a hand in during his long and lucrative career, and highlights the keys to his professional success. While the book is not strictly a memoir, Iger structures this guide with personal details that give context to his business behaviors. The Ride of a Lifetime provides a direct look at the philosophies of the man behind the mouse.

Notable Quote: “Ask the questions you need to ask, admit without apology what you don’t understand, and do the work to learn what you need to learn as quickly as you can.”

Read The Ride of a Lifetime .

10. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson’s official profile on Steve Jobs ranks as one of the best biographies of business leaders. Drawing on over 40 interviews with Jobs and hundreds more with family and friends, colleagues, and rivals, Isaccson weaves a thrilling account of the icon’s life. The result is a comprehensive collection of life events that shaped the subject told from multiple perspectives. From childhood to college, inventions and product launches, collaborations and clashes, career setbacks and redemptions, and roller-coaster relationships, Steve Jobs paints an appropriately complex portrait of a larger than life figure with undeniable human flaws.

Notable Quote: “One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes are.”

Read Steve Jobs .

11. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk is a profile of a monumental current businessman. This biography retells Musk’s extraordinary story of overcoming childhood adversity in South Africa only to become one of the most influential figures in Silicon Valley and modern industry. The book touches on Musk’s early pursuits in PayPal, the founding of Tesla, as well as the eventual decision to set sights on space and enter the aerospace frontier. The book is an exploration of Musk’s character and vision, charting his life through his innovations and ideas.

Notable Quote: “Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not.”

Read Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future .

12. Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton

Sam Walton: Made in America is the story of Walmart and the man who made Walmart the behemoth that it is today. This autobiography reveals how Walton grew a single dime store into a retail giant. The book explores how Walton built his foundations, structured his business, grew the company, bounced back from missteps, and kept control over his mission even as his empire expanded around the country and the world. Sam Walton: Made in America is a book about big business world ambition paired with small-town values, and is a distinctly American tale of commercial success and the achievement of a distinct vision.

Notable Quote: “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”

Read Sam Walton: Made In America .

13. Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O’Malley Greenburg

Empire State of Mind is a love letter to Jay Z’s business acumen. This biography recounts the rapper’s meteoric rise from ghettos to boardrooms. The book highlights some of the key points in Carter’s career, including the inception of Roc-a-Fella records, marriage to Beyoncé, birth of Roc Nation, and expansion into the streetwear, alcohol, and streaming spaces. Viewing Jay-Z as a businessman above all and hailing his hustler mindset, Empire State of Mind spins a tale of entrepreneurship, self-creation, and re-invention.

Notable Quote: “One of the main reasons for this success is Jay-Z’s ability to build and leverage his personal brand. As much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle.”

Read Empire State of Mind .

14. Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans by Paul Van Doren

Authenti c is one of the final projects of Vans founder Paul Van Doren. The memoir tells the tale of how a high school dropout went on to helm one of the most beloved shoewear brands in the world. This autobiographical account charts Van Doren’s journey of working in a rubber factory as a teenager to creating the renowned skateboard shoe company, to preserving the legacy throughout the decades. The book examines the decisions that made the foundations of the empire and the elements that rocketed the company to fame. The story also deals with the personal and professional obstacles that threatened and informed the work. Authentic is a parable for following passions and staying true to style and vision even in the face of change.

Notable Quote: “What I’ve accomplished comes down to one thing: my knack for identifying and then solving problems. What I do better than anything else is cut out distractions. If a system isn’t working efficiently, I can see where it’s jammed, eliminate the problem, and find a way to keep everything moving forward.”

Read Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans .

15. Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable by Jamie Kern Lima

Believe IT tells the life story of Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics and waitress-turned-entrepreneur who overcame the odds to build a company worth a billion dollars and to become the first female CEO of a L’Oreal brand. The book lays out defining events such as Lima learning of her adoption in early adulthood, and shows how the authors’ life hardships prepared her to face the adversity of a beauty industry that constantly told her she would not succeed. Believe IT is part manifesto and part memoir, and full-throttle motivational read.

Notable Quote: “How we react to times of uncertainty, and whether we make decisions based in love or fear, can change the course of our life. Champions aren’t made when the game is easy. In any area of life.”

Read Believe It: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable .

16. The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar J Mazzeo

The Widow Clicquot is a historical business biography, and is one of the most fascinating business biographies about women. The book tells the tale of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, a businesswoman who gained control of her family’s business and revolutionized champagne. The biography describes how Clicquot Ponsardin turned misfortune into fortune and made a mark on the world at a time when opportunities for women were limited. The Widow Clicquot is an empowerment message and fascinating historical story wrapped into one riveting account.

Notable Quote: “Widowed at the age of twenty-seven, with no formal business training and no firsthand experience, Barbe-Nicole transformed a well-funded but struggling and small-time family wine brokerage into arguably the most important champagne house of the nineteenth century in just over a decade.”

Read The Widow Clicquot .

17. Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson

Losing My Virginity is billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson’s first autobiography. The book pinpoints the most essential events and influences in Branson’s life. As most business biographies do, the work starts with the executive’s upbringing and moves through his life chronologically. Branson’s many adventures include professional forays into the music and airline industries, as well as personal exploits such as trying to circle the globe in a hot air balloon. Alongside his colorful stories, the businessman shares his personal and professional philosophies, chiefly the belief of working hard yet having passions and wins beyond work. Losing My Virginity advocates for living a full and rounded life and taking control in both personal and business spheres.

Notable Quote: “I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”

Read Losing My Virginity .

18. Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built by Duncan Clark

Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built is a striking profile of the founder of one of the most expansive eCommerce companies in China and the world at large. The book highlights Ma’s humble beginnings as an English teacher as well as his late start to the world of entrepreneurship, and explores how the businessman rapidly climbed from running a company out of an apartment to securing a record-setting multi-billion dollar IPO. Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built provides a comprehensive history of Jack Ma’s life and professional journey and Alibaba’s evolution.

Notable Quote: “Today is brutal, tomorrow is more brutal, but the day after tomorrow is beautiful. However, the majority of people will die tomorrow night.”

Read Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built .

Founders, CEOs, and industry leaders are so often mythologized and painted as larger-than-life, that it can be easy to forget that these figures are humans with backstories and deeply personal lives. Business biographies provide perspective and additional insight into the motivations and influences of these legends and help flesh out more fully-formed profiles of these grand personas. These memoirs also portray the history of major companies and can paint fuller portraits of organizations’ origins and growth. By reading biographies on business leaders, professionals can be more mindful and in-control of their own work aspirations.

For more reading recommendations, check out this list of books on leadership or these business books by women .

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FAQ: Business biographies

Here are answers to common questions about business biographies.

What are business biographies?

Business biographies are narrative nonfiction works that follow the lives of industry leaders and chart the launch and growth of important organizations. These books often draw from interviews and mix facts and history with philosophy.

What are the best business biographies?

The best business biographies include Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, The Snowball by Alice Schroeder, and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Entrepreneurs and founders must constantly adapt and learn from every possible source, and books are no exception.

This is especially true for business biographies, as they tend to be personally written by the most powerful and game-changing people in the business world.

Below there’s a list of the best 25 business biographies, carefully picked to satisfy everyone’s taste.

25 Best Business Biographies

1) alibaba: the house that jack ma built.

Name of book : Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

Description of the book : This excellent entrepreneur biography tells the ultimate story about the world-famous Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma. 

The author, Duncan Clark, was an early advisor to Jack Ma in early 1999 when Alibaba was founded. You can read everything about Jack Ma, his breakthrough idea, and the impact it made in the e-commerce sector.

Entrepreneurs can also read about the humble beginnings of Alibaba, how Jack overcame his Silicon Valley rivals, and the story of Alibaba’s domination, with 80% of the market share. 

Author : Duncan Clark

Length : 304 pages

‍Notable quote : “Customers first, employees second, and shareholders third.”

2) Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Name of book : Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Description of the book : Onward is an excellent entrepreneur biography that presents the story of the popular coffee brand Starbucks and how they managed to stay on ‘top of their game’ during the 2008 crisis. 

The former CEO Howard Schultz describes his return after 8 years and the methods he implemented afterward. 

The biography offers a deep look at how Howard overcame all odds during the most challenging economic times in history and how Starbucks saved its soul and regained its profitability without sacrificing anything.

Author : Howard Schultz and Joanne Gordon

Length : 350 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Beverages have to be created. And they’re created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry – what color’s hot right now.”

3) Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Name of book : Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Description of the book : Steve Jobs is a well-presented entrepreneur autobiography regarding one of the most influential founders ever. The book is based on over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, his family members, and colleagues. 

You can see how Steve Jobs got his ideas and how he rose above the challenges throughout time. Walters shows how Jobs revolutionized multiple industries, including music, animated movies, phones, and tablet computers.

As an entrepreneur, you will undoubtedly find this book quite helpful as it shows Steve's methods and work ethic during his journey and how to maintain your sanity during extreme times.

Author : Walter Isaacson

Length : 627 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You should never start a company with the goal of getting rich. Your goal should be making something you believe in and making a company that will last.”

4) Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Name of book : Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Description of the book : Nike’s CEO and founder Phil Knight decided to open up and tell his story behind one of the most iconic brands today, Nike. 

His idea to sell high-quality and cheap-priced shoes imported from Japan was born in 1962. Knight shares all details from his journey, including obstacles he overcame, risks he took, and the sacrifices made for Nike to become what it is today.

You can also read plenty about the first partners and relationships with his employees, proving to us that everything is possible through teamwork and loyalty.

Author : Phil Knight

Length : 400 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”

5) Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Name of book : Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Description of the book : Have you ever wondered how Rockefeller gained his reputation and wealth? Well, award-winning biographer Ron Chernow explored that subject and wrote a book about it, too. 

Titan shows the impressive story behind the most controversial family in the US and their place in history. Chernow tells us a detailed story about John D. Rockefeller, Sr, and his ruthless methods and ethics that made him the world’s first billionaire.

You can clearly see how Rockefeller founded the most powerful and feared monopoly in American history, Standard Oil , all the way to his demise at the behest of President Teddy Roosevelt.

Author : Ron Chernow

Length : 832 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed”

6) Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Name of book : Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony

Description of the book : Made in Japan takes you on a journey behind Sony Corporation , from its co-founder, Akio Morita. 

As one of the best entrepreneur biographies, you can take a deep look at Japan’s business techniques and methods and how the Japanese think, which can be priceless information for founders.

The story narrated by the authors is centered on how Sony was built, from its humble beginning after World War II to its meteoric post-war rise as the most influential company for music entertainment, and multimedia.

Author : Akio Morita , Edwin M. Reingold and Mitsuko Shimomura

Length : 352 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Curiosity is the key to creativity.”

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7) The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Name of book : The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Description of the book : The Everything Store is the definitive biography of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos. Brad Stone narrates the story of Jeff Bezos’s corporate culture and the methods he implemented at Amazon . 

You will read what it took for Jeff to build this company and how he changed how we shop and read... Forever!

Author : Brad Stone

Length : 384 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Some of these investments will pay off, others will not, and we will have learned another valuable lesson in either case.”

8) Sam Walton: Made in America

Name of book : Sam Walton: Made in America

Description of the book : This is considered one of the greatest entrepreneur biographies because it describes the origin story of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club . You will read how Sam founded the biggest retail stores in history and the largest private employer in the world. 

The authors clearly state what it took for Sam to create Walmart and what techniques he used in that process. Also, you will read about all methods regarding the planning and hiring process that attracted many workers. Today, Walmart is the largest corporation in terms of revenue.

Author : Sam Walton and John Huey

Length : 346 pages

‍Notable quote : “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look for them. You never know who’s going to have a great idea.”

9) Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Name of book : Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Description of the book : Ashlee Vence presents the detailed life of Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX . It gives you a deep look into Musk’s ideas and innovations about the future he envisioned. Everything changed when Elon sold PayPal and shifted his focus on future investments, like clean automobiles and space programs.

Musk’s story is used to explore the question: can inventors still compete in today’s fierce global competition?

Author : Ashlee Vence

Length : 392 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not.”

10) The Snowball; Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Name of book : The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Description of the book : The Snowball presents the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history and the founder of Berkshire Hathaway Holdings.  

Alice Schroeder narrates this well-read CEO biography about the life of Warren Buffett and the idea to create a holding company that owns stocks in multiple famous corporations like Coca-Cola, American Express, and Apple.

As an entrepreneur, you will find important information about Warren’s secrets despite living in privacy for most of his life.

Author : Alice Schroeder

Length : 960 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”

11) Morgan: American Financier

Name of book : Morgan: American Financier

Description of the book : One of the best business biographies, Morgan gives you a never-before-seen insight about J. Pierpont Morgan, one of the greatest investors in US history. 

In this book, you will read how Morgan reorganized the nation’s railroad and appointed himself as a one-man central bank. The author also guides the reader into Morgan’s life outside his business.

Author : Jean Strouse

Length : 816 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”

12) Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Name of book : Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles

Description of the book : Here, There and Everywhere is one of the best business biographies regarding The Beatles chief engineer, the man responsible for their unique sound. 

Geoff Emerick describes his journey from the start of The Beatles in 1962, all the way to their meteoric rise to the top. In the book, you will find out how Geoff pioneered innovative recording techniques and how he achieved the sound of their most famous songs that changed rock music forever.

As an entrepreneur, you can learn that starting at a young age can be the best move you can make - just like Geoff did when he was 15 years old!

Author : Geoff Emerick

‍ ‍Notable quote : “It was down to me—not George Martin, not anyone else—to turn the Beatles’ new vision into a reality.”

13) Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Name of book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Description of the book : Bloomberg by Bloomberg is the origin story of Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg L.P. 

Written by Michael himself, this book takes us deep into Bloomberg’s life and his idea of creating his own company after he got fired at the age of 39.

Throughout the book, readers will learn more about his creative mind and the challenges he faced at Wall Street , all the way up to founding the fastest-growing media empire on Earth.

Author : Michael R. Bloomberg

Length : 272 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : If you're going to succeed, you need a vision, one that's affordable, practical, and fills a customer need. Then, go for it.”

14) Carnegie

Name of book : Carnegie

Description of the book : Carnegie takes us on a journey into the life of Andrew Carnegie, one of the major figures in American history. 

Peter Krass describes the origin story of the titan who made his fortune through the steel industry and how he used the wealth upon his retirement.

The readers can take a look at how Andrew influenced the world’s political stage and the way he founded the largest and the most profitable steel industry on the planet. As a founder, you will learn how Andrew became one of the biggest philanthropists in the world, despite his notorious reputation.

Author : Peter Krass

Length : 612 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The poor enjoy what the rich could not before afford. What were the luxuries have become the necessities of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the landlord had a few generations ago.”

15) Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Name of book : Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Description of the book : Every manager must understand that eventually everything changes. This is the critical point in Only the Paranoid Survive by former Intel CEO Andrew Grove. 

The charismatic innovator narrates his story in Intel and how he helped the company to remain the largest chip producer. Readers will discover the strategic inflection points or SIPs Andrew faced in his career and how he beat the Japanese competition.

Only the Paranoid Survive can be the ultimate lesson about leadership skills, which you can benefit almost instantly.

Author : Andrew S. Grove

Length : 224 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Only the Paranoid Survive.”

16) iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Name of book : iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Description of the book : Take a deep look into the creation of Apple and the first personal computer, brought to you by the charismatic Steve Wozniak. 

In iWoz , you will read about the early starts for Wozniak and the idea behind Apple . Narrated by Steve himself, he presents details about his personal life like never before and describes his groundbreaking idea to combine the first real personal computer named Apple I . 

Authors : Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith

Length : 313 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “The world needs inventors--great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and are willing to do what it really takes, it's within your reach. And it'll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It'll be worth it, I promise.”

