The best 57 Entrepreneurial Stories books

Despite being a billion-dollar company today, Amazon was built on humble beginnings in Jeff Bezos’ garage. From the get-go, Bezos was driven by the grand vision of creating an Everything Store – which has, in the meantime, virtually come true. Focusing equally on the company and its founder, this book shows how he turned his dream into a reality.

The Washington Post and Forbes both dubbed The Everything Store the best book of 2013. 

• Anyone interested in the history of the online megastore Amazon
• Anyone who wants to know what makes its founder, Jeff Bezos, different from the rest
• Anyone with a general interest in entrepreneurship 

Losing My Virginity is the internationally best-selling autobiography of self-made businessman Richard Branson. He details his lucrative adventures, beginning with dropping out of school, founding a record label and crossing the Atlantic ocean on a speedboat. In essence, the book is about how cleverness, determination and an adventurous mindset played a role in the making of one of the richest men on earth.

• Anyone interested in the life of Richard Branson
• Anyone interested in how Branson founded one of the most influential music labels, a transatlantic airline, and set several world records for ballooning and boating across oceans
• Anyone who wants to read an entertaining tale of how one man broke the rules of business but excelled at it nevertheless

Think Like Zuck takes an in-depth look at the five principles that made Facebook the successful company it is today. With plenty of insight into founder Mark Zuckerberg’s inspiring approach to leadership and examples from other top technology companies, the author creates a roadmap for success for any aspiring entrepreneur.

• Entrepreneurs and start-up pioneers
• Facebook fans
• Anyone who wants to gain insight into Facebook, and how Mark Zuckerberg thinks

Elon Musk (2015) gives us an insight into the brilliant and difficult character of today’s most innovative entrepreneur. Interwoven with details of his turbulent private life, these blinks reveal why Elon Musk is so determined to save the human race, how he’s worked towards this goal so far, as well as what’s on the horizon for potentially the richest and most powerful man of our future.

• Thinkers with crazy ideas (who need some support in getting them off the ground)
• Proponents of the aerospace, automotive and solar industries
• People curious about Elon Musk

The Smartest Guys in the Room (2003) tells the remarkable tale of energy trader Enron – once a poster child for market innovation on Wall Street – and its dramatic fall from stratospheric heights. These blinks detail a gripping story of financial deceit, while shedding light on the personalities that built Enron’s corporate culture and set it up for disaster.

• Anyone hoping to learn more about the cataclysmic downfall of Enron
• People interested in the widespread use of fraudulent business practices
• Any business leader, executive, CEO, analyst or accountant

Getting There (2015) provides inspiring portraits of successful entrepreneurs, artists, writers and CEOs who through hard work and perseverance pursued their true passions against all odds. This collection of first-person stories aims to show how you too can “get there” and live your dreams.

• Entrepreneurs starting their own business
• Young people deciding what to do with their future
• Anyone at the start of an ambitious project

The Airbnb Story (2017) tells the extraordinary tale behind the rise of Airbnb. These blinks describe how, within about a decade, three recent college graduates went from being behind on their rent to developing the most popular vacation accommodation platform in history.

• Tech whizzes with a breakthrough business idea  
• Investors interested in the start-up world
• Avid travelers

Founders at Work (2007) is a revealing look at what went on in the early days of over 30 influential US startups. In their own words, the founders of landmark companies such as Hotmail and Blogger.com tell their stories about the many ups and downs and twists and turns it took to make their ideas a reality. They also share the lessons they learned and the insight they’ve gained looking back on the trials and tribulations of those chaotic early days.

• Entrepreneurs and aspiring inventors
• Business students
• Anyone looking for inspiration

To Pixar and Beyond (2016) tells the story of how Lawrence Levy and Steve Jobs turned an unknown and struggling computer imaging company – Pixar – into an animation studio worth billions of dollars. Along the way, the company faced numerous internal and external challenges, tackling each with creative and strategic decisions that ultimately led to its success.

• Leaders of organizations or start-ups
• Animation fans inspired by Pixar’s work
• Entertainment buffs interested in the business side of things

No Rules Rules (2020) sets out the principles of Netflix’s unique company culture, based on employee freedom and responsibility, and optimized for maximum innovation. In doing so, it charts the incredible journey of Netflix, a start-up fairytale.

