The 48 Best Business Books of All Time (2024)

"Traffic Secrets" by Russell Brunson is a guide to generating consistent traffic for your website and online business. It covers fundamental marketing strategies, including sales funnels, email marketing, and competitive research. The book also explains how to drive free traffic and run paid ads on platforms like YouTube, Google, Instagram, and Facebook.

Why should you read it? You should definitely read "Traffic Secrets" because it makes getting traffic to your website simple, and that's a crucial ingredient for any online business. Based on his experience getting over 100,600 paying members to his ClickFunnels software, using traffic sources as diverse as Facebook Ads, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, Google SEO, affiliate marketing, and more.

Getting Things Done is a system to help us be more organized and productive. It basically turned into a popular movement during the early 2000's. David Allen says we can feel in control of our busy work lives, simply by learning to manage our daily tasks effectively.

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.

Think and Grow Rich is about more than money—it's about getting what we want in life. Napoleon Hill interviewed 500+ successful people (like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison), identifying a 13-step formula for achievement, which includes 1) a burning desire, 2) a definite plan, and 3) persistence past failure.

Why should you read it? Okay, this book may seem a bit 'out there' to some people because of its focus on using imagination and positive thinking to top into the mystical law of attraction. Some people will love it and others will think it's straight up bonkers. This isn't your cut-and-dry financial planning book. So, if you're looking for straightforward budgeting tips, this might not be your cup of tea. But hey, who knows? Maybe your good vibes will help you attract the perfect accountant into your life...

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki explains what rich people know about finance, money, and investing. The author compares advice from his real father (Poor Dad), who was well-educated but always struggled financially, with advice from his best friend's father (Rich Dad), who had little formal education but was a very successful entrepreneur.

Why should you read it? This book shows you that making money isn't just about getting a paycheck—it's also about finding smart ways to make your money grow for you. Why is this book so popular? Because financial concepts are usually pretty boring, but Kiyosaki makes financial literacy fun by illustrating his ideas with the story of his childhood.

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.

Thinking, Fast and Slow explains how people make decisions using two mental systems: "fast" thinking is instinctive and emotional, while "slow" thinking is deliberate and logical. Daniel Kahneman helps us understand our when our mind fall into common biases and irrational shortcuts, so we can make better decisions in the future.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is about becoming more effective at reaching our goals and leading others. Stephen Covey says his teachings are based on timeless principles like personal responsibility, empathetic listening, and treating others with fairness.

Why should you read it? This book teaches 7 key principles that you can apply to almost any area of life, kind of like a Swiss Army knife for personal development. Stephen Covey shifts focus from the surface-level pursuits of busyness and status to the character ethic - which says true success is about who we are, not just what we achieve. After all, being busy isn't a personality trait, no matter how much we pretend it is on social media. 🤷‍♂️

"Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath teaches how to explain your ideas and thoughts so they capture attention, persuade others, and stick in people's minds. Learn why some ideas become popular and others fail using their research-based SUCCESs framework, which outlines six key principles: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotions, and Stories.

Why should you read it? Curious why some ideas become popular while others flop? "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath cracks the code on what makes ideas unforgettable, by analyzing everything from hit marketing campaigns to political slogans, classic folktales, and even crazy conspiracy theories. Perfect for marketers, educators, entrepreneurs, or anyone eager to make their message as clingy as gum on a shoe in summer. 👟

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.

Why should you read it? 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. 🖥️🍏

Getting to Yes is the most important book on negotiation, according to many professionals. It comes from leaders of The Harvard Negotiation Project, who wanted to help people negotiate agreements with less time and friction. The four steps of the method are: people, interests, options and criteria.

Who Moved My Cheese? is a fable about dealing with life's never-ending change. Spencer Johnson describes four small characters living in a maze. One day, their cheese suddenly disappears. They can either resist the change and suffer, or learn to embrace it and move onto something better.

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.

Hooked is a guide for product designers, marketers, and entrepreneurs, showing them how to create digital products that are engaging, compelling, and habit-forming. Nir Eyal reveals how big tech companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook keep us coming back to their apps daily. His "Hooked Model" has 4 stages: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment.

Why should you read it? If you're dreaming of creating the next Instagram or just curious about why we can't put down our phones, then this book is your go-to guide. Nir Eyal takes the "habit loop" idea (made popular by books like Atomic Habits), then he spins it upside down, to reveal the secrets behind apps that are highly engaging and habit-forming. It's your blueprint to making anything - from your new app to your social media channel - as irresistible as that last slice of pizza. 🍕

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.