17) My Life and Work: Autobiography of Henry Ford

Name of book : My Life and Work; Autobiography of Henry Ford

Description of the book : Published in 1922, this entrepreneur autobiography gives you the slightest details regarding Ford’s beginnings, the strategies he used to revolutionize the automotive industry, and how he got into the business.

Henry Ford guides the reader through his history and his own business philosophy used to create Ford Motor Company. 

Author : Henry Ford

Length : 204 pages

‍Notable quote : “There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail

18) Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Name of book : Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Description of the book : This is the detailed story about Cornelius Vanderbilt, the forefather of modern American business. 

Readers will find out how Cornelius built his fortune and his vision to turn New York into the financial capital we see today. This book sheds light on Cornelius’s private life from previously unreleased articles.

Author : Edward J. Renehan Jr.

Length : 364 pages

‍Notable quote : “Never tell anyone what you are going to do till you have done it.”

19) Jack: Straight from the Gut

Name of book : Jack: Straight from the Gut

Description of the book : Many readers would agree that this book is one of the best business biographies. The authors will introduce you to the life of former General Electrics Chairman and CEO Jack Welch. 

You will find out how Jack managed to run one of the biggest corporations of our time in a robust economic era in the US.

Authors : Jack Welch , John A. Byrne , and Mike Barnicle

Length : 496 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "There is no straight line to anyone's vision or dream."

20) Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Name of book : Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Description of the book : Written directly by former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, this entrepreneur biography contains detailed information and tips on how to manage your company. 

Entrepreneurs and founders will read about Tony’s early start and learn the creativity he used to run Zappos to the top of its industry.

Author : Tony Hsieh

Length : 246 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “I had decided to stop chasing the money, and start chasing the passion.”

21) Iacocca: An Autobiography

Name of book : Iacocca: An Autobiography

Description of the book : Let’s dive into the automotive world once again. Lee Iacocca, the former legendary President at Ford and Chairman at Chrysler, is the man behind this book . 

In this entrepreneur biography, Lee guides the reader from his humble beginnings and working at Ford and how he saved Chrysler Corporation from bankruptcy during the 1980s. 

Lee presents his vision and how he came up with the idea to create the Mustang , one of Ford’s famous models.

Authors : Lee Iacocca and William Novak

Length : 357 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Get all the education you can then go out and do something - do anything.”

22) American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Name of book : American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

Description of the book : American Icon gives us a magnificent story about Ford Motors and its turnaround of the leadership from its CEO Alan Mulally. 

The book explains how Alan managed to save the company in the 2008 crisis, upon rejection of financial help from the government. 

Alan implemented the methods he used in Boeing , reorganized Ford’s management, and turned the corporation into the largest automotive producer during those difficult times.

Entrepreneurs can read this book and see what plans Alan used to prevent Ford’s collapse.

Author : Bryce G. Hoffman

Length : 432 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “You have to expect the unexpected, and you have to deal with it.”

23) The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Rev olution

Name of book : The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Description of the book : The Man Who Solved the Market is a best-selling book about mathematician Jim Simons and his pioneering algorithm-driven approach to investing. 

The book follows Simons’s path to success, starting with his early years, education at MIT and work at IBM, and finally, his late-life acclaim as the founder of Renaissance Technologies. 

The is a great entrepreneur biography for those wanting to learn more about finances, teamwork, and professional collaboration.

Author : Gregory Zuckerman

Length : 359 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Any time you hear financial experts talking about how the market went up because of such and such—remember it’s all nonsense.”

24) The Animated Man: A Life Of Walt Disney

Name of the book : The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney

Description of the book : Michael Barrier is the man behind one of the best business biographies, the origin story of Walt Disney. In this book, readers will discover important details from Walt’s life and how he got the idea to make cartoons.

Michael recorded countless interviews with Disney’s partner and friends to write this book.

You will see what challenges Walt overcame and how he battled out of the disaster that occurred in 1941.

Author : Michael Barrier

Length : 393 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : "I am not a literary person. As far as realism is concerned, you can find dirt anyplace you look for it. I'm one of those optimists. There's always a rainbow. The great masses like happy endings. If you can pull a tear out of them, they'll remember your picture.”

25) I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Name of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Roberto Goizueta

Description of the book : I’d Like the World to Buy a Coke takes us on a journey in the life of Roberto Goizueta, one of the longest-serving and highest-paid CEOs in history. 

The book explains Roberto’s arrival from Cuba in the 1960s and his rise while working in Coca-Cola. You will find out how Roberto reorganized Coca-Cola, the leader in the soft-drink industry, and his marketing strategies that made Coke the most popular beverage on Earth. 

Author : David Greising

Length : 334 pages

‍ ‍Notable quote : “Not to take risks is the biggest risk.”

What Business Biographies Did We Miss?

So there you have it!

25 of the best entrepreneur biographies out there that can undoubtedly give you some sort of inspiration as you prepare yourself for the next ‘big’ step. 

All of these biographies are written with the purpose of helping entrepreneurs, as many of them come from groundbreaking founders and investors that reshaped the business world. 

Just like always, if we missed any biography that deserves a spot on our pretty list , don’t forget to send us an email - we’re more than happy to update our list with more and more entrepreneur biographies.

Questions About Business Biographies

What are business biography books.

Business biography books tell the behind-the-scenes stories of the greatest minds in the business industry, including Walt Disney, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.

What Are The Best Business Biographies?

The best business biographies are Alibaba, by Duncan Clark, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson, and Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.

What Are The Best CEO Biographies?

CEO biographies are a segment of business biographies, which share the stories of the CEOs of the biggest companies. Only the Paranoid Survive, by Andrew Grove, Jack, by Jack Welch, and Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh, are the best CEO biographies.

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The Best Business Memoirs Of All Time

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Former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca doing a TV commercial for his cars. (Photo by Ted Thai/The LIFE ... [+] Picture Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

If you’re looking for inspiration and actionable insights from the successes and challenges of great entrepreneurs and executives, each book on this list tells an eye-opening story in the words of the person who was its catalyst.

This gives every title, some of which are recently published, some of which are classic, essential value for anyone planning, managing, or growing or a business. Or an empire.

Some Stories: Lessons from the Edge of Business and Sport   by Yvon Chouinard

Some Stories by Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia)

You would expect that the charmed life of Yvon Chouinard–climber, environmentalist and founder of Patagonia–to be so distinct from the rest of us that it would naturally offer inspiration and wisdom when in print.  Some Stories , which was released earlier this year, certainly offers plenty of that, but the thoughts and the example set by Chouinard may also upset the equilibrium of any reader who has become stuck in their work or in how they spend their days.  It's a n essential read and a worthy successor to Chouinard’s previous work, the well-known Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman .

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Yes is the Answer! What is the Question?   by Cameron Mitchell

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has been in business for more than 25 years with some 60 restaurants in its portfolio and employs somewhere north of 5,000 people.  Yes is the Answer! What is the Question?   takes you on a ride with Mitchell from his early days as a runaway and small-time drug dealer to where he and his company are today. Along the way, he spells out his belief in “culture first” and in support for employees as the company’s North Star.

My Father's Business: The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General into a Billion-Dollar Company , by Cal Turner, Jr. with  Rob Simbeck

My Father's Business by Cal Turner Jr. (Center Street)

The Dollar General of today is a publicly-traded company with 15,000 stores across America. Few realize that it’s a multi-generational business whose roots go back to the Depression. That’s when author Cal Turner, Jr.’s grandfather started buying and liquidating bankrupt, small-town general stores one by one. Taking us from there to today, Turner reveals the often-stressful dynamics of family involvement in a business, his own need to evolve his leadership style along the way, and the unique realities involved in becoming a prominent, publicly traded firm.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (Scribner)

Ask any aspiring or established entrepreneur, including Bill Gates, and they'll have Shoe Dog somewhere on their list of favorite business books.  In his memoir, Phil Knight details how he went from selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car to building Nike, which would become one of the most globally recognized brands. The memoir by the creator of Nike not only follows the history of his career and company but offers valuable startup lessons, including the difference between being a manager and being a leader and how company culture can make or break your company.

The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade   by Thomas Lynch

The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch (W. W. Norton & Company)

Thomas Lynch is principal of a family-owned funeral home in Milford, Michigan. He’s also a National Book Award finalist and a poet of renown. Combining his gorgeous prose style with a unique, emotion-laden subject makes  The Undertaking , which also spawned a PBS special, an extraordinary read about a business niche that is rarely discussed in the general business press.  

Growing a Business   by Paul Hawken

Growing a Business by Paul Hawken (Simon & Schuster)

This may be the most flat-out encouraging business memoir you’ll ever read (and re-read; it’s worth more than one time through)—particularly if you’re in the early days of building a company.   Paul Hawken takes you step-by-step through his founding of Smith & Hawken Tool Company: from the beginnings, when he had to shoot his own catalog photos (because there was no money to hire a pro) through the company’s ultimate, runaway success on a national level.

Hawken discusses the nitty-gritty of making payroll, the near-impossibility of getting a loan when you actually need it, and why too much  capital, as opposed to too little, is the bigger danger for a company that’s just getting started.  

Personal History by Katharine Graham

Personal History by Katharine Graham (Vintage)

You can watch Meryl Streep play Katharine Graham onscreen or you go straight to the source and read her autobiography. When  Graham became president of The Washington Post , it was just a small family-owned newspaper. By the early ‘70s she would become CEO and one of the first women to lead a major U.S. paper. In addition to publishing the Pentagon Papers, she supported investigations into the Watergate scandal, which of course lead to the resignation of President Nixon. By the time Graham stepped down as CEO in 1991, The Washington Post would grow into a media conglomerate with newspaper, magazine, television and cable businesses. But Graham's autobiography is about so much more than her career. The trailblazer is brutally honest about her life as a dutiful daughter and wife to Phil Graham, who suffered from depression and ultimately committed suicide. The following decades would usher in more first-female CEOs of major companies, including Meg Whitman of Hewlett-Packard and Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo.

Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey by Carly Fiorina

Rising to the Challenge by Carly Fiorina (Sentinel)

Speaking of the first wave of women to lead major corporations, Carly Fiorina becme the first woman to lead a company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average when she became CEO and president of Hewlett Packard in 1999. Her first memoir, the bestselling  Tough Choices , tracks her journey from the secretary for a small real estate office to the leader of a major Fortune 50 company—but it wasn't a smooth ride to the top. She had to deal with a storm of criticism that her male peers never had to face. Fiorina took the helm at HP during dotcom bubble of the '90s yet managed to steer the company toward a period of revenue growth and innovation. Her more recent memoir,  Rising to the Challenge ,  packs more insights and takeaways for other women aiming to reach their fullest potential. It also explores aspects of her life beyond  HP, giving the reader a deeper look into her life as a philanthropist, women's rights advocate and political activist. 

Setting the Table  by Danny Meyer

Settting the Table by Danny Meyer (Harper Perennial)

Setting the Table is both a business memoir and one of the best treatises ever written on customer service, or what Danny Meyer prefers to call “hospitality.”  The s ubjects that Meyer, the founder of the Union Square Hospitality Group and a restaurateur renowned in New York (and internationally via Shake Shack, a development that postdates this book), touches on range from the very personal (what it took for his marriage to survive the death of their twin infants) to the nuts-and-bolts practical to the soaringly inspirational.   While an obvious must-read for those in the restaurant business, it’s equally essential for anyone who’s aspiring to improve their interactions with and treatment of customers.

Iacocca: An Autobiography   by Lee Iacocca

Iacocca by Lee Iacocca (Random House)

Lee Iacocca had at least two great acts: First, he led the Ford Motor Company and then swept in an era of great innovation for Chrysler in the 1980s. In addition to saving the auto giant, he was also credited for rebuilding Ellis Island. The autobiography of arguably one of the best executives of the 20th century also touches on his life as a philanthropist and activist. While Iacocca   was the bestselling business book of both 1984 and 1985, his leadership lessons still ring true today. M ake a trilogy out of it and pick up Talking Straight , in which he lists his ten rules for good management, and, his last book, Where Have All the Leaders Gone?  in which he outlines tough questions leaders must address to help restore America.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

There has never been another entrepreneurial/political/diplomatic/inventing/publishing career like Ben Franklin’s, and there’s no other business autobiography like this one.   You’ll want to read it both for the extraordinary life it describes and for Franklin’s sometimes bluntly practical tips for getting ahead (one key to his ascension in the printing business was to forgo drinking at lunch, even though this made him an outcast among his fellow printshop workers, whom he describes as “beer guzzlers").

In one particularly telling moment in  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ,  he sets up an elaborate roadmap for how, with daily effort, he'll cure himself of all his vices and replace them with virtues.   Unfortunately, one of these intended virtues is “humility,” which Franklin ultimately gives up on achieving. Why? Because even if achieved, he calculates, he would then be proud of his newfound humility.

Instead, he settles for the appearance of humility. His strategy for achieving this is brilliant and served him throughout the rest of his public life, including his famous stint as ambassador to France: “I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of my own,” as well as “the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fixed opinion, such as  certainly ,  undoubtedly , etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I  conceive , I  apprehend , or I  imagine  a thing to be so or so, or it so  appears  to me at  present. ”  

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100 Best Business Biography Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best business biography books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Phil Knight | 5.00

Bill Gates This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader... (Source)

Warren Buffett The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. (Source)

Andre Agassi I've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all... (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Ashlee Vance | 4.76

Richard Branson Elon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit. (Source)

Casey Neistat I'm fascinated by Elon Musk, I own a Tesla, I read Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon Musk. I think he's a very interesting charachter. (Source)

Roxana Bitoleanu A business book I would definitely choose the biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, because of Elon's strong, even extreme ambition to radically change the world, which I find very inspiring. (Source)

Walter Isaacson | 4.73

Elon Musk Quite interesting. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Gary Vaynerchuk I've read 3 business books in my life. If you call [this book] a business book. (Source)

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Brad Stone | 4.70

Doug McMillon [I read and give this book because] you need to understand what you’re up against. (Source)

Santiago Basulto I love to read biographies and stories of companies. Hatching Twitter is a really good book, and if you’re into that sort of books, bios of Steve Jobs (by Isaacson) or Jeff Bezos are great too. (Source)

Tracy DiNunzio It's a great book and especially for people starting out. (Source)

Made in America

Sam Walton, John Huey | 4.59

"Here is an extraordinary success story about a man whose empire was built not with smoke and mirrors, but with good old-fashioned elbow grease." (Detroit Free Press)

Jeff Bezos Expounds on the principles of discount retailing and discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action—a willingness to try a lot of things and make many mistakes. Bezos included both in Amazon’s corporate values. (Source)

Rob "Crypto Bobby" Paone @tmac604 Read it earlier this summer, a great book 👍 and also hilarious to compare to current corporate excess ala WeWork (Source)

Life and Work

Ray Dalio | 4.58

Mark Cuban The book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur. (Source)

Tony Robbins I found it to be truly extraordinary. Every page is full of so many principles of distinction and insights—and I love how Ray incorporates his history and his life in such an elegant way. (Source)

Bill Gates Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles. (Source)

The Ride of a Lifetime

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Robert Iger | 4.56

Brian Chesky Bob's book is great and he's an excellent CEO. (Source)

Brené Brown I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. [The author] delivers, and then some! [This book] is leadership gold—you won’t forget the stories or the lessons. (Source)

Karlie Kloss [Karlie Kloss] says [this book] really inspired her to become a better boss. (Source)