• Anyone who works at a start-up
• Fans of the film The Social Network
• Those who are wary of Silicon Valley’s increasing dominance

Resilient (2021) is an intimate account of entrepreneur Sevetri Wilson’s journey from self-funding her first company to securing ongoing capital for her second. It provides early-stage founders insight into every step of building a business – from initial concept to securing the finances needed to scale.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• Innovators looking to turn their ideas into marketable solutions
• Startup founders who need to raise capital

Liftoff (2021) tells the story of SpaceX’s beginnings – from the day that Elon Musk resolved to send rockets to Mars, through the first failed launch attempts on the tropical island of Omelek, to the make-or-break fourth flight. From a scrappy new venture to the world-renowned rocket company we know today, Liftoff has the inside scoop on SpaceX.

• Fans of SpaceX and Elon Musk
• Tech enthusiasts and budding aerospace engineers
• Would-be space explorers

Choose Possibility (2021) provides a roadmap to building the smarts and courage it takes to become a master of risk. Drawn from tech leader Sukhinder Singh Cassidy’s winding path through business, it debunks the myth that risk is all about singular, life-altering choices. Instead, it shows how risk-taking is a process, a practice and a skill that can unlock your professional potential.

• Entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors
• People daunted by the unknowns of their work life 
• Anyone who fears they’ve been too timid or reckless in taking professional risks

The Innovation Stack (2020) explores what it takes to be a true entrepreneur – that is, to find a problem no one else has solved, and do everything you can to solve it. It reveals how two friends built a billion-dollar financial-services company from the ground up through courage, ingenuity, and a touch of humor. 

• Would-be entrepreneurs looking to build their first company
• Established entrepreneurs seeking fresh inspiration
• Anyone interested in the evolution of a multibillion-dollar company

The Common Path to Uncommon Success (2021) arms you with the tools to create valuable content and turn it into financial independence. Drawing on more than 3,000 interviews with successful entrepreneurs, it lays bare the path to transforming your big idea into a profitable business.

• Entrepreneurs looking to make their big idea a reality
• Career professionals seeking an escape from the daily grind
• Content creators eager to up their game

The Cult of We (2021) tells the story of how the office-space company WeWork became the world’s most valued startup – only to come crashing down a few years later. Written by the reporters who broke the story of WeWork’s disastrous downfall in 2019, it explores WeWork's trajectory through a journalistic and financial lens, demonstrating how the most prominent investors in the world were blinded to the company’s risks for nearly a decade.

• People interested in economics
• Startup and entrepreneurship enthusiasts
• Anyone curious about startup financing

Scale for Success (2021) is a guide to turning your small business into a far bigger and more successful enterprise than it is today. From crowdfunding to job descriptions, it covers the ins and outs – and highs and lows – of scaling up any firm.

• Entrepreneurs trying to break into the big league
• Anyone working at a small business or early-stage start-up
• Veteran businesspeople interested in mentoring small business owners

The Contrarian (2021) is a biography of controversial venture capitalist, tech investor, and PayPal founder Peter Thiel. It explains how Thiel’s politics have informed his career – and how he became one of the most powerful people in the US.

• People looking for gossip on Silicon Valley
• US politics junkies
• Those interested in the intersection of tech and power

Masters of Scale (2021) is part fascinating anecdote, part how-to guide for entrepreneurs who are preparing to launch their product or scale up their company. With case studies and stories behind some of the world’s biggest companies, it isolates the principles behind successfully scaling up.

• Serial entrepreneurs
• Investors looking to scale a startup
• Executives seeking to grow their companies

Power Play (2021) tells the story of Tesla’s rise from overambitious start-up to one of the most valuable players in the global auto industry. It charts the company’s rapid rise, its operational and financial struggles, and the leadership of its volatile CEO, Elon Musk.

• People interested in tech start-up history
• Auto industry and car aficionados
• Entrepreneurs interested in tech innovation

Everybody Has a Podcast (2021) is an inspiring, hands-on guide to making your own podcast. From choosing a topic to building an audience, podcasting doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even if you’re short on cash and not particularly tech-savvy, you can create something great with a bit of tenacity and persistence.

