Reading Lists for the successful entrepreneur
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If you’re an avid reader like me, it might be difficult to pick only one book to focus on each week, or even each month when things get busy.
Thankfully, you might have an option where you don’t have to choose or even find a particular book. These entrepreneurs have collected their top book recommendations for like-minding successful business owners.
Each list is curated on a routinely, consistent basis. These lists are meant to span over various and numerous industries, both in the subject matter of their selections and each entrepreneur’s profession.
Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List
With a good collection of non-fiction, poetry, and more, former-president Barack Obama’s list is bound to be an impactful read.
Former President Obama usually shares his Summer Reading List through social media, whether that be through Twitter or otherwise. The New York Times curated this post after his Summer Reading List was shared and commented on by listed authors.
The reason I suggest Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List is due to his list encompassing new and upcoming authors. And, while not unusual for an entrepreneur’s list, it is refreshing to be involved in fictitious and new writing styles.
Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List itself is not too long either. If you wanted to read them during the summer that’d be great, but if you’re just starting out as a reader, you could make this as your yearly reading list as well.
Oprah Winfery’s Book Club
Oprah’s Book Club is a coveted book list, released 26 years ago and consists of 80 titles.
Each book is selected by Oprah and spans over several genres. Oprah’s selections for 2019 included Michelle Obama’s recent release, Becoming.
Oprah’s Book Club has probably the most recommendations on this list. It’s great for keeping a year-long reading list, while still learning from various topics. Her selections range in topic and authorship, from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations to Toni Morrison’s Songs of Solomon.
Oprah’s Book Club is a great list to find an array of selections, but it might be easier for the more experienced reader. Some of her selections, like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, are very dense and contain many alternative literary devices that might need to be studied further to interpret the book.
As one of the highest earners on this list, Oprah’s Book Club is an ideal entrepreneur to gain a sense of influence from.
Bill Gate’s Summer Reading List
Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, publishes a bi-annual list, usually for the summer and a collective at the end of the year. He publishes his list through his own website, Gates Notes, and stays around a solid 5 books.
Bill Gate’s Summer Reading List is great for the beginning reader. Not so much due to the reading selections, but because it’s 5 books. His collective list at the end of the year is also a great collaboration to include in your yearly reading list. So if you have a goal of a book a month, which is slightly low for an entrepreneur, this would be a great list to begin your goal.
The other thing I enjoy about Gates Notes is the dedication to alternative reading suggestions. Bill Gates not only suggests these bi-annual lists but reports on reads, libraries, and writing exploits that he and his wife might encounter throughout the year.
Whether you stay true to Bill Gate’s Summer Reading List or delve into other copies that are suggested, you are bound to have a great selection.
Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club - Hello Sunshine
Reese Witherspoon started her Book Club, Hello Sunshine, in 2017. She picks a monthly read for her followers, both available in paperback versions and audible books.
Her complete book selections span across various genres. Her current selection for August 2019 is The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda, a fiction novel.
I also suggest Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club - Hello Sunshine to the beginning entrepreneur or beginning reader. At only a book a month, you have a focused goal each month to accomplish, rather than picking one from a much larger comprehensive list.
Her range in content is also similar to Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List. She regularly switches up her topics, genres, and authors. Her list might be a bit lighter compared to her counterparts but is nonetheless expansive and encompassing.
TED Reading Lists
TED Reading Lists are actually a compilation of reading lists. TED Talks are extremely popular for their broad spectrum of topics and experts. Compile all of those experts and you receive a few different topics for book lists.
Whether you are looking for a summer read, an entrepreneur’s growth spurt, or a year-long compilation from 2 years ago, TED Reading Lists still have access to its extensive list of recommended reads by some of the leading experts in various fields.
TED Reading Lists are great for any type of reader. Whether you’re just beginning as a reader, an avid learner, or reading for fun, TED will have a list that is geared towards your interests.
TED Reading Lists are also more focused than a lot of the predecessors on this list. While there are more list to choose from, TED Reading Lists also narrows in on each topic more so than others. If you are looking for entrepreneurial books for women, they have that list, which will be more tailored to that niche than some of the entrepreneurs picks on this list.
Of course there are many other reading lists that can be beneficial to entrepreneurs but here are a few of my favorite reading lists that many others and myself look forward towards every rendition.
Do you know of any entrepreneurial reading lists that aren’t on this list? Let me know with a link in the comments! I’ll be sure to look into the different suggestions.