The Art of the Deal

Donald J. Trump, Tony Schwartz | 4.48

Jim Hanson You already had Trump officials testifythey disagreed w/ @realDonaldTrump Interesting thing about executive power The executive has the power Not the advisers Here's a good book on it https://t.co/KGlUpucCNI Time for the acquittal https://t.co/xICCPPuvM5 (Source)

Marc M. Lalonde The easiest way to Clean Up my Friends List is to post this... I love this book! | Let's get to know each other a little. I'll start... Here's MY Story: https://t.co/o8gIl1TxR7 #AskLalonde #marcmlalonde #wealthy #inspiration https://t.co/6ULSKHiIj3 (Source)

Secret Agent Number Six The failing George W. Washington and his dad George H.W. Washington were fake Presidents. They did not think of The Constitution before I did.They stole all of my ideas for it from "The Art of the Deal" which you should read right now because its the best book ever. No collution! (Source)

The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

William N. Thorndike | 4.47

Warren Buffett In his 2012 shareholder letter, Buffett praises The Outsiders as "an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation." Berkshire Hathaway plays a major role in the book. One chapter is on director Tom Murphy, who Buffett says is "overall the best business manager I've ever met." (Source)

Michael Dell Thorndike explores the importance of thoughtful capital allocation through the stories of eight successful CEOs. A good read for any business leader but especially those willing to chart their own course (Source)

Mason Hawkins The Outsiders is a must-read for leaders—and aspiring leaders—striving to become exceptional CEOs, and for investors interested in partnering with exceptional stewards of corporate capital. (Source)

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Ben Horowitz | 4.45

Larry Page Ben's book is a great read - with uncomfortable truths about entrepreneurship and how to lead to a company. It's also an inspiring story of a business rebirth through sheer willpower. (Source)

Mark Zuckerberg Ben's experience and expertise make him one of the most important leaders not just in Silicon Valley but also in the global knowledge economy. For anyone interested in building, growing or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource - and a funny and insightful read. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz [Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book during a Stanford lecture.] (Source)

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The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Ron Chernow | 4.41

Ryan Holiday A biography has to be really good to make read you all 800 pages. To me, this was one of those books. Since reading it earlier this year, I’ve since found out it is the favorite book of a lot of people I respect. I think something about the quality of the writing and the empathic understanding of the writer that the main lessons you would take away from someone like Rockefeller would not be... (Source)

Adam Townsend @Sociopathlete Great book (Source)

Anas Alhajji @Morg2006 Yep, I already have it. great book. (Source)

The Millionaire Next Door

The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

Ph.D. Stanley, Thomas J., Ph.D.; Danko, William D. | 4.39

Dave Collum @cullenroche You ever read "Millionaire Next Door"? You just described parts of it. Great book, IMO. (Source)

The Intelligent Investor

The Classic Text on Value Investing

Benjamin Graham | 4.39

Warren Buffett To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline. (Source)

Kevin Rose The foundation for investing. A lot of people have used this as their guide to getting into investment, basic strategies. Actually Warren Buffett cites this as the book that got him into investing and he says that principles he learned here helped him to become a great investor. Highly recommend this book. It’s a great way understand what’s going on and how to evaluate different companies out... (Source)

John Kay The idea is that you look at the underlying value of the company’s activities instead of relying on market gossip. (Source)

The Snowball

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Alice Schroeder | 4.37

Marvin Liao My list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)

John Kay It’s on the list, firstly, because Buffet is the most successful investor in history. (Source)

Chude Jideonwo It's been so long, and I've been so busy that I haven't been able to recommend a book. I am sorry! I have read so many fantastic ones though, no matter how busy I have been. And I am soooooo excited to recommend this one. I love Warren Buffett ... https://t.co/ML0pM3G29k https://t.co/6yhfhT8WF5 (Source)

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg This book is written by the founder of Pixar and is about his experience building a culture that fosters creativity. His theory is that people are fundamentally creative, but many forces stand in the way of people being able to do their best work. I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity. This should be inspiring to... (Source)

Timothy Ferriss No matter your circumstances, storytelling and creativity are two 'meta-skills' that can take your business and life to the next level. Ed is a master. (Source)

Ezra Klein An amazing, amazing book. (Source)

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Sheryl Sandberg | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg For the past five years, I've sat at a desk next to Sheryl and I've learned something from her almost every day. She has a remarkable intelligence that can cut through complex processes and find solutions to the hardest problems. Lean In combines Sheryl's ability to synthesize information with her understanding of how to get the best out of people. The book is smart and honest and funny. Her... (Source)

Oprah Winfrey Honest and brave... The new manifesto for women in the workplace. (Source)

Richard Branson If you loved Sheryl Sandberg's incredible TED talk on why we have too few women leaders, or simply believe as I do that we need equality in the boardroom, then this book is for you. As Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg has first-hand experience of why having more women in leadership roles is good for business as well as society. Lean In is essential reading for anyone interested in righting the... (Source)

High Output Management

Andrew S. Grove | 4.33

Mark Zuckerberg [Andy’s] book played a big role in shaping my management style. (Source)

Ben Horowitz Andy Grove, who built himself from nothing to run Intel, stopped what he was doing to teach us his magic. And not through some ghostwriter either — Andy wrote this book himself. What an incredible gift. (Source)

Drew Houston The best book on management ever written. (Source)

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Peter D. Kaufman, Ed Wexler, Warren E. Buffett, Charles T. Munger | 4.32

Warren Buffett From 1733 to 1758, Ben Franklin dispensed useful and timeless advice through Poor Richard's Almanack. Among the virtues extolled were thrift, duty, hard work, and simplicity. Subsequently, two centuries went by during which Ben's thoughts on these subjects were regarded as the last word. Then Charlie Munger stepped forth. (Source)

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011.] (Source)

Naval Ravikant I always recommend [this book] as my top business book. (Source)

A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

Bill Browder | 4.28

Eric Ries This reads like a thriller, but is an urgent and important story about the dangers of Putin’s Russia and the events leading to the Magnitsky Act. (Source)

Anand Sanwal @geoffreysbatt @patrick_oshag 2/ Reminded a bit of the story of @Billbrowder as told in the remarkable book Red Notice which chronicles his investments in Russia very early before everyone saw the opportunity (Source)

Jonathan Kay Am reading @Billbrowder's amazing book Red Notice. Did not know incredible story of Bill's dad, who got his @Princeton math PhD at age 20. Like many Jews of era, suffered massive discrimination, stigmatized because of his own dad's communism. Then Eleanor Roosevelt saves the day https://t.co/Bp5PFiIxm1 (Source)

Delivering Happiness

A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Tony Hsieh | 4.27

Chip Conley [The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age. (Source)

Adam Johnston Inspiring case study into building brand and customer service. (Source)

Julie Rice [At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]. (Source)

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Robert A. Caro | 4.27

Barack Obama He may have the country’s finest experts at his fingertips, but it still doesn’t hurt to read up on environmental and economic issues. (Source)

Ryan Holiday It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this monstrosity that chronicles the rise of Robert Moses. I was 20 years old. It was one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. Moses built just about every other major modern construction project in New York City. The public couldn’t stop him, the mayor couldn’t stop him, the governor couldn’t stop him, and only once could the President of... (Source)

Ben Greenman Well, if you look at a picture of a place, you can normally get a sense of what it’s like. But hopefully what books do, or what thinking does, is to show you what that place is like underneath. The Power Broker is the definitive history of how, in modern America, cities get built, power gets thrown around, neighbourhoods are overpowered by developers and politicians. It’s gigantic and it’s a... (Source)

This is Going to Hurt

Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Adam Kay | 4.23

Quinn Cummings @lorapenza You might love @amateuradam's book. (Source)

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Daniel Yergin | 4.21

Chris Goodall A wonderfully readable history of the development of the oil age. (Source)

Losing My Virginity

The Autobiography

Richard Branson | 4.20

Yaro Starak Richard Branson, another guy with his second bio came out just recently, sort of like the part II of his life, the next 20 years. I grabbed that because his bio… I should actually go back and answer your first and second question about biggest impact and “Losing My Virginity” by Richard Branson was a huge one back in the late 90s for me, more about big thinking. The guy is crazy and I would never... (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Losing My Virginity. (Source)

Robin Sharma I encourage you to read his autobiography “Losing My Virginity” as well as his book “Business Stripped Bare” if you haven’t gone through them yet. Uber-inspiring. For people who want to become Remarkable Entrepreneurs – and express their absolute best. (Source)

My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business

Dick Van Dyke | 4.20

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith | 4.19

Elon Musk Adam Smith FTW obv. (Source)

Barack Obama Obama, unsurprisingly, appears to be more drawn to stories sympathetic to the working classes than is McCain. Obama cites John Steinbeck’s “In Dubious Battle,” about a labor dispute; Robert Caro’s “Power Broker,” about Robert Moses; and Studs Terkel’s “Working.” But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list. (Source)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Wealth of Nations (Smith) [to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)

Hit Refresh

Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw, Jill Tracie Nichols | 4.18

Bill Gates With every new technology, there are challenges. How do we help people whose jobs are replaced by AI agents and robots? Will users trust their AI agent with all their information? If an agent could advise you on your work style, would you want it to? That is what makes books like Hit Refresh so valuable. Satya has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology... (Source)

Aviers Lim I would recommend biographies of Elon Musk and Satya Nadella. (Source)

The 1-Page Marketing Plan

Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

Allan Dib | 4.16

The Elon Musk Blog Series

Wait But Why

Tim Urban | 4.15

Setting the Table

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Danny Meyer | 4.15

Chip Conley One of the best books on hospitality ever written. (Source)

Noah Kagan A few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. (Source)

Julie Rice We did a lot of reading [this book] at SoulCycle. (Source)

One Up On Wall Street

How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

Peter Lynch, John Rothchild | 4.15

Patrick Swalls Read this if you want to learn more about the stock market. (Source)

Cable Cowboy

John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business

Mark Robichaux | 4.15

The Reckoning

David Halberstam | 4.14

David J Lynch This one sort of speaks to something I’ve long been interested in. We get this general education in schools that follows the basic themes of presidents and wars and that kind of thing and then there’s this alternative history of finance and economics, and Lords of Finance impressed me because it gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War... (Source)

How to Win at the Sport of Business

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

Mark Cuban | 4.13

Jason Khalipa I like it because it gets me fired up. (Source)

An Autobiography

Lee Iacocca, William Novak | 4.13

Ramit Sethi Every few years for the last 20 years, Ramit has read Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca and William Novak. (Source)

Shankar Sharma Reading the Iacocca autobio at age 21, was absolutely transformational. Taught me more than an MBA degree. The second book that did something similar at that age for me, was "The Mind of The Strategist" by Kenichi Ohmae. Such great business wisdom in these books. RIP Lee https://t.co/PCpkRiKwUV (Source)

Grinding It Out

The Making of McDonald's

Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson | 4.13

Aj Joshi @brianadgey Great book 👍🏼 very inspiring (Source)

The First Tycoon

The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

T.J. Stiles | 4.12

Josh Sternberg @mhbergen @nitashatiku “If [Cornelius Vanderbilt] had been able to sell all his assets at full market value at the moment of his death he would have taken one out of every 20 dollars in circulation.” From great book on Vanderbilt https://t.co/7SljC6fmbG (Source)

Skunk Works

A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed

Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos | 4.12

Chris Anderson @elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

James Wallace and Jim Erickson | 4.12

Trillion Dollar Coach

The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell

Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle | 4.12

Sheryl Sandberg Bill shared his wisdom generously, expecting nothing back but the joy he got from teaching others. I was privileged to have him as my coach for several years. Many times since then, when asked for advice by others, I think of Bill and try to live up to the example he set. (Source)

Tim Cook Bill's passion for innovation and teamwork was a gift to Apple and the world. Trillion Dollar Coach has captured his tireless spirit so future generations can learn from one of our industry's greatest leaders. (Source)

Sundar Pichai Whenever I saw Bill, he gave me great perspective about what really matters. At the end of the day, it's the people in your life. Bill had such strong principles around community and how to bring people together. We used those principles - detailed in Trillion Dollar Coach - to form the foundation of Google's leadership training, so all of our leaders can continue to learn from Bill. (Source)

How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon | 4.12

Ron Conway Story of his return to Starbucks, and the success of the company in a tumlutuous economic time in history. (Source)

In the Plex

How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

Steven Levy | 4.11

Bill Slawski In The Plex is a great introduction to Google, and the many who work there. I knew many by the patents they file, so it was good to learn more about them as people. Some good insights to some algorithms in the book, too. https://t.co/TVz7GsD8nX (Source)

Alan Pierce I’m currently reading “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Life" and am excited on gaining more insight into how google is changing the world and hopefully to get some valuable understanding I can use to maximize business decisions and read future trends while assessing investment opportunities for my company, ABM Investments. (Source)

Straight from the Gut

Jack Welch and John A. Byrn | 4.11

Warren Buffett In his 2001 shareholder letter, Buffett gleefully endorses Jack: Straight from the Gut, a business memoir of longtime GE executive Jack Welch, whom Buffett describes as (Source)

Tudor Mihailescu In every industry, there would be many relevant books but nothing would replace being in touch with the customers and people in own organisation. It’s a vast of space to recommend books, but I would suggest that learning how proven entrepreneurs or managers have done this as a good start (read about Jake Welch – Straight from the Gut, Steve Jobs, Shoe Dog – Phil Knight or Elon Musk) – admittedly,... (Source)

Annika Falkengren I read Jack Welch’s book back in 2003 and it was at the time a great source of inspiration. There were a couple of things that got stuck in my mind and in some cases changed my mind: that there are no shortcuts, that facts always must be faced no matter how brutal and that losing or failing had a value as long as your learn from them. His thoughts on how crucial the soft values are, inspired me a... (Source)

What It Takes

Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence

Stephen A. Schwarzman | 4.11

Eric Schmidt Reveals how [the author] has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. (Source)

Norman Ornstein What it Takes remains the best book written about American politics and politicians. i reread every few years. Want to know about Biden? Read it! https://t.co/ZlLwbRqADa (Source)

Trailblazer

The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change

Marc Benioff, Monica Langley | 4.11

Bill Gross I've been waiting "im"patiently for @Benioff 's new book to come out. It just came out on Kindle 10 minutes ago. It's terrific. Such a powerful, simple, but important lesson and message, "Values create Value!" I'll be sharing more highlights as I read further.. https://t.co/KAgrFs31fC (Source)

Jim Cramer I love this book and have already used it as the basis for several @MadMoneyOnCNBC segments and a talk to young entrepreneurs !!! https://t.co/fLYtdYAMxC (Source)

Natalie Petouhoff Trailblazer: @salesforce Founder and co-CEO Marc Benioff’s Inspiring New Book Shows How Business is the Greatest Platform for Change @Benioff https://t.co/lcIQbvG1Qo https://t.co/TKCiIpK6ZB (Source)

The House of Morgan

An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

Ron Chernow | 4.11

Made in Japan

Akio Morita and Sony

Akio Morita, Edwin M. Reingold, Mitsuko Shimomura | 4.11

Bill Graham Presents

My Life Inside Rock And Out

Bill Graham, Robert Greenfield | 4.11

James Murphy Bill Graham Presents My Life Inside Rock and Out because I think it’s very important for young people to understand the history of the concert business before trying to jump into it. You need to have a clear understanding of where it’s been to know where it’s going and how you can help take it there. (Source)

Built from Scratch

How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion

Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Bob Andelman | 4.10

When a friend told Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank that, "You've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe," they thought he was crazy. After all, both had just been fired. What the friend, Ken Langone, meant was that they now had the opportunity to create the kind of wide-open warehouse store that would help spark a consumer revolution through low prices, excellent customer service, and wide availability of products.

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761...

Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people-and their associates-built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere twenty years.

Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to people in any business, from start-ups to the Fortune 500.

Great Stories

A Company with a Conscience

Great Lessons

Bernie Marcus is a cofounder of The Home Depot and currently serves as chairman of the board. From the company's inception until 1997, he served as CEO. With his wife, Billie Marcus, he founded the Marcus Developmental Resource Center, which provides support services for mentally impaired children and their parents. He sits on many boards of directors, including the New York Stock Exchange, and participates in many civic organizations, including the City of Hope, a cancer research center.

Arthur Blank is a cofounder of The Home Depot and is the company's president and CEO. He serves on the board of trustees of several organizations, including the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the Carter Center, Emory University, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was inducted into the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and was honored by the City of Hope for his fund-raising leadership.

Bob Andelman lives with his wife and daughter in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has collaborated on many bestselling business books, including Mean Business and The Profit Zone .

Frank Blake Very meaningful to me, not only because it’s the story of the founding of the Home Depot, but also because of my start as the CEO of Home Depot. (Source)

Rich Dad Poor Dad

What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter C.P.A | 4.10

Will Smith [Will Smith mentioned sharing this book with his son.] (Source)

The Man Who Solved the Market

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Gregory Zuckerman | 4.10

Abhishek Kar @Singh7575 ~The man who solved the market Nice book and interesting insights from Jim's life. Read it last month. Happy reading👍 (Source)

Andy Sum I finished reading a book! Pretty interesting biography and background on some of the emotions involved in quantatative trading. Worth reading. https://t.co/doi843dcGN (Source)

Steve Burns The new book on Jim Simons is in my top 5 favorite trading books of all time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is already the #19 best seller in Amazon nonfiction The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution Kindle Edition by Gregory Zuckerman https://t.co/FAZFigNNXy https://t.co/Jjz38Qpdnu (Source)

Let My People Go Surfing

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

Yvon Chouinard, Naomi Klein | 4.10

Alastair Humphreys @SecondS37175185 A fantastic book. (Source)

Paul Kedrosky @dpfishman Yes, fantastic book by incredible human. (Source)

Holger Seim When it comes to biographies I particularly like Let My People Go Surfing. (Source)

Shark Tales

How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business

Barbara Corcoran, Bruce Littlefield | 4.09

Trust Me, I'm Lying

Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Ryan Holiday | 4.09

Timothy Ferriss Ryan is part Machiavelli, part Ogilvy, and all results. From American Apparel to the quiet campaigns he's run but not taken credit for, this whiz kid is the secret weapon you've never heard of. (Source)

Dov Charney Behind my reputation as a marketing genius there is Ryan Holiday, whom I consult often and who has done more for my business than just about anyone. (Source)

Tucker Max The strategies Ryan created to exploit blogs drove sales of millions of my books and made me an internationally known name. The reason I am standing here while other celebrities were destroyed or became parodies of themselves is because of his insider knowledge. (Source)

Jack Welch, Suzy Welch | 4.09

Living Proof

Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit

Adam von Gootkin | 4.09

Capital Gaines

Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff

Chip Gaines | 4.09

The Unbeatable Legend in Business World

All About Microsoft and How it Became The Most successful enterprise on The Earth!

Rahul Doshi | 4.09

Liar's Poker

Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street

Michael Lewis | 4.09

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street....

With the eye and ear of a born storyteller, Michael Lewis shows us how things really worked on Wall Street. In the Salomon training program a roomful of aspirants is stunned speechless by the vitriolic profanity of the Human Piranha; out on the trading floor, bond traders throw telephones at the heads of underlings and Salomon chairman Gutfreund challenges his chief trader to a hand of liar's poker for one million dollars; around the world in London, Tokyo, and New York, bright young men like Michael Lewis, connected by telephones and computer terminals, swap gross jokes and find retail buyers for the staggering debt of individual companies or whole countries.

The bond traders, wearing greed and ambition and badges of honor, might well have swaggered straight from the pages of Bonfire of the Vanities . But for all thier outrageous behavior, they were in fact presiding over enormous changes in the world economy. Lewis's job, simply described, was to transfer money, in the form of bonds, from those outside America who saved to those inside America who consumed. In doing so, he generated tens of millions of dollars for Salomon Brothers, and earned for himself a ringside seat on the greatest financial spectacle of the decade: the leveraging of America.

John Lanchester It’s still a wonderfully entertaining book: An absolutely hilarious, very, very dark, vivid account of how Michael Lewis came out of Princeton and, with basically no qualifications, got a job in the bond trading department of Salomon Brothers (Source)

Audrey Russo Question: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path? Answer: Anything by Peter Senge. The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz Once you are Lucky, Twice you are good – Sara Lacey Revolutionary Wealth – Alvin Toffler Black Swan – Taleb Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change, by Ellen Pao. Creative Class – Richard Florida Creativity Inc. by Ed... (Source)

How the Internet Happened

From Netscape to the iPhone

Brian McCullough | 4.08

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

The Classic Novel Based on the Life of Legendary Stock Market Speculator Jesse Livermore

Lefevre Edwin, Price Tim | 4.08

Steve Burns "By far, the best investing book is Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator. Everything in that book is true about how markets work, how human nature works, the mistakes people make, the greed that they have, the ways they get themselves in trouble." - Gundlach https://t.co/asuBsN0BvM (Source)

Alykhan Satchu My all time favorite Book https://t.co/UxwPMlAcXU (Source)

Joshua M. Brown Each new generation of traders gets inspired by this book but I have come to love it as more of a cautionary tale. and FYI, this is the better book for that context: https://t.co/116lNciXCF https://t.co/mEYn2ZAqPI (Source)

The Big Payback

The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

Dan Charnas | 4.08

Lords of Finance

The Bankers Who Broke the World

Liaquat Ahamed | 4.07

Barry Ritholtz It covers a 50-year period from before World War I and leading up to World War II. Even if you’re not interested in finance, it’s a great read. (Source)

David J Lynch Lords of Finance gives you that alternative history, particularly through the inter-war years from the end of World War I into the Great Depression. (Source)

Pour Your Heart Into It

Highbridge | 4.07

Yaro Starak There were also more traditional books or businesses I read about, like the biography of Starbucks. It’s really more the biography of the CEO, Howard Schultz, a lot about him growing the Starbucks brand. Since I spent a lot of time writing in Starbucks cafés, that was an important company to me. (Source)

Jilliene Helman I really, really like company biographies. They're just kind of the style of book that I've gotten really into. [...] I've read the Starbucks CEO book. (Source)

The Unauthorized Autobiography

J.T. Owens | 4.07

Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out

Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business

Josh Noel | 4.07

Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Steven Levy | 4.06

American Gun

A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms

Chris Kyle, William Doyle | 4.06

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big

Kind of the Story of My Life

Scott Adams | 4.06

Timothy Ferriss Scott has an incredible approach to 'career planning' that's as effective as it is unusual. He’s beaten all the odds and can help you do the same. (Source)

Gennady Batrakov [One of the] few books that made a great deal of impact on my life. (Source)

The Birth of Loud

Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll

Ian S. Port | 4.06

Confessions of an Advertising Man

David Ogilvy, Sir Alan Parker | 4.06

Rory Sutherland @GuruAnaerobic Love it. His best book. (Source)

Ronn Torossian Considering the overlap of similarities between PR and advertising, it is vital to learn from such legends as Ogilvy. His concepts, tactics, and techniques and are a must-read for not only those in marketing and PR but business in general. (Source)

Ola Olusoga For business, I've read Influence by Robert Cialdini 3 times, and Traction by Gabriel Weinberg twice, so if number of times read indicates favor, then those are it. There are a whole bunch of others, like The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman, Confession of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy, The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, and Running Lean by Ash Maurya, that I've also enjoyed and recommend to... (Source)

Andrew Carnegie

David Nasaw | 4.06

Charles T. Munger The definitive biography of an industrial genius, philanthropist, and enigma. At the meeting in May of this year, Munger also mentioned the Mellon Brothers as people to study. (Source)

Where Wizards Stay Up Late

The Origins Of The Internet

Katie Hafner | 4.05

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past...

At last, Hafner and Lyon have written a well-researched story of the origins of the Internet substantiated by extensive interviews with its creators who delve into many interesting details such as the controversy surrounding the adoption of our now beloved "@" sign as the separator of usernames and machine addresses. Essential reading for anyone interested in the past -- and the future -- of the Net specifically, and telecommunications generally.

Lev Grossman If you want to go all the way back, Janet Abbate’s Inventing The Internet really takes it all the way back to the Eisenhower administration and the very beginnings of electronic computers. (Source)

Every Tool's a Hammer

Life is What You Make It

Adam Savage | 4.05

Scott Smith When @Alchemister5 and I decided to open @dnpeek, he gave me this book that @donttrythis wrote. I personally love hammers Jason. ;) https://t.co/ZabTx6JxGX (Source)

Learning to Breathe Fire

The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

J.C. Herz | 4.04

Lead from the Outside

How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Stacey Abrams | 4.04

Wild Company

The Untold Story of Banana Republic

Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler | 4.04

Against the Odds

James Dyson | 4.04

Console Wars

Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation

Blake J. Harris | 4.04

The King of Oil

The Secret Lives of Marc Rich

Daniel Ammann | 4.03

This Is Not a T-Shirt

A Brand, a Culture, a Community--A Life in Streetwear

Bobby Hundreds | 4.03

Gary Vaynerchuk Simply put, Bobby Hundreds is a social beast. He knows how to tell a story, where to tell that story, and he's great at bringing people together. He's also crazy dedicated to his work and has the laser-focused attention to detail needed to not only build an everlasting globally relevant brand, but any successful business. (Source)

Jessica Alba Building a brand is about identifying and fulfilling a need in a way that no one else can. It takes vision, dedication, and attention to detail. The Hundreds is a prime example of what it looks like when you've combined all these elements along with tapping into a culture and community. This is Not a T-Shirt guides you through methods and tools you can apply to get you one step closer to... (Source)

Tony Hawk This is Not a T-Shirt tracks the history of surf and skate culture and their relationship to streetwear—from the Zephyr skate team of the 1970s to brands like Stüssy, Supreme, BAPE, and, of course, The Hundreds, which has managed to stay relevant for more than fifteen years in a fickle market. This book is an insider's guide to the prevailing trends in youth culture of the last few decades that... (Source)

Sell It Like Serhant

How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine

Ryan Serhant | 4.03

Climate of Hope

How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet

Michael Bloomberg, Carl Pope | 4.03

iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon

How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It

Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith | 4.03

The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

Leander Kahney | 4.03

Bitcoin Billionaires

A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption

Ben Mezrich | 4.03

Kim Dotcom The Winklevoss brothers mailed me this awesome must-read book #bitcoinbillionaires with a really nice personal note. Thank you @winklevoss and @tylerwinklevoss. Facebook was stolen from you but what you’ve created since then is even more impressive. Crypto is the future. https://t.co/iAkfU1Dm65 (Source)

Bill Lee Thank you @tylerwinklevoss @winklevoss for sending me the must read @benmezrich book with the nice signed note. You guys are ushering in the crypto revolution and have captured lightning in a bottle again. #respect #BitcoinBillionaires https://t.co/QNaJLkQPJa (Source)

Negro with a Hat

The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey

Colin Grant | 4.03

The Facebook Effect

The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World

David Kirkpatrick | 4.03

Craig Pearce If you read to maintain motivation and be entertained, I recommend a few books that in addition to telling great stories, also contain lessons and learnings. You won’t gain many step-by-step type lessons from these books but you will come away realizing that not all startups, regardless of what stage they are in, are as well polished as they make you think. You will realize that they make... (Source)

Angela Pham The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick made me a fan of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg years ago. I didn’t hesitate to take my current role at Facebook because I feel so strongly about their integrity and leadership, no matter the negative sentiments and media narratives the company has endured recently. (Source)

The Attention Merchants

The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads

Tim Wu | 4.02

Yuval Noah Harari A very insightful book that surveys the history of modern information technology and its political implications, from the age of print and radio to the era of Google and Facebook. It gives the context of the current battle to control human attention. (Source)

Marvin Liao I tend to jump from book to book and may switch if I am interested in some new topic. This is a pleasure for me (which I also do benefit work wise from too). It’s quite a random list because I have eclectic interests (or just scatterbrained most likely) on tech business, AI, general global economy, geopolitics, rising Biotech economy & history. I'm basically 15% to 50% into all these books. (Source)

Rafat Ali Have to say @superwuster is best business writer there is. Just finished Master Switch , now reading “Attention Merchants”, the best history-in-context-with-rigor-and-intellectual-analysis writer/explainer there is. If I ever write a book, want to write it like Tim Wu. (Source)

Kevin Freiberg | 4.02

The House That Jack Ma Built

Duncan Clark | 4.02

Tim Draper Duncan Clark gets into the heart and soul of Alibaba and its founder, Jack Ma, who deftly maneuvered through the discontinuities and barriers in China to create one of the greatest companies in the world. China has thrived under the leadership of Jack Ma. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the present China and the heartbeat of a great entrepreneur. (Source)

Ken Wilcox This book provides excellent insight into the world of Jack Ma, perhaps the most famous of the leaders of the new economy in China. Duncan Clark is a real China 'Old Hand', unique in his knowledge of the Jack Ma generation. This book is definitely on the short list for those who wish to understand the Chinese economy today. (Source)

Erik Cheong I am a big fan of Jack Ma, I have 4 different books talking about Jack. He is a top entrepreneur & visionaire, who started out as a modest English teacher and built Alibaba into one of the world’s largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on. I am impressed about how he overcame his humble origins and early failures to achieve massive... (Source)

Paul Allen | 4.02

An Invisible Thread

The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

Laura Schroff | 4.01

LeBron, Inc.

The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete

Brian Windhorst | 4.01

My Years with General Motors

Alfred Sloan | 4.01

Ben Horowitz My Years at GM by Alfred Sloan was very interesting particularly on scale issues. (Source)

Bogdan Iordache If you have to read just one business book to understand the global corporate world we live in today, I think this is it. And I think Bill Gates said this first. Alfred P. Sloan was the CEO of General Motors in its early beginnings, and he went through all the stages of the growth, going bust, growth and then consolidation of the beginning (when some companies were creating mechanical horses - no... (Source)

The Virgin Way

Everything I Know About Leadership

Richard Branson | 4.01

Madalina Uceanu I would recommend any biographies of business people, but definitely I would have on the list any of Richard Branson's books. That should cover a better business and mentality understanding. (Source)

Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit

William Knoedelseder | 4.00

The Maverick and His Machine

Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM

Kevin Maney | 4.00

Just for Fun

The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary

Linus Torvalds, David Diamond | 4.00

Death of the Territories

Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever

Tim Hornbaker | 4.00

Best Business Biographies for Startup Founders to Read in 2024

• Startup Resources
• Business Biographies

Last Updated: October 11, 2023 By TRUiC Team

No matter what startup path you're walking, there's a very good chance that someone has forged it, or at least something similar, and succeeded. So who better to learn from than those who've already climbed the mountain and conquered it?

Business biographies are fast becoming the go-to content for startup founders and small business owners who want to learn from the best. We've sourced the 10 best business biographies for entrepreneurs to read in 2024. Ready to be inspired?

Running short on time?  Try Blinkist to gain key insights from the books below.

Best Business Biographies for Entrepreneurs

1. ‘alibaba: the house that jack ma built’ by duncan clark.

After Amazon, Jack Ma's Alibaba is probably the most famous success story in ecommerce history. In the biography “Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built ” Duncan Clark tells Ma's story of humble beginnings as an English teacher which culminated in his creation of a company that forever changed the global economy. 