• Anyone who harbors a secret desire to make their own podcast
• Die-hard fans of the McElroy family
• Would-be podcast hosts who are short on skills and money

The Cold Start Problem (2021) explains what network effects are, how they work in practice, while illustrating them with real-world examples, from companies like Zoom, Airbnb and Uber. From getting tech companies off the ground in the 21st century, to the population dynamics of meerkats, The Cold Start Problem is an in-depth look at the way networks develop and interact with each other.

• Startup leaders looking for rapid growth 
• Established CEOs looking to reawaken sluggish companies
• Anyone interested in network dynamics

Super Founders (2021) offers an in-depth analysis behind the success of billion-dollar startups. After crunching over 30,000 data points, it unravels the multitude of false notions surrounding tech unicorns and reveals what it really takes to make it in Silicon Valley. 

• Investors seeking to sharpen their eye for opportunities
• Entrepreneurs looking for actionable advice
• Startup veterans hoping to learn from their mistakes

Disrupt You! (2015) is an entrepreneur’s guide to driving innovation and impact. It draws on some of the biggest success stories in business and offers actionable tips for solving real-world problems and finding opportunity in failure. 

• Entrepreneurs seeking to drive disruption
• Optimists who want to find opportunity in failure
• Anyone who looks at successful start-ups and asks, “What’s their secret?”

Working Backwards (2021) tells the story of how Amazon changed the way people live. It explores founder Jeff Bezos’ leadership philosophy, and reveals how this philosophy has informed Amazon’s most iconic products and services. 

• Executive coaches looking for fresh insights
• Entrepreneurs hoping to turbo-charge their business
• Managers wanting to boost their teams’ performance

Build (2022) is a self-styled “mentor in a box” –⁠ an encyclopedia of business advice about everything from getting a job and managing a team to telling a story around your product and being a successful CEO. A mentor is an absolute must-have for anyone who aspires to start and run a business –⁠ but not everyone has one available right away. That’s what Build is for.

• New graduates who aspire to found their own businesses
• CEOs thinking about quitting and starting something new
• Anyone who wants to see their idea for a product, service, or company come to fruition

Make No Small Plans (2022) is the inside story of how a group of young entrepreneurs created one of the world’s most exciting platforms for global events and conferences – the Summit Series. This isn’t just a chance for them to recount their company’s history, though. Packed with actionable takeaways and business wisdom, this is a book designed to inspire readers on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

• Recent graduates unsure which path they should follow
• Entrepreneurs and self-starters looking for inspiration
• Anyone interested in building better business relationships

The Perfect Day to Boss Up (2021) is a swaggering, no-nonsense road map to becoming the CEO of your life. Drawing on hip-hop icon Rick Ross’s life, it divulges behind-the-scenes stories, advice, and mindsets that’ll guide you on your own path to success.

• Dreamers seeking straight-talking inspiration, insight, and intel on achieving success
• Fans of the song “Hustlin’” who’re curious how the Boss’s hustle plays out in real life 
• Go-getters seeking an alternative to cookie-cutter self-improvement manuals

Build for Tomorrow (2022) is an action plan detailing how to navigate the four phases of change: Panic, Adaptation, New Normal, and Wouldn't Go Back. It details stories of dramatic changes in the past that brought us the things we enjoy today, as well as lessons learned from various entrepreneurs who lived through monumental changes and emerged successful.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurial giants looking to innovate
• Anyone facing a scary change

The Journey Beyond Fear (2021) is a guide to overcoming fear and reaching your full potential. During his 40-year career in Silicon Valley, Hagel has identified three practical tools that anyone can benefit from. Here, he explains exactly how to use them, so you can make the most of exciting new opportunities in your professional and personal life.

• Business people looking for motivation, inspiration or direction
• People who want to overcome fear to achieve their full potential
• Anyone interested in the opportunities offered by learning platforms

No Red Lights (2022) is part-autobiography, part-guidebook to assembling the core fundamentals of your career. Geared primarily toward aspiring venture capitalists but helpful for anyone interested in business, it’s packed with instructive lessons and useful advice. Simultaneously, it is a glimpse into the life of man who’s spent 50 years learning –⁠ and living –⁠ the tricks of the trade.

