Top Nine Entrepreneur Guidebooks

Graduating from college is a confusing time. You are a long-haired idiot with a very expensive or useless college degree. Your father is breathing down you neck yelling “WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE?! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A LIVING?” Your Answer? “I WANNA ROCK! BUT I DUNNO WHAT AT!” So says the song from Twisted Sister.

In reality, everyone wants to rock and be in charge of their own life. They want to have the freedom to do what they want whenever they want to do it! Entrepreneurs and financially independent people can accomplish this.

The question is, where can I learn to achieve the freedom that these people have?

Let’s face it, most entrepreneurship and business books lack the substance and level of detail to act as sufficient guides on how to obtain financial freedom. An example of this type of book is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. While I think his concept of buying assets and paying yourself first (I was experimenting with this recently) is extremely important for achieving financial independence; I do not believe it is enough to guide people in finding their way in life. Even so, I still recommend reading Rich Dad Poor Dad.

It is my belief that in order to truly learn from these entrepreneurs you need greater insight into the deals that were made and how they raised capital.

Let’s look at the entrepreneurs that were able to accomplish more than freedom.

Here is my list of books that I believe have the greatest teaching value in business and life (they are linked here for your convenience):

1.      Shoe Dog a Memoir by the creator of Nike Phil Knight. I believe this is the best book on life and entrepreneurship.

2.       How to Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snap Chat Story by Billy Gallagher

3.      George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones. This one is really good for people looking to make a living off of their art.

4.      Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton. Really shows how a group of people can stumble upon a company.

5.      Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler. Details Walt’s basic journey as an Entrepreneur.

6.       Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the creation of an Entertainment Empire by Bob Thomas. This one offers a lot more detail into the business deals than the book above.

7.      The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump and Tony Schwartz. Really showcases how Donald Trump structured his deals to build ambitious projects at a young age.

8.      The Everything Store by Brad Stone. Tells the story of the creation of the largest retailer.

9.      Jim Henson by Brian Jay Jones. Showcases the financial rise of another artist.

These books are the 9 books that I believe have the best life and business lessons and really showcase the entrepreneurial journey.

When reading these books, it is especially important to follow the money, and pay attention to the terms of all business deals.

If you don’t want to read, I recommend listening on Audible.

I hope these books help guide you to all the freedom in the world.