This biography will be particularly beneficial to startup founders in countries where government policy can often be a stumbling point to success. Ma's home country of China was not always his ally in building Alibaba into a company that currently holds 80% market share, but this unlikely titan of business managed to outwit competitors from all over the world to achieve unimaginable success.

2. ‘Creativity, Inc.’ by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Any startup founder in a creative space will find the biography of Ed Catmull, founder of animation giant, Pixar, riveting. “Creativity, Inc. ” is written by Catmull with the help of Amy Wallace and details how Catmull brought his college dream of creating the world's first computer-animated movie to fruition with the release of the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of course, this was simply the first of many successes for Catmull and Pixar, and his unlikely journey from startup to entertainment glory is a must-read for anyone on a similar path. Catmull also now heads up Disney Animation. Additionally, the book provides a few excellent leadership insights, especially where managing creatives is concerned. 

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this business biography is based around the journey of the creator of sports brand Nike, it holds insights and valuable lessons for all startups and businesses. “Shoe Dog” is written by Phil Knight, the founder of the world-famous brand, and as far as business biographies go, this one, which is also a New York Times bestseller, carves out a new space for the genre. 

Knight walks readers through Nike's journey from an intrepid startup to an iconic household name. If you're a startup founder struggling with funding, you'll definitely want to find out how Knight built Nike with an initial funding of $50 from his dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson

Richard Branson's biography “Losing My Virginity” charts his journey from a young entrepreneur with a dream to create businesses that would make a positive difference in the world, to becoming one of the most well-known and revered business leaders in the world. Branson's businesses also cross numerous spaces and industries, which just goes to show that strong insights are translatable no matter the subject. 

For startup founders, it can often feel that creating a successful business and having a well-balanced personal life are two completely irreconcilable goals, and this is perhaps one of the most important insights this business biography offers with Branson providing tips on how he learned to manage this aspect as he built Virgin.

5. ‘The Man Who Solved The Market’ by Gregory Zuckerman

Startup founders in the finance or fintech space will find Jim Simons' story of creating an algorithm-driven approach to investing which would go on to achieve unheard-of market returns, invaluable. The business biography, “The Man Who Solved The Market,” written by Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons' early years as a mathematician with a dream. 

Simons would go on to found his company, Renaissance Technologies, and change the face of investments forever. Despite the very specific subject matter, the book also holds some valuable general insights into teamwork and collaboration for startup founders in any sector.

Looking for more business books? Check out our list of the best startup books and book recommendations by startup founders !

6. ‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’ by Scott Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comic book series), is, of course, not technically a company or business, but this list would be incomplete without this contribution from Scott Adams. Adams, the creator of the highly successful comic strip, penned “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big” in which he explains how he managed to take some of his biggest failures and turn them into successes. The book also presents a very interesting management idea called the Dilbert Principle which purports that businesses will systematically shift poorly performing team members to management, as this is the area in which they can do the least damage. If you're a startup founder building a team from the ground up, you'll definitely want to consider whether the Dilbert Principle might apply to your team. 

7. ‘Sam Walton: Made In America’ by Sam Walton

“ Sam Walton: Made In America” is a business biography that will undoubtedly inspire any startup founder in the retail space. In the book, Sam Walton, the founder of the retail giant, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches tale of taking his dream from a single dime store to a massive international chain. Perhaps one of the most unique elements of the book is Walton's insights on how to pair your own personal values with your business journey and keep a hold on your identity throughout. Walton also shares leadership insights around recognizing and fostering great thinkers within your team. Despite being set in the retail space, Walton's insights are valuable for entrepreneurs in any industry, especially if they find themselves struggling to maintain their personal values while doing business. 

8. ‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female startup founders will be motivated and engaged by the business biography of Jamie Kern Lima, who went from serving tables for tips to owning a billion-dollar cosmetic startup. “Believe It ” has been called part biography, part manifesto, and perfectly plots out how some defining moments in Lima's life contributed to her success despite those events seeming like stumbling blocks when they first occurred. 

The book's subtitle, "How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable," perfectly sums up the type of motivational read startup founders can expect from this business biography.

9. ‘The Widow Clicquot’ by Tilar Mazzeo

The business biography about one of the world's most iconic food and beverage brands is a historical tale, but it proves the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and its insights are just as relevant to modern startup founders. 

“The Widow Clicquot” is certainly a story of female empowerment in the startup space with writer Tillar Mazzeo relating how Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed to take control of her late husband's business and turn it into an empire. All this while living at a time in history when women were not seen as business leaders. This is another biography that will be appreciated by female startup owners who are pushing to smash through those glass ceilings. 

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This business biography, written by Ashlee Vance, is about such an accomplished entrepreneur that it covers three of the most well-known brands in the world. “Elon Musk,” a book about the businessman of the same name, will inspire and motivate any startup founder who feels their idea is crazy. 

Musk, after all, was told this on several occasions by many different people, from his beginnings in South Africa to his journey through Silicon Valley, but when suddenly, his ideas started to take shape and change the world, those people would eat their words. The book also provides a sneak peek into what we can expect from Musk's future plans for SpaceX and why he believes that company may just be his biggest yet.

Recommended : Read our list of the best startup books !

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• Post author: Archie Black
• Post published: October 16, 2023
• Post category: Recommendations

Business biographies offer a unique glimpse into the lives and minds of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and leaders. They can teach us lessons about leadership, business, and life, and they can inspire us to achieve our own goals.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of the 15 best business biographies of all time. These books are well-written, informative, and inspiring. They’ll give you a new perspective on business and help you to become a better leader and entrepreneur.

This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using links on this page, we may earn a commission.

1. Shoe Dog , by Phil Knight

A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Published in 2016 by Scribner.

In this candid and inspiring memoir, Knight tells the story of how he built Nike from a small shoe company to a global powerhouse. He shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of perseverance.

2. The Ride of a Lifetime , by Robert Iger

Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Published in 2019 by Random House.

This memoir by the former CEO of Disney tells the story of his life and career, as well as the challenges and triumphs of his leadership at Disney. Iger shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of creativity.

3. Bad Blood , by John Carreyrou

Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Published in 2018 by Knopf.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of Theranos, a once-promising startup that was exposed as a fraud. Carreyrou provides a gripping account of the rise and fall of Theranos and the hubris of its founder, Elizabeth Holmes.

4. Elon Musk , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2023 by Simon & Schuster

This authorized biography provides a comprehensive and intimate look at the life and career of one of the world’s most fascinating and controversial entrepreneurs. Isaacson interviewed Musk extensively and gained access to his closest friends and family. The book explores Musk’s early childhood, his business ventures, and his ambitious plans for the future. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Musk, entrepreneurship, or the future of technology.

5. The Hard Thing About Hard Things , by Ben Horowitz

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Published in 2014 by Harper Business

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is part biography, part management guide, and part self-help book. It is based on Horowitz’s personal experiences as a computer science student, software engineer, cofounder, CEO, and investor in technology companies.

6. Zero to One , by Peter Thiel

Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters

Published in 2014 by Crown Currency

This book by the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies provides a contrarian perspective on business and startups. Thiel argues that the best way to succeed is to build a monopoly by creating something new and valuable.

7. Titan ,  by Ron Chernow

The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr.

Published in 1998 by Random House

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography tells the story of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in American history. Chernow provides a comprehensive and insightful look at Rockefeller’s life, business career, and philanthropy.

8. Steve Jobs , by Walter Isaacson

Published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is the definitive account of one of the most innovative and influential entrepreneurs of all time. Isaacson interviewed Jobs extensively over the course of two years, and the book provides a fascinating look at his life, career, and philosophy.

9. The Everything Store , by Brad Stone

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Published in 2013 by Little, Brown and Company.

This well-researched and engaging biography tells the story of Amazon’s rise to dominance. Stone examines Bezos’s unique business acumen and his relentless drive to succeed.

10. The Snowball , by Alice Schroeder

Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Published in 2008 by Bantam

This biography tells the story of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. Schroeder provides a fascinating look at Buffett’s investment philosophy and his approach to life.

11. Sam Walton: Made in America , by Sam Walton with John Huey

Published in 1992 by Bantam

This memoir by the founder of Walmart tells the story of how he built his company from a single five-and-dime store into the world’s largest retailer. Walton shares his insights on business, leadership, and the importance of customer service.

12. Hard Drive , by James Wallace and Jim Erickson

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Published in 1992 by Harper Collins

This biography tells the story of Bill Gates and his rise to power at Microsoft. Wallace and Abramson examine Gates’s business acumen and his ruthless drive to succeed.

13. The Innovators , by Walter Isaacson

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

Published in 2015 by Simon & Schuster

This book tells the story of the people who created the digital revolution, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Tim O’Reilly, and Larry Page, and Sergey Brin. Isaacson examines their lives and careers and the impact they have had on the world.

14. The Man Who Solved the Market , by Gregory Zuckerman

How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution

Published in 2019 by Portfolio Penguin

This biography tells the story of Jim Simons, a brilliant mathematician who founded one of the most successful hedge funds in the world. Zuckerman provides a fascinating look at Simons’s life and career, as well as the world of quantitative investing.

15. Losing My Virginity , by Richard Branson

How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way

Published in 1998 by Crown Currency

Losing My Virginity is a 1998 autobiography by British businessman Richard Branson. This book chronicles Branson’s early life and his rise to success as the founder of the Virgin Group, a multinational conglomerate that now includes over 400 companies in a wide range of industries, including aviation, music, retail, and telecommunications.

Check out our other Business & Economics recommendations:

7 Books That Will Revolutionize Your Approach to Innovation

10 Essential Books for Aspiring Marketers

9 Best Management Books to Help You Become a Better Leader

16 Essential Entrepreneurship Books for Success

9 Must-Read Economics Books

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18 Biographies of the Most Successful People in Business

It’s officially summer, so Fortune put together a reading list for those of us who can’t just sit idly by the pool with a mindless beach read.

With the help of Term Sheet readers, we compiled a list of some of the best business biographies of all time. These timeless reads are entertaining and deeply personal as they detail the lives of business magnates, tech titans, and media powerhouses.

Now, onto your suggestions:

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

A Bill Gates (and Term Sheet reader) favorite, Shoe Dog offers an inside look at how Phil Knight built his startup Nike into the global brand it is today.

Personal History by Katharine Graham

You’ve seen the movie, now read the book. Katharine Graham is the woman who led the Washington Post through the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate. This one has it all — courage, candor, and dignity.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

This is a personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.” Warren Buffett is one of the most respected businesspeople of our time, but his life has been a mix of strengths and frailties. As revealed in this book, Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth — it will be his principles and ideas.

Related: The Best Business Books of All Time

THE ORIGINALS

Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson

You may already know that Franklin was a writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, but this is a look into how this country’s ultimate founder helped define America’s national identity.

Titan by Ron Chernow

John D. Rockefeller has been referred to as “the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism.” He was a ruthless business magnate while also being a major philanthropist. This one is a business staple.

Carnegie by Peter Krass

One of the major figures in American history, Andrew Carnegie was a businessman who made his fortune in the steel industry and ultimately gave most of it away. He used his wealth to ascend the world’s political stage, influencing the presidencies of Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt. In this compelling biography, Peter Krass reconstructs the complicated life of the titan who came to power in America’s Gilded Age.

Morgan, American Financier by Jean Strouse

For decades, J. Pierpont Morgan served as America’s unofficial central banker. He was the force behind mammoths like General Electric , U.S. Steel, and vast railroad empires. Since his death, he has remained a mysterious figure — both celebrated as a hero of industrial progress and also vilified as a rapacious robber baron.

The Patriarch by David Nasaw

This biography examines the life of Joseph P. Kennedy, the founder of the 20th century’s most famous political dynasty. It tracks the path of a man who participated in the major events of his times — the booms and busts, the Depression and the New Deal, two world wars, a cold war, and the birth of the New Frontier.

THE SELF-MADE

Sam Walton, Made in America by Sam Walton/John Huey

Over the course of his life, Sam Walton built one of the world’s largest and most powerful corporations from scratch. This is the story of a small-town folk hero who revolutionized retail distribution and changed the game as we know it. Hard to believe that was once a single store in a tiny town is now a behemoth with revenue to the tune of $500 billion.

I Love Capitalism! by Ken Langone

The life of Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone is a perfect portrayal of the American Dream. He recounts how a poor boy from Long Island became one of the most successful businessmen in America. In this memoir, Langone walks readers through how he struggled to get an education, broke into Wall Street, and scrambled for an MBA.

Jack, Straight From the Gut by Jack Welch

Under Jack Welch’s leadership, General Electric reinvented itself several times over by integrating new and innovative practices into its many lines of business. This book recounts his career and the style of management that helped to make GE one of the most successful companies of the last century.

THE TECH TITANS

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and The Age of Amazon by Brad Stone

It is mind-boggling to think Amazon started out as an online bookstore. That wasn’t nearly enough for its wildly ambitious founder, Jeff Bezos. This is an in-depth account of how Bezos’ large bets forever transformed the retail industry.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

I personally like this book because it delves into the psyche of one of the most innovative (albeit unusual) entrepreneurs of our time. Vance gives readers an exclusive look into SpaceX , Tesla, and SolarCity, while also giving us a better understanding of Elon Musk’s mind.

Wild Ride by Adam Lashinsky

Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky wrote about Travis Kalanick, one of the most polarizing figures in Silicon Valley. Lashinsky takes readers on quite a ride as he meticulously details Uber’s meteoric rise — and its jaw-dropping plunge into controversy.

THE DISRUPTORS

A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald K. Fierstein

This biography delves into the life of Edwin Land, the breakthrough inventor of the Polaroid. At the time of his death, he stood third on the list of most prolific inventors, behind only Thomas Edison and one of Edison’s colleagues. It’s a compelling look at the man behind one of the most important legal battles over intellectual property of our time — Polaroid versus Kodak.

Bloomberg by Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg

Brash, aggressive, and supremely self-confident, Michael Bloomberg has been hailed as the new standard for what it takes to win in the Information Age. His specialized media approach — including manipulable online data feeds, a global newswire, and extensive magazine and broadcast outlets — have turned the business of business news upside down.

THE LEADERS

Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead by Cecile Richards

Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards has been an activist since she was taken to the principal’s office in seventh grade for wearing an armband in protest of the Vietnam War. She had a remarkable childhood in conservative Texas, where her civil rights attorney father and activist mother taught their kids to be troublemakers. In the Richards household, the “dinner table was never for eating—it was for sorting precinct lists.”

The House of Dimon by Patricia Crisafulli

In a candid look at Wall Street’s top banker, former business journalist Patricia Crisafulli goes behind the scenes to recount the critical events that have shaped Dimon’s career. He managed to survive one of the most difficult and most tumultuous periods in Wall Street history. This story reveals how he did it and explores what lies ahead.

PS: I also asked Twitter for more biography suggestions — you can find them here .

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Top 10 Entrepreneur Biographies You Should Read

Sarika Anand

Books are a wonderful source of inspiration, a condensed collection of years' worth of knowledge, a dependable companion, an escape into fantasy, and a manual for taking action. Books are no exception when it comes to the constant need for entrepreneurs and founders to adapt and learn from all available sources.

This is particularly true with business biographies, which are frequently authored by the most influential and ground-breaking figures in the industry.

Experience is the best teacher for people. Otto von Bismarck once said, "I prefer to learn from the experience of others." Reading the biographies of individuals whom you admire is a great method to do the same.

The top 10 business biographies are listed here, carefully chosen to suit all tastes.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life Sam Walton: Made In America Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

• Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Author: Walter Isaacson Goodreads Rating: 4.16

An entrepreneur's autobiography about one of the most significant founders ever, Steve Jobs, is portrayed beautifully in this biography by Walter Issacson . Over 40 interviews with Steve Jobs , his family, and coworkers served as the basis for this biography. You understand through his journey where he received his ideas from and exactly how he overcame difficulties throughout the years. Walters demonstrates how Jobs transformed several sectors, including music, animated films, smartphones, and tablet computers.

In the twenty-first century, he saw that fusing creativity with technology was the perfect approach to generating value. He established a business that combines incredible technological marvels with imaginative breakthroughs.

Although Jobs worked with the author, he requested no say over what was published. Nothing was off bounds, he said. He urged everyone he knew to be open-minded. He was open and honest about the individuals he collaborated with and faced. The emotions, obsessions, foulness, creativity, perfectionism, and drive for dominance that defined his business style and the inventive goods that came as a result are candidly described by his friends, competitors, and coworkers. His story is both educational and warning, and it contains many valuable lessons about creativity, morality, leadership, and principles.

• Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Author: Ashlee Vance Goodreads Rating: 4.21

Elon Musk, the businessman and developer behind Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceX, sold PayPal, one of his online businesses, for $1.5 billion. From his turbulent beginnings in South Africa and escape to the United States to his stunning technical inventions and economic endeavours, Ashlee Vance portrays the complete grandeur and trajectory of the genius's career and life. One of the most important issues of our day is explored by Vance using Musk's story: Can the country of innovators and creators that dominated modern society for a century continue to thrive in the face of intense international competition?

He contends that Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, and Howard Hughes, constitute Musk, who he compares to all of them. Musk has devoted more of his time and resources than any other businessman alive today to envision a tomorrow that is as expansive as the innovators of the Great Era of Science-Fiction and Fantasy.

• Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

Author: Duncan Clark Goodreads Rating: 3.86

Duncan Clark, who was given unimaginable access to a wealth of new information and exclusive personal interviews, brings on his first-hand knowledge of key players crucial to Alibaba's rise to craft a credible, persuasive descriptive account of how Alibaba and its charismatic founder have changed the way that Chinese practise their newly found financial stability, encouraging businessmen all over the world and turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants.

Jack Ma, a man who came from impoverished circumstances and began his career as an English teacher, developed and grew Alibaba into the second-largest Internet firm in the world in just ten years. The firm was valued more than Facebook or Coca-Cola after its $25 billion IPO in 2014, which was the highest ever. Hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers rely on Alibaba's eCommerce operations every day, and it also employs and pays millions of individuals.

Duncan covers important issues about the company's history, development, and prospects. How did Jack Ma create Alibaba from such humble beginnings? What accounts for his unwavering motivation and cunning advantage over his rivals? How long can the business expect to hold its position of dominance with over 80% of China's eCommerce market? Are Alibaba's goals constrained, or will the Chinese government take action to restrain them, as the business sets its eyes on the financial and media industries of the nation? And how will Alibaba expand its influence and operations in the US and other international markets as it opens offices in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and LA?

Clark situates Alibaba's story within the broader narrative of China's economic boom—the growth of corporate companies and the advancement of web usage has propelled the nation to become the second-largest economy in the world and home to the largest Internet population, which is double the size of the US. He also looks at the social and political backdrop to these significant shifts. Clark is a seasoned insider with unmatched contacts who has a profound knowledge of Chinese business philosophy. As never before, he sheds light on an improbable business giant and analyses the crucial role his company played in changing China while also strengthening its position and influence globally.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Author: phil knight goodreads rating: 4.47.

For the first time, Nike CEO and founder, Phil Knight, tells the inner tale of the firm's beginnings as an adventurous startup and how Nike developed to become one of the most recognisable, game-changing, and lucrative companies in the world in this honest and engaging biography.

After graduating from business school in 1962, Phil Knight loaned $50 from his father and started a company with the straightforward goal of importing high-end, reasonably priced sports shoes from Japan. Knight made $8,000 his first year by selling the shoes out of the backseat of his lime green Plymouth Valiant. Nike now has yearly sales of almost $30 billion. In the startup era, the swoosh (Nike's logo) has developed into a groundbreaking, global icon, being one of the most pervasive and well-known symbols in existence right now.

But Knight, the person responsible for the swoosh, has always been away from the public's eyes. Here, for the very first time, he shares his narrative, starting with his crossroads experience, in a book that is open, honest, brave, and humorous. After travelling the world on a rucksack at the age of 24, he made the unorthodox choice to launch his own company, one that would be lively and distinctive.

Alongside his early successes, Knight describes the numerous risks and intimidating failures that came his way to realise his objective. Above everything else, he remembers the early connections and very first partnerships and workers, a motley crew of outcasts and explorers who grew to be a close-knit family. Collectively, they developed a company that transformed it all by utilising the tremendous force of a common objective and a strong faith in the divinity of sports.

• The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Author: Brad Stone Goodreads Rating: 4.14

Historically, Amazon.com began by sending books to customers by mail. But Jeff Bezos, the company's imaginative creator, wasn't happy to only sell books. He envisioned Amazon as the one-stop shop with an unrestricted assortment, alluring accessibility, and game-changing cheap costs. To do this, he created a business culture of unyielding determination and confidentiality that has never been broken. Brad Stone with the help of both current and past Amazon workers as well as members of the Bezos family, provides readers with their first, extensive, bystander vision of how everything worked in the journey of Amazon.

Bezos is a private person in contrast to other top pioneers in technology like Jobs, Gates, and Zuckerberg. He distinguishes out, though, for his relentless search for new markets that have seen him steer Amazon into high-risk projects like the Kindle and cloud computing while also revolutionising shopping in the same way Henry Ford did with manufacturing. The Everything Store is a riveting, comprehensive account of the business that made one of the initial and most significant stands on the world wide web and fundamentally altered how we browse and purchase.

• The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

Author: Alice Schroeder Goodreads Rating: 4.13

The definitive biography of Warren Buffett, amongst the most admired individuals in the world, is available here. The renowned Omaha investor has never published a book, but he gave one writer, Alice Schroeder , an unparalleled opportunity to interview him and others who were most important to him about his career, beliefs, problems, victories, mistakes, and insights. As a consequence, the person known as "The Oracle of Omaha" has a comprehensive and emotionally engaging biography.

Buffett has never revealed his entire life narrative, even though the mainstream media follows him regularly. Warren Buffett is full of contradictions. He set out to demonstrate that a good person can come in first. He promoted honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, writer, and speaker over the years, treating his investors as partners and serving as their stewards. From the humble Omaha headquarters of his firm Berkshire Hathaway , he simultaneously rose to the position of the richest man in the world. Nothing about this is "basic".

When Alice Schroeder first met Warren Buffett, she was a skilled writer with a good eye for detail and financial acumen. She also worked as an analyst for the financial industry. He was impressed by her financial articles, and as she got to know him, she discovered that while much had been published about his investment approach, no one had gone further to examine his bigger ideology, which is intertwined with a complicated persona and the specifics of his experience. This led to his deciding to work with her on the autobiography he wouldn't ever pen down.

Buffett, before this publication, never spent endless hours conversing with a writer, answering questions, allowing them to complete visibility to his family, children, friends, acquaintances, and business partners, unlocking his archives, and remembering his early years. It was a brave thing to do, as The Snowball makes very evident. Being a mortal, his journey has had both pluses and minuses, as most journeys do. Buffett's principles and beliefs that have improved people's lives will be remembered instead of his position on the wealth scoreboard, even though his fortune is still remarkable. This story depicts why Warren Buffett is today's most remarkable example of American business success.

Sam Walton: Made In America

Author: sam walton, john huey (contributor) goodreads rating: 4.11.

Here is a remarkable success tale of a man whose empire was established by hard work rather than deception.

In Sam Walton's own words, this is "a tale of risk-taking, work and effort, and business; of understanding where you wish to go and getting prepared to do whatever it requires to achieve that goal. It's also a tale about adhering to your principles and trusting in your ideas even when others might not."

It tells the tale of how Sam Walton transformed Walmart, the biggest retailer in the world, from a single discount store in a struggling textile town. He never lacked the common touch while reigning as the unquestioned merchant monarch of the late 20th century. Here, Walton shares his remarkable tale in his unique terms. Genuinely modest yet always confident in his goals and successes, Walton expresses his ideas in a straightforward, plain manner.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Author: howard schultz, joanne gordon goodreads rating: 3.85.

Starbucks' president and chairman, Howard Schultz (now interim CEO), decided to resume his role as CEO in 2008, 8 years after he had backed away from the regular management of the business and taken on the role of chairman. Schultz was committed to assisting Starbucks in getting back on track, reestablishing its essential principles, and regaining its economic health since he believed the company had wandered off course.

In Onward, he and fellow writer, Joanne Gordon, tells the incredible story of Howard's comeback and the company's sustainable change under his management, demonstrating how Starbucks once more successfully achieved sustainability and profitability without losing compassion amid one of the most turbulent economic periods in history.

The book zooms in to reveal, in engrossing detail, how one firm battled and remade itself in the midst of everything. providing readers with a glimpse of a period of history that left no organisation unaffected. The fast-moving story gives readers an insight into Schultz's mind as he learns to accept his limits and his changing management style while being pushed by the pressure that arises on a daily basis as disputes. The fascinating, honest tale Onward charts the development of both a business and a businessman.

Schultz's core leadership principle, Onward, is that success is not just about winning, but also about winning the right way. In the end, he gives readers what he works so hard to convey every day: a sense of optimism that, no matter how difficult things become, the future may still be just as successful as the past, or perhaps more successful, depending on how success is defined.

That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

Author: marc randolph goodreads rating: 4.21.

The amazing unseen tale of how Netflix evolved from a vision to a business is recounted in the style of Phil Knight's Shoe Dog, and it is all narrated by co-founder and former CEO, Marc Randolph.

Brick-and-mortar video storefronts previously reigned supreme. Late fines were commonplace, video streaming was unknown, and the mass acceptance of DVDs appeared to be about as far off as flying automobiles. In fact, when Marc Randolph had an idea in 1997, these were the generally recognised rules of the nation. It was a straightforward idea—using the internet to rent movies—but it was one of several, much worse recommendations that Randolph would make to Reed Hastings on their daily journey to work, including those for customised baseball bats and a shampoo delivery company.

But Hastings was fascinated, so the two created a business, with Hastings serving as the main financier and Randolph as the CEO. Netflix's success now that it has more than 150 million users seems predestined, yet the most revolutionary start-up of the twenty-first century started with very few supporters and disaster at every step. Marc Randolph's impactful journey illustrates how anyone who possesses toughness, sound intuitions, and persistence can transform the world, even with a suggestion that many folks assume will never function. From having to persuade his own mom to become an investor to the guest house conference hall that functioned as the initial office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-legendary meeting when Netflix proposed Blockbuster Inc. to acquire them.

But more than simply the insider account of one of the most recognisable corporations in the world is revealed. It offers solutions to a number of our most essential inquiries about taking chances in the company or in life. It is chock-full of counterintuitive topics and written in writing that makes you want to binge. Where do you start? How do you handle failures and dissatisfaction? What is your approach to success? What is success, exactly?

That Will Never Work is not just the quintessential follow-your-dreams tale but also one of the greatest illuminating business tales of modern times, covering topics like idea development, team building, and understanding when to let go.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Author: robert iger goodreads rating: 4.42.

In this book, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, discusses the principles and concepts that have helped him redevelop one of the most adored companies around the world and motivate those who work there, with the help of fellow writer Joel Lovell.

Amid a challenging period, Robert Iger was appointed CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005. The company's morale had declined, the market was more fierce, and technologies were evolving more quickly than they ever had. Iger says, "I realised there was nothing to be achieved from fighting over the old days." "The future was all that mattered, and I thought I knew exactly where Disney needed to go," he said.

Three concepts stood up clearly:

• Produce the best content Disney is capable of.
• Instead of resisting innovation, welcome it and employ it
• Think larger, think globally, and strengthen the brand recognition of Disney in other countries.

Twelve years later, Disney is the biggest and most reputable media business in the world, with 21st Century Fox, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm among its brands. Iger is regarded as one of the most creative and successful CEOs of his time, and the company is now worth about five times what it was when he joined it.

Many entrepreneurs believe that reading and understanding the stories of the people they look up to has helped them in their journey to success. The above list includes some of the best business biographies of top entrepreneurs, which are sure to help you learn different mantras for your success.

What are business biographies?

Business biographies refer to the portrayal of the stories of entrepreneurs as well as the formation and growth of powerful corporations.

Which are the best business biographies to read?

The best business biographies of top entrepreneurs are:

Is there a biography of Elon Musk?

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance is a popular biography of Elon Musk, published in 2015. Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century by Tim Higgins is another biography of Elon Musk.

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Alibaba Business Model | How Does Alibaba Make Money

Every person on this planet is fond of online marketplaces these days. There’s no one left who has never ordered something online, and there is no address that has not seen a delivery from an eCommerce shop. You might wonder how it all began and which were the initial

IVY Growth Associates’ “21BY72 Startup Summit” a resounding success

The mega event was organised to accelerate the startup ecosystem by providing a great platform for networking, learning and engagement. The two-day summit was attended by over 20,000 participants, 300+ startup founders, 100+ VCs, 500+ investors and renowned industry speakers. Organised in association with SteamHouse India and presented by

Winning With AI: How Technology is Shaping the Sports Industry and Business Growth

This article has been contributed by Anubhav Srivastava, Head of AI at Stupa Sports Analytics. The sports industry, where traditional methods cast a shadow for an extended time, has undergone a significant transformation lately. Technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), have disrupted the space with transformative solutions. For example in

The Benefits of Yoga for Startup Founders - Boosting Productivity and Well-being

This article has been contributed by Nisha Dhawan, Head Yoga Coach, MultiFit. The current decade has seen the most aspirational wave of startups trying to make a dent in existing markets with their innovation. In such a scenario where success depends on the continuous strife to survive and be profitable,

Best business books

All the books longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award

• Short listed
• Long listed

The Man Who Knew

Empire Of Pain

The Man Who Solved the Market

The Match King

The Snowball

The Age of Turbulence

Blood and Oil

Flash Crash

Make, Think, Imagine

Damaged Goods

Who is Michael Ovitz?

Hit Refresh

Brazillionaires

The Profiteers

Sons of Wichita

The Innovators

Car Guys vs Bean Counters

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10 Must-Read Inspiring Biographies of Business Leaders Take a page from the book of the lives of these famous entrepreneurs.

By Lindsay LaVine Feb 13, 2013

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Starting a business from the ground up can be at times lonely, stressful and all-consuming. Take a break and read the advice from successful entrepreneurs who've mastered the fields of technology, fashion, retail, real estate and more.

These men and women have been in your shoes and lived to tell the tale. Read on to find inspiration in their trials and triumphs.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs (Simon & Schuster , 2011) By Walter Isaacson

What began in Steve Jobs' parents' garage in the 1970s laid the groundwork for revolutionary innovation in technology. From personal computers to animated films, how we listen to and purchase music, use our phones and even read books, Jobs left his indelible print on how we communicate, entertain and live. Based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs himself and hundreds more with those who knew him, this no-limits, warts-and-all biography sheds light on a complicated man and his vision for how technology could be.

Inspirational Quote: "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." -- Steve Jobs

Related: Remembering Steve Jobs: One Year Later

Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way (Crown Business, 2011) By Richard Branson

Don't be intimidated by the more than 600 pages in this entertaining autobiography. In Losing My Virginity, Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, shares how his early experiences shaped his later business ventures. When he met with "experts" who advised he not enter an already crowded field, Branson followed his gut, with his trademark slogan, "Oh, screw it. Let's do it." Part memoir, part business guide for entrepreneurs, Branson's belief that customer service reigns supreme is a theme throughout his businesses, from airlines to mobile and beyond.

