Best books list
Want to know how the world’s most influential people think?
This 14-day challenge takes you through the best biographies, giving you the lessons, failures, and breakthroughs of history’s greatest minds.
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the life story of one of the Founding Fathers of America.
Franklin is often described as a "self-made man" and "The First American" because of his lifelong dedication to values like enthusiastic work, self-education and personal improvement.
"Human [happiness] is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day."
Benjamin Franklin
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Steve Jobs is the official biography of the co-founder of Apple and Pixar.
He had an intense passion to create revolutionary products like the iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes, and Macintosh computers.
His personality was an unusual mix of Zen hippie and brash business visionary.
"In the annals of innovation, new ideas are only part of the equation. Execution is just as important."
Walter Isaacson
If you've ever wondered how a man who only owned black turtlenecks became the icon of innovation, or how persuasive one needs to be to sell a phone without buttons, this is your golden ticket!
Isaacson’s book isn’t just a biography; it’s a roller coaster ride through the ups and downs of a man who could sell sand in the desert.
For anyone into business, startups, or leadership, this book is like sitting down for a chat with the obsessive entrepreneur who thought different. 🖥️🍏
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Elon Musk is a biography of the man who led Tesla, SpaceX and PayPal.
Musk inspires many people with his futuristic plans for new technologies, and his seemingly unstoppable ability to overcome all obstacles.
But his employees are often pushed to their limit, trying to reach impossible deadlines.
"What Musk has developed that so many of the entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley lack is a meaningful worldview. [...] Musk wants to... well... save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation."
Ashlee Vance
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Sam Walton: Made in America shows how Walmart grew from one small store into the largest retail business in the world.
Sam Walton is often seen as one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever.
His journey was filled with risk, obstacles, adversity, failure... but also fun, discovery, passion and persistence.
"You've got to give folks responsibility, you've got to trust them, and then you've got to check on them."
Sam Walton
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger is the incredible true life story of the bodybuilding icon, Hollywood superstar, and former California Governor.
From his humble beginnings in a small village in Austria, to chasing his unique American Dream, Arnold inspires us to stay hungry on our own path to success.
"To be successful, however, you must be brutal with yourself and focus on the flaws."
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Will is the life story of Will Smith, one of the biggest Hollywood actors.
You'll hear about his tense childhood in Philadelphia, how his father taught Will self discipline, his rise to wealth and fame, and his quest for happiness (through solitude, counselling, reading, and psychedelics).
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
The Everything Store is about how Jeff Bezos grew Amazon—from a simple online bookstore into the 5th largest company in the world.
He did it with a mix of great timing, customer obsession, and relentless competition.
"They agreed on five core values [...]: customer obsession, frugality, bias for action, ownership, and high bar for talent. Later Amazon would add a sixth value, innovation."
Brad Stone
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Can't Hurt Me is a guide to building mental toughness, and it's also the motivational life story of David Goggins.
When he was young David survived abuse and racism, but later he transformed himself into a Navy SEAL, ultramarathon runner, and world record holder.
"If you want to master the mind (...) you'll have to become addicted to hard work. Because passion and obsession, even talent, are only useful tools if you have the work ethic to back them up."
David Goggins
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
The Ride of a Lifetime is an inside look at leadership, from former Disney CEO Robert Iger.
You'll see how he earned so many promotions, managed people to avoid resentment, and negotiated billion-dollar deals.
"True authority and true leadership come from knowing who you are and not pretending to be anything else."
Robert Iger
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Shoe Dog is an inspiring story of entrepreneurship from Nike's founder Phil Knight.
He started as a regular kid who loved running and built the largest sportswear brand ever.
But there were many challenging times that Nike barely survived.
"Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don't stop. Don't even think of stopping until you get there, and don't give much thought to where 'there' is. Whatever comes, just don't stop."
Phil Knight
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Made in Japan is the autobiography of Akio Morita, who co-founded Sony and grew it to become one of the largest electronics companies in the world.
Akio shares his advice for management, leadership and innovation.
He also explains many differences in the working culture between Japan and the West.
"No matter how good or successful you are or how clever or crafty, your business and its future are in the hands of the people you hire. To put it a bit more dramatically, the fate of your business is actually in the hands of the youngest recruit on the staff."
Akio Morita
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big is about the hilarious wisdom and many business failures of Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert.
He shares pragmatic strategies for increasing our odds of success—by using systems over goals, building a talent stack and repeating (mysteriously powerful) affirmations.
"The most important form of selfishness involves spending time on your fitness, eating right, pursuing your career, and still spending quality time with your family and friends."
Scott Adams
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Grinding It Out is about how McDonald's grew to be one of the biggest companies in the world.
Ray Kroc did it through seizing the right opportunity, perfecting the fundamentals of the business, always emphasizing growth, and persisting until he found the successful strategy.
"As long as you're green you're growing, as soon as you're ripe you start to rot."
Ray Kroc
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
Trump: The Art of the Deal is a memoir from Donald Trump that gives us an inside look at his earlier real estate career, building his empire that includes skyscrapers and casinos.
Whether you love or hate Trump, you'll learn a lot about business, publicity and negotiation.
"Good publicity is preferable to bad, but from a bottom line perspective, bad publicity is sometimes better than no publicity at all. Controversy, in short, sells."
Donald Trump
Why this is one of the best Biography books:
"Losing My Virginity" is the autobiography of Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin brand and a charismatic entrepreneur.
It tells the story of how Branson started with a small student magazine and a chain of music stores, which he grew into a global empire that includes airlines, mobile phone companies, and even the world's first commercial spaceline.
"It is only by being bold that you get anywhere. If you are a risk-taker, then the art is to protect the downside."
Richard Branson
If you’ve ever daydreamed about building a billion-dollar empire with nothing but guts, charm, and a total disregard for boring boardrooms—Losing My Virginity is for you.
This is the opposite of a stiff business textbook—it’s a wild, rebellious ride through near-bankruptcies, lawsuits, rockstars, and actual rocket ships.
You’ll learn how Branson took bold risks, bounced back from disaster, and had fun along the way.