• Aspiring venture capitalists and other businesspeople
• Business students in search of tried-and-true advice
• Memoir and autobiography fans

Unprepared to Entrepreneur (2021) is a frank, lively guide to starting a business for those who fear they don’t have the requisite knowledge, worry they’ll fail, or aren’t sure how to begin. Packed with practical tips and personal anecdotes, it shows you that to be successful in the business world, you don’t need a perfect plan or an expensive degree. You just need a vision, the motivation –⁠ or madness –⁠ to make it happen, and the resilience to always get back up on your feet.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs who identify as women or minorities
• Young people wondering what it takes to run a business
• Anyone struggling with imposter syndrome

Burn Rate (2022) is the no-holds-barred story of Andy Dunn, cofounder of menswear startup Bonobos, and his struggles with bipolar disorder. Long in denial about his diagnosis, Dunn eventually faced up to the condition – but not before it had nearly cost him everything.

• People interested in mental health
• Startup aficionados
• Memoir lovers

Power Failure (2022) details the rise and fall of General Electric – once a great success story of international business.  But its legacy went badly awry, as even casual consumers of business news will remember. Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon (2022) gives a startlingly detailed account inside the behemoth corporation, examining what went right – and then wrong.

• Anyone interested in the inside workings of business
• Leaders who want to learn from the experience of CEOs going through difficult times 
• Employees who want to better understand the forces at play inside the companies that dictate their future

The Direct to Consumer Playbook (2022) takes a look at how some of the world’s top e-commerce brands got to where they are today. Through a series of inspiring interviews with DTC founders, you’ll discover stories of both failure and success – and be much better placed to build your own DTC company.

• Entrepreneurs looking for tips on how to build their own DTC business
• Founders in need of inspiration on how to move forward
• Anyone interested in how DTC brands sell their products

Confidence Man (2022) is a full account of Trump’s life in the spotlight. It tracks his career from early New York real estate deals to his tumultuous tenure in the White House. It shows how his aggressive personality was molded early on and only intensified as the stage grew bigger.

• Politics junkies
• People interested in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol
• Anyone interested in the unique life of Donald J. Trump

Unfiltered (2022) blends a practical business handbook with Rachel Pedersen’s inspirational journey from a single-mom on welfare to the CEO of two multi-million dollar companies. Using the challenges she’s faced and the lessons she’s learned along the way, Pedersen gives aspiring entrepreneurs the tools to start and grow their dream business on their own terms.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• Business owners looking to grow
• Anyone in need of an inspirational story

When the Heavens Went on Sale (2023) is a trip into the wild new Space Age sparked by Elon Musk and accelerated by like-minded space geniuses. Buckle up for a mind-blowing journey through space tech innovation and the future of humanity.

• Aspiring cosmic entrepreneurs 
• Rocket mavericks
• Researchers of space governance

Third Shift Entrepreneur (2021) offers an effective mindset and strategies for starting or growing your business – without having to quit your day job. It weaves key observations throughout a fictional narrative about a group of entrepreneurs, then breaks out these points for closer examination with examples from real-world startup scenarios.

• Anyone interested in starting a side hustle
• People struggling to launch their business 
• Small business owners looking to take their company to the next level

The 7 Powers (2016) is about the strategic positions that have won great success for many companies and brought great failure to others. It gives case studies for each power as well as insights into why these powers did or didn’t work.

• Entrepreneurs
• The Executive Suite
• Business Students

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (1923) looks at the life and trading strategies of Jesse Livermore, a professional stock and commodities trader, through the pseudonymous character of Larry Livingston. It explores the psychological challenges and strategic complexities of trading, offering timeless insights into market behavior and the discipline required for success in the financial world.

• Aspiring traders seeking market wisdom
• Investors interested in trading history
• Business students applying real-world trading

Play Nice But Win (2021) takes you into the thrilling world of tech entrepreneurship, offering a front-row seat to a saga of innovation, resilience, and reinvention. From humble beginnings to industry-shaping breakthroughs, you'll uncover invaluable lessons within the rollercoaster journey of one of technology's biggest disruptors. It's a riveting exploration that strikes the perfect balance between playing nice and winning big in business, and in life.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts
• