What is good reading material for entrepreneurs?

The Entrepreneurs MBA by Bygrave and Zacharakis is a good one, written by Babson Professors who have also started many successful businesses. The Entrepreneurs guide to Business Law by Constance Bagley of Yale and Craig Dauchy of Stanford/Cooley LLP. I would put these two at the top of the list in terms of concepts and elements you absolutely need to know. Then there are books like the Art of the Start that are more entertaining surface reads. The problem I see with entrepreneurs is they read all these entertaining weekend entrepreneurship "you too can be a rich entrepreneur" esq books that really get the blood flowing and get you excited....but those books are usually not written with the needed level of depth and and focus on the competence needed. Dont get me wrong you can take here and there, and that energy is needed..and can be good...just supplement any candy reads with some healthy protein and vegetable reads.

There are tonnes of good books out there for startup people. Use your friendly neighbourhood bookshop to browse a few. They all speak to different people so find one that resonates with you. My recommendation will not be your recommendation.

However ... there is only so much reading an entrepreneur can do before he just needs to get out there and get on with "doing".

Entrepreneurs DO ... Academics READ

As I was always taught ... JFDI

Living with the Monks by Jesse Itzler is not exactly a traditional business book, but I really enjoyed reading it. He also has a book called LIVING WITH A SEAL that is another personal favorite of mine.

I teach a course at the Wharton school of business based on a book I wrote called Strap on Your Boots (a play on the term bootstrap). It is highly recommended for any entrepreneur who would like to learn tactics and strategies that are guaranteed to work without spending any money, and taking less time than you would making a ton of mistakes. I currently run three thriving tech startups, with funding, and run multiple other businesses and companies as well. My book will be able to help you much more realistically than the other books on the market. I hope you like it and feel free to reach out with questions anytime!

If you have time to read only three books about startups and entrepreneurs, I would strongly suggest Guy Kawazaki , Tim Ferris and Eric Ries. Each one is useful with very practical steps to build and grow a startup. They assume you don't have a lot of resources and doing it for the first time.

If you are in a reading mood I compiled a list of my favorite books for entrepreneurs. As Steve suggested any amount of reading cannot give you the push to get started. You need to bring your own fire in the gut. Good luck to your ventures.

The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Grit by Angela Duckworth

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Funded: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Raising Your First Round by Katherine Hague

Unshakeable by Tony Robbins

Check out the digest to discover detailed descriprition of these books and find new ones