Inspirational Quote: "Most 'necessary evils' are far more evil than necessary." --Richard Branson

Related: Richard Branson on Entrepreneurial Determination

Built from Scratch by Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus

Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew the Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion (Crown Business, 1999) By Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, with Bob Andelman

In 1978, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank were executives who'd just heard the two words that strike fear in the hearts of employees everywhere: You're fired. Their perspective changed, however, when a friend told them they'd "been kicked in the a** with a golden horseshoe." The firings, in fact, were a blessing in disguise. Built from Scratch is the inside story of how two determined executives constructed the Home Depot empire from the ground up.

Inspirational Quote: "You want a formula for success? Take two Jews who have just been fired, add an Irishman who just walked away from a bankruptcy and an Italian running a no-name investment banking firm." -- Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hseih

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose (Business Plus Hachette Book Group, 2010) By Tony Hsieh

Tony Hsieh's entrepreneurial spirit emerged when he was just nine years old and launched his first business -- a worm farm. When that didn't pan out, he moved on, undeterred, to businesses ranging from publishing a newsletter and selling it to classmates and running garage sales, all before high school. In 1998, at age 24, he sold his company LinkExchange, an online banner advertising program, to Microsoft for $265 million. He joined Zappos shortly after and helped create a company culture that infuses the science of happiness into its business model. That vision statement, to deliver happiness to the world, has drawn new and repeat customers to the site.

Inspirational Quote: "We wanted to run our own business, and be in control of our own destiny. We had no idea where it would lead us, but wherever it was, we knew it had to be better than feeling bored and unfulfilled. We were ready for an adventure." -- Tony Hsieh

By Invitation Only by Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop (Penguin Group, 2012) By Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Fashionistas, rejoice! The co-founders of Gilt Group, the first invite-only online trunk show brought excitement to thousands of savvy shoppers and brought the thrill of a daily sample sale to the masses when it started in 2007. What began as a friendship at Harvard Business School over a shared love of fashion blossomed into a business reportedly valued at over $1 billion. With chapters ranging from how to hire an effective team to dealing with the recession, By Invitation Only shares the inspiring true story of one of the most successful startups of the past decade.

Inspirational Quote: "On that first day we sensed something revolutionary was happening: people were genuinely excited about Gilt. We had created a website that could potentially change the rules of retail, for both shoppers and brands." -- Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Idea Man by Paul Allen

Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-Founder of Microsoft (Penguin Group, 2011) By Paul Allen

In 1974 at 21 years old, Paul Allen teamed up with childhood friend Bill Gates to create programming language for the first personal computer. They worked together since their teens on professional programming jobs, but believed they were the ones who could write the code that, at the time, engineers didn't believe was possible. The famously private Allen opens up about the founding of Microsoft, as well as his adventures after he stepped down from the company he helped create (advances in space travel and brain mapping, to name a few).

Inspirational Quote: "Any crusade requires optimism and the ambition to aim high." -- Paul Allen

Wild Company by Mel and Patricia Ziegler

Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic (Simon & Schuster, 2012) By Mel and Patricia Ziegler

When Mel and Patricia Ziegler met (in the newsroom of the San Francisco Chronicle) they wanted to travel the world, but as a young writer and artist they lacked the money or means to do so. Wild Company tells the story of how the pair, armed with creativity and passion (but no business training), built an empire from military surplus clothing finds plucked from their travels to create Banana Republic.

Inspirational Quote: "The only asset we had was our own oblivion. That would keep us blissfully ignorant of the bewildering and arbitrary impediments that would entangle us until we became so embroiled that quitting was no longer a possibility." -- Mel Ziegler

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

Start Something That Matters (Spiegel & Grau, 2011) By Blake Mycoskie

In 2006, Blake Mycoskie traveled to Argentina to take some time off from his fourth startup and explore the culture of another country. What he found was a great need among children's charities for shoes. Mycoskie knew he had to help, and the idea for TOMS shoes was born. The concept for the company is simple: Sell a pair of shoes today, give a pair of shoes to a child in need tomorrow. Mycoskie shares with readers lessons learned while creating TOMS, how to develop and tell your company's story, and how to be resourceful without having resources.

Inspirational Quote: "You don't have to have a lot of money, a complicated business plan, or a great deal of experience to start something." -- Blake Mycoskie

Shark Tales by Barbara Corcoran with Bruce Littlefield

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business (Penguin Group, 2011) By Barbara Corcoran with Bruce Littlefield

Before becoming one of the Sharks on ABC's Shark Tank, Barbara Corcoran held 22 jobs by the age of 23. It was number 23, a small real estate company that would eventually lead her to founding the Corcoran Group, a $6 billion dollar company. Combining lessons learned from her childhood in New Jersey among nine brothers and sisters with lessons from the cut throat world of New York real estate, Corcoran offers entrepreneurs valuable advice for starting their own business. Inspirational Quote: "The story of my billion-dollar business starts like this: I borrowed $1,000 from a friend." -- Barbara Corcoran

The Martha Rules by Martha Stewart

The Martha Rules (Rodale, 2005) By Martha Stewart

The Martha Rules consists of ten rules and a roadmap for entrepreneurs to create their own successful businesses. The book started as a project to help fellow inmates during her incarceration in a federal prison in 2004. The Martha Rules examine the importance of passion, quality, growth and taking risks. The first chapter, for example, is devoted to finding your passion and developing a business. Later chapters tout the importance of continued learning, innovation, and surrounding yourself with the right people.

Inspirational Quote: "Build your business success around something that you love -- something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you." -- Martha Stewart

Lindsay LaVine is a Chicago-based freelance writer who has worked for NBC and CNN.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

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5 Inspiring Business Biographies Every Entrepreneur Should Read

Great biographies can motivate, inspire, inform... and even entertain. here are my five (okay, seven) of my favorites..

Most business owners read the occasional how-to business book, but sometimes a biography of someone successful can be just what you need for motivation and inspiration.

After all, those people achieved their dreams... so why can't you?

The following books span a range of business topics, from building one of the first corporations to launching a new industry to creating the foundation of modern banking and lending:

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow

Bean counters of the world unite: Rockefeller started as an accountant and ended as the richest man in the world. Obsessively attentive to detail, ruthlessly competitive, calm in a crisis, willing to make tough decisions, great at spotting talent, famously generous.

Rockefeller shows how to build a massive company from an emerging industry.

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

Cornelius Vanderbilt arguably did more than any other individual to create modern capitalism and a corporate economy. He also foreshadowed our cult of celebrity; Twain said of Vanderbilt, "You seem to be the idol of... a swarm of small souls who sing of your unimportant private habits and sayings and doings as if your millions gave them dignity."

If you hate corporate life, blame Vanderbilt. But don't argue with his success--at one time he was worth one out of every twenty dollars in circulation.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Granted he had an affair, was blackmailed, and was later killed in a duel, but along the way he also nearly singlehandedly created public (rather than private) finance in the United States, and along with Washington and a few others was largely responsible for ensuring America survived its formative years.

If you have an axe to grind where the U.S. financial and banking systems are concerned, hey, blame Hamilton. But first try to think up a better system; his vision has survived for over two hundred years.

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

Tim Ferriss, eat your heart out--Carnegie was the richest man in the world while generally only working a few hours a day. Started out with little education, no money, no network, and no "tribe." Focused on technological advances to ensure he was the low-cost producer and held on to profits so he could snap up struggling businesses during economic downturns.

Then he set out to give almost all his money away--and almost succeeded at that, too.

The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century by Steven Watts

Henry Ford proves you don't have to be first to be successful. He didn't invent the automobile or the assembly line, he just did both better than anyone else. He showed that customers willingly embrace fewer choices and greater reliability. And he created one of the first mass production manufacturing systems staffed by well-paid skilled workers.

Ford believed in the "redemptive power of material goods," meaning he'd feel right at home among today's marketers.

And a couple of bonus books:

Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee by Michael Korda

While I in no way mean to insult soldiers by comparing business to war, there are at least tiny parallels in terms of mission, decision-making, perseverance, etc. As Korda says, "Lee, like Wellington, indeed like all great generals, had the ability to look on the misery of a battlefield, absorb its horrors--he never turned away from them--and then move on calmly to his next decision."

Sounds a little like what entrepreneurs do every day.

Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy

You know he came, he saw, he conquered, and he spoke some of the most famous last words ("Et tu, Brute?") a person never actually uttered.

But Caesar was also a master at building a personal brand. He played politics like a maestro, networked like a fiend, built a vast web of clients who owed their careers and fortunes to him--and backed it all up with world-class fighting and leadership skills.

By the end you'll want to go out and conquer your own territory... and hopefully avoid the whole Ides of March thing.

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06-22-2024 WORK LIFE

The most useful leadership book you’ve never read

Published more than 20 years ago, under a title that would not likely make it past today’s editorial gatekeepers, ‘Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders’ continues to offer valuable insights.

[Photo: ArtHouse Studio /Pexels]

BY  Francine Maroukian 4 minute read

Some years ago, after a long career in magazines, I realized I needed to reinvent myself professionally and entered an unfamiliar work world in Big Retail. Like any new arrival, I had to learn to fit in. My biggest challenge was understanding how C Suite leadership works: why some decision makers are more inherently relevant, with a better handle on where retail is headed and not just where it has been. So I studied quarterly earnings transcripts, a free crash course in how leaders think, as well as many classic business books, which more often than not contained highfalutin ideas better in theory than practice. And then I found Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders .

Written by Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas, the book was published by Harvard Business School Press in 2002.  What possible value could a book on leadership published at that moment have today?  Many contemporary readers would likely stumble over the book’s title, highly objectionable (if not outright offensive) by current heated standards.  And what insights might we possibly glean from a book that appeared when Google was only four years old and Mark Zuckerberg was finishing high school – a moment when many of us believed the digital revolution was going to solve all of our problems?

Full of practical, operative insight, Geeks and Geezers offers a lucid analysis of the similarities and differences between leaders.  Its lessons may be more relevant than ever in today’s tumultuous retail environment.

Map versus Compass Leadership

The coauthors posit that while analog-oriented “geezers” rely on maps, the more innovative digital-savvy “geeks” require only a compass. These navigational metaphors are apt, given how much corporate America loves referring to business shifts as “journeys.” 

A simple and effective way to evaluate leadership ideas and actions, this pragmatic concept helps me swiftly classify what type of executive I am hired to support:  A map leader adheres to well-worn roads and can only go where others have gone before. They follow predetermined routes, and good luck changing their mind, even at the earliest stage when an idea looks problematic on paper. When dealing with that kind of leader, I just do the best I can with what’s in front of me, saving my suggestions to assist the team charged with executing the strategy, flaws and all.

Geeks represent compass leadership, and once they can determine the general direction culture is going, they are willing to find a path of their own making, even if the terrain is unfamiliar. Working on their strategic decks is more collaboratively productive because these leaders are attuned to the possibilities and uncertainty of discovery, making them flexible about how to reach their destination.

With the obvious caveat that company problems are never single rooted, I have a few examples of map/compass leadership issues that I witnessed first-hand.

Navigating Big Retail

Working for a newly appointed compass CEO at an iconic preppy American apparel company where the map-style predecessor couldn’t let go and remained on the board was like watching two cars trying to park in the same spot, immobilizing traffic on all sides and blocking progress. I also watched an American big-box bed and bath institution declare bankruptcy because the “turnaround” CEO, most likely hired because the board mistook him for a compass when he was really a map, was not capable of a generating a strategy to target that company’s specific customers. Instead, he mechanically implemented the merchandise tactics that had been successful in his former position at a rival retailer, driving shoppers away and crashing a 50-year-old company in less than three years.

There are also examples where I have not been behind the scenes but observed and applied the Map-Compass theory strictly from the outside.

In February 2020, under the compass leadership CEO, the first hired from outside the company, L.L. Bean showed up on the catwalk for the first time at New York’s Fashion Week in collaboration with Todd Snyder. A century-old utilitarian heritage brand meeting the influence of a designer known for his relaxed, modern way with classic American menswear turned function into fashion: intelligent and relevant. And in COVID-bound October 2020, when the outdoors held a special allure, the same CEO made a limited section of branded gear available on a third-party site (Zappos), which heritage retailers were loath to do at the time.

The Hybrid Ideal

To me, retail map leaders are any executives with no regard or respect for the ongoing consumer culture shifts in this volatile new age, easily evidenced by missteps like tone-deaf marketing emails that plead, “Spend more to save more.” In financial call transcripts, they inevitably blame waning numbers on the economy—irresponsible in an election year—or blame their customers—as though, somehow, we aren’t shopping enough. Their regressive mindset and data blindness is even more apparent when compared to the visionary statement made by Uniglo founder and CEO Tadashi Yanai during his year-end earnings call , when the forecast was an 18% growth: “People are looking to reduce surplus things and frills and live simply in their own way.” Compass. Big time.

My favorite example is a map and compass hybrid: CeraVe skin care ads , featuring the deadpan actor, Michael Cera. What might have been a run-of-the mill celebrity endorsement (map) became a clever, comedic put down (compass), with the company reassuring us that despite what he might claim, Cera is not the founder of CeraVe, reinforced on their website with an X-ed out portrait of the actor, alongside this message: “Developed with Dermatologists. Not Michael Cera. He’s not a dermatologist.” I’ve never worked with the compass leaders who said yes to that idea, but I would have loved to have been in the room for that discussion.  

Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the extended deadline, June 14. Sign up for Brands That Matter notifications here .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francine Maroukian, a two-time James Beard Award winner, is a food and travel writer who has done extensive consulting for top executives in retail.   More

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The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Devour in 2024

From celebrated Oscar winners to influential first ladies.

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From Oscar-winning actors to lauded singers and former first ladies , some of the best celebrity memoirs are more intimate and revelatory than you'd ever expect. We've selected 10 memoirs by celebrities whose stories are life-changing, heartbreaking, hilarious, devastating, unexpected, and truly inspirational. Our list spans a variety of life experiences, including Elliot Page's very public journey affirming his identity as a trans man and Leslie Jones' hilarious and heartfelt retrospective.

Check out the 10 best celebrity memoirs you should add to your reading list right now.

Harper 'Inside Out' by Demi Moore

Demi Moore has truly experienced the heady heights and devastating lows of life as a public figure. Once crowned the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, Moore faced intense backlash and incredibly toxic negative reviews, which were difficult to recover from.

With Inside Out, Moore gets candid about her marriages to fellow superstars Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher , her approach to being a mother, and the insecurities she struggled with at the height of her fame. It's a candid and extremely easy read, making it one of the best celebrity memoirs to put on your reading list.

Grand Central Publishing 'Leslie F*cking Jones' by Leslie Jones

Leslie Jones has already had an incredible career, with her tenure on Saturday Night Live continuing to entertain viewers on YouTube. The Ghostbusters star and Supermarket Sweep host was encouraged to tell her story by multiple people in her life. The result is a raw and honest exploration of her life, with a plethora of chapters dedicated to her experiences as an up-and-coming comedian and subsequent recognizable star.

Jones also writes about the abuse she endured as a child, giving readers unprecedented access to her personal life. The award-winning audiobook version is a must.

Viking 'My Name Is Barbra' by Barbra Streisand

As a singer, songwriter, actor, and director, Barbra Streisand has crafted an incomparable career. Having spent more than six decades as a public figure, Streisand certainly has a lot of tales to tell, all of which she includes in her incredible autobiography.

Totaling almost 1000 pages, the two-time Oscar winner shares intimate details from every stage of her career. Regaling readers with celebrity anecdotes, personal feelings, and behind-the-scenes moments from her entire life, Streisand's memoir is well-worth the wait.

Crown 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is one of the most recognizable women in the world following her role as first lady during her husband Barack Obama's presidency. Since then, she's proven to be a force to be reckoned with all on her own. Becoming explores every aspect of Michelle's life, from her youthful aspirations to entering the White House and her journey as a mother.

The personal book also explores Michelle's identity as a Black woman and how she grappled with her very public role in the Obama presidency. Unsurprisingly, the memoir became the fastest-selling book of 2018 .

Flatiron Books 'Pageboy' by Elliot Page

Academy Award nominee Elliot Page became a Hollywood star at a young age, appearing in movies like 2007's Juno and 2009's Whip It . High-profile roles in 2010's Inception and Netflix series The Umbrella Academy followed. Pageboy explores Page's identity as a trans man, the difficulties he faced working in the heavily sexualized entertainment industry as a young person, and how he finally embraced his true self.

As a public figure, Page was forced to grapple with his gender and sexuality in front of the world, and his book is proof that living authentically is more important than anything else.

37 Ink 'I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons' by Kevin Hart

While most of us know Kevin Hart as a vastly funny comedian who often stars alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson , his rise to the top was far from simple. In I Can't Make This Up , Hart shares the darkest moments of his life with readers, from his challenging, strict childhood as the son of a drug addict to the difficult details of his first marriage.

Hart's exhaustive hard work is also evident, with the comedian explaining the sacrifices required to develop his passionate fan base. Seriously funny and heartfelt.

Simon & Schuster 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' by Jennette McCurdy

Former child star turned filmmaker and writer Jennette McCurdy developed a one-woman show, which later formed the basis of her book, I'm Glad My Mom Died . The memoir explores the difficulties she faced filming Sam & Cat with Ariana Grande , to the harassment she experienced at Nickelodeon at the hands of "The Creator," as well as her complicated relationship with her abusive mom.

McCurdy's honesty was a hit with fans, and the memoir sold out at all major bookstores upon its release, becoming a regular fixture on the New York Times Bestseller List .

Little, Brown Spark 'Thicker Than Water' by Kerry Washington

In 2018, Kerry Washington learned that her dad, Earl, wasn't her biological father and that her parents had conceived her with the help of a sperm donor. With her memoir, Washington explores her childhood, the detachment she sometimes felt within her family, and how her identity shifted upon learning such a huge secret.

Scandal 's iconic star also gives readers a glimpse at an otherwise private life, exploring everything from her identity as a Black woman and mother to the advocacy she strives for as a public figure.

HarperOne 'Finding Me' by Viola Davis

In 2023, Viola Davis's autobiography Finding Me won a Grammy award, elevating the actor to the coveted EGOT status. The How to Get Away With Murder star examines her life in Finding Me , starting with her youth in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and ending with her discovery of success as an actor, first in New York and then in Hollywood.

The heartfelt and deeply personal book is also a call to action for readers to reflect on their own identities and uncover what they hope to achieve in the future. It's a truly inspiring read and one of the most moving celebrity memoirs one can read.

Scribner 'Making a Scene' by Constance Wu

As an actor, Constance Wu found mainstream success starring on the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and in hit movies Hustlers and Crazy Rich Asians . In Making a Scene , Wu reveals her journey to becoming an actor while exploring the personal relationships that shaped her in her twenties.

Importantly, she discusses the immense challenges she faced as an Asian American in an industry lacking true representation. Wu also emotionally details the sexual harassment she experienced while working on Fresh Off the Boat, explaining why she was relieved when the sitcom finally ended.

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Nvidia jumps past Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company

• Nvidia on Tuesday claimed the spot of the world's most valuable company.
• Shares of the chipmaker rose 4%, helping it edge past Microsoft's market cap.
• Investors are still bullish on the company even after a 173% rally this year.

Nvidia stock rose 4% on Tuesday, helping push its market capitalization past that of Microsoft to claim the title of the world's most valuable company.

The chipmaker on Tuesday boasted a market value of $3.338 trillion, edging out Microsoft's $3.326 trillion market cap by just $12 billion.

Nvidia stock hit an intraday high of $136.25 Tuesday afternoon.

That equates to a split-adjusted price of $1,362.50. Nvidia underwent a 10-for-one stock split earlier this month .

It's already been a wild ride for the chipmaker in 2024, with the stock soaring 173%. That's after the stock rallied more than 200% in 2023.

Still, Wall Street remains bullish and is eyeing even more gains, with one analyst expecting a $10 trillion valuation for the company by the end of 2030 .

The company, whose chips have been powering the artificial-intelligence boom since ChatGPT was unveiled in 2022, beat out Apple as the second-biggest company less than a month ago.

A lot has been going right for Nvidia recently.

The stock's meteoric rise is set to spark a massive reshuffle of a $72 billion tech exchange-traded fund later this month , which should result in buying pressure of about $11 billion for Nvidia stock.

But more importantly, Nvidia's earnings have been booming.

While the stock has soared just over 700% since ChatGPT was released on November 30, 2022, the company's underlying valuation multiple has declined, signaling that its earnings are growing faster than its stock price.

Nvidia had a forward price-to-earnings multiple of about 50 times in November 2022, compared with about 40 times today.

One concern for Nvidia investors has been the potential for competition to eat away at Nvidia's recent gains , but that has yet to materialize.

Nvidia's closest competitor, AMD, expects to generate about $4 billion in revenue from its AI graphics processing unit this year. Meanwhile, Nvidia is set to generate upward of $120 billion in revenue this year, mostly from its AI chips.

• Main content

• Best term policy
• Best for seniors
• Best for military members
• Best for higher policy limits
• Best for guaranteed acceptance
• Best for waiting periods
• How we review no exam life insurance

Best No Exam Life Insurance Companies of June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Many life insurance companies offer no-exam life insurance, which has the obvious appeal of skipping medical exams. For some people, it's a great option, but keep in mind that this type of life insurance policy will still require some information about your medical history. 

Our Top Picks for the Best No Exam Life Insurance

• Best term life policy: Ethos Life
• Best for seniors: AARP Life Insurance
• Best for military members: USAA Life Insurance
• Best for higher policy limits: Prudential Life Insurance
• Best for guaranteed acceptance: Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance
• Best for waiting period: AAA Life Insurance

Compare No Medical Exam Life Insurance Plans

No medical exam life insurance is particularly good for people seeking insurance later in life, forfeiting death benefit amounts and paying higher premiums to qualify. As such, the best no exam life insurance should have high age eligibility without too much compromise on coverage and costs.

Policies included in our guide on the best no medical exam life insurance insure people up to 85 years old. Read on to learn more.

Best no exam term life insurance 

Ethos life insurance.

Ethos Life accepts applicants up to age 65 with a 100% online application process, and limits are as high as $2 million. 

Ethos Life asks a few basic medical questions, but coverage is effective immediately once approved. In addition, every customer buying policies like this from Ethos Life is eligible for a 30-day look period, which is another way to say you can cancel and get your money back in the first 30 days with no penalties.

• Health questions: Yes
• Coverage limits: Up to $2 million
• Waiting period: May apply
• Unique feature: Instant quotes available with a streamlined online application

Read our Ethos Life Insurance review here.

Apply for life insurance online in just a few minutes with Ethos' simple application. No medical exams are required. Just answer a few health questions—many customers enjoy same-day coverage!

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 100% online application process, quotes in minutes
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Coverage starts immediately once approved
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Term policies renewable up to age 94 for qualifying applicants
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No conversion options to turn term policies to whole life for no exam policies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Whole life policy limits are lower

Best no exam life insurance for seniors

Aarp life insurance.

AARP Life Insurance caters to senior clients for insurance and many other financial products. Older adults between 50 and 74 may qualify as long as they are AARP members. Term policies are available with limits up to $150,000 in most states. Montana and New York residents may be eligible for up to $100,000. Whole life policy limits max out at $25,000.

Whole life policies can be issued without any health exams or medical questions. The term policies, on the other hand, may ask some health questions.

• Health questions: For term life policies, but not whole
• Coverage limits: Up to $150,000
• Unique feature: No medical exam policy caters to older adults

Read our AARP Life Insurance review .

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No medical exams required
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Specialized life insurance coverage for older adults
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No medical exams required, guaranteed coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. AARP membership is required for purchase
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only small policies available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Coverage may be based on medical questions and history

Best no exam life insurance for military members

Usaa life insurance.

USAA Life Insurance is typically associated with military members and their immediate family members, but its insurance products are available to anyone. Pricing is lower, payouts are higher, and customer service is strong. Of course, these services are only available to military and qualifying family members. For the children of a deceased military member to use any USAA products, the military member would need to be signed up before their death.

Guaranteed whole life policies are available in 49 states, excluding Montana. USAA life insurance coverage is available from $2,000 to $25,000 with no medical exam or questions. Applicants who want higher coverage limits can explore medical exam policy options with a licensed agent.

• Health questions: No
• Coverage limits: Up to $25,000
• Waiting period: Two years
• Unique feature: Below-market product costs available for military members and qualifying family

Read our USAA Life Insurance review .

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable pricing starting with $12/month on some policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. May offer coverage to military members other companies won't cover
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers term and permanent life insurance options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. 2 year waiting period for full benefits on some policies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May focus on death benefits only more than other companies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. All permanent policies are underwritten and serviced by other companies, not by USAA
• USAA offers life insurance for the military, veterans, and the public.

Best no exam life insurance for higher policy limits

Prudential life insurance.

Prudential Life Insurance  offers up to $3 million in coverage for term life policies. Adults up to 60 years old are eligible for coverage with a short application involving some medical questions. For younger applicants, conversion options may also be available later to make term policies into whole life policies. However, due to the higher limits, Prudential's application process may also be longer.

• Coverage limits: Up to $3 million
• Unique feature: High expert and customer rankings with a trusted provider

Read our Prudential Life Insurance review .

Offers aggressive financial plans.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Available in all 50 states (New York residents may have different plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Buyers can withdraw money to pay for nursing home bills due to severe illness or disability
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Knowledgeable agents who can walk you through your options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Financial returns are limited
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited policy options for seniors and other groups who might struggle to find life insurance

The aggressive financial plans offered by Prudential may appeal to many younger buyers and those with a stable income. However, those with lower income or buyers who aren't sure about the financial system may be more hesitant to engage with Prudential. Like many other industry giants, Prudential is working to change this perception.

Best no exam life insurance for guaranteed acceptance

Mutual of omaha life insurance.

Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance has high financial stability and customer satisfaction ratings across different types of insurance. Guaranteed life policies are available for adults between the ages of 45 and 85. In New York state, the age range is 50-75. Policies can be as small as $2,000 in most states and as large as $25,000 with no health questions or medical exams.

Mutual of Omaha's no medical exam policies have a graded death benefit. If you die within two years of the policy start date, the company will not pay the full policy. Instead, it delivers 110% of the premiums paid. The Mutual of Omaha website boasts same-day payouts on most policies. Policies for children are also available.

• Age: 45-85 (50-75 in New York State)
• Unique feature: Company website lists same-day payment on most claims

Read our Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance review .

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. diverse whole and term life insurance options
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong financial ratings and company history
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Wide range of riders to customize plans
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. online applications not available for term applicants
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May not provide strong investment options for retirement

Best no exam life insurance for waiting periods

Aaa life insurance.

AAA Life Insurance  offers immediate death benefits for qualified applicants between 18 and 75. In other words, once your policy starts, you are eligible for the full policy benefit. Policies are available with limits as low as $25,000 and as high as $500,000. While a medical exam is not required, health questions are.

AAA offers term policies with limits as high as $500,000. For a whole life policy, the limit is $25,000. But applicants can add a rider doubling the payout for accidental death coverage. Younger people have no waiting period for benefits. For applicants over age 45, AAA pays out 130% of the premiums paid up to the date of death for the first two years.

• Coverage limits: Up to $500,000 term/$25,000 whole
• Waiting period: Applies after age 45

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Large life policies available for term customers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Substantial discounts available for AAA members
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong financial ratingSome members may qualify for discounts if combining home and auto policies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only small whole life policies to cover a maximum of $25,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Non-members may not get competitive rates

How to Choose the Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance Company

The number of life insurance providers can be overwhelming and paralyzing. Asking friends and family about their life insurance policy and using guides like ours can be a great first step toward finding your policy. 

However, guides and recommendations can only go so far in helping you decide which no medical exam life insurance company is best for you. You'll need to take factors like age, medical history, and your financial goals into consideration when you make your decisions. A qualified insurance professional may be able to help you crunch your numbers and find the best policy. 

Coverage Amount

The most important, and most obvious, consideration when choosing a life insurance policy is the payout your loved ones will receive. The coverage you need will often depend on why you want life insurance. If your main goal is to make sure your final expenses are covered, than you'll have plenty of options. However, if you have long-term goals in mind, you may want to consider other life insurance options. 

It's worth noting that no exam life insurance often has limited death benefits, so your options will be limited. 

Policy Type

Generally speaking, most no exam life insurance fits into two types of life insurance policies: simplified issue and guaranteed issue.

Simplified issue : This is ideal for people who want life insurance but have a moderate health condition that may bar them from other insurance options. It's worth noting that some simplified issue life insurance providers enforce graded death benefits, withholding access to your full death benefits for a few years.

Guaranteed issue:  Guaranteed issue life insurance is for older people looking for final expense coverage, which includes funeral and burial expenses. It limits applicants to those who are 50 and above.

Premiums for no medical exam life insurance are generally higher as applicants tend to be high-risk and requirements are lower. You'll want to keep this in mind as you sort through quotes.

Customer Service

You should peruse customer reviews on websites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau while shopping for a life insurance company. You should note how helpful and accessible a company's customer service team is and any issues with receiving payouts. Unresponsive insurance companies are the last thing that anyone wants to deal with after the passing of a loved one.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Best No Exam Life Insurance

The coverage and riders offered are vital parts of our evaluation. We also look at the speed of payouts, customer satisfaction, and financial strength ratings. All of these factor into the immediate and long-term performance of the life insurance companies we review.

If you're looking for more information about a specific life insurer, our reviews offer a deep dive into individual policies, riders, and more. The same considerations are used for all competitors to ensure readers have the edge to make informed decisions in an ever-changing market.

See our life insurance rating methodology for more details.

Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance FAQs

Most life insurance policies have some waiting period, whether it's a few weeks or longer. However, no medical exam life insurance is sometimes available with no waiting period, and you also have the option to purchase temporary coverage in the interim before your policy takes effect.

There are alternatives to a new medical exam life insurance policy. Insurance agents can quote you medical exam policies if you're denied a no medical exam option. An experienced agent may be able to assess your application before starting the process to avoid official denials. If you're concerned about premium limits, you can explore options like IUL ( indexed universal life ) for permanent life insurance that increases your benefit as long as you make premium payments.

The highest amount of life insurance you can get without a medical exam is lower than what you could get with a medical exam. Guaranteed-issue policies that don't require medical exams typically top out at $25,000 or $50,000 in coverage, while standard life insurance policies can offer millions in coverage.

You'll have to decide whether you prefer a whole or term policy based on your situation if you're getting no medical life insurance. A term policy has an expiration date, and extensions or conversions to a whole life policy are not guaranteed. If anything, your rate may be higher if you try to convert your policy. The insurer looks at you just as it would any other applicant of your age, health, etc. A whole life policy locks in premiums and payouts.

Yes, you can really get life insurance without a medical exam, but your options will be different. That's because you'll need to choose a guaranteed issue policy — a specific type of insurance that lets you bypass the medical exam requirement — and it will probably cost more than a regular policy including a medical exam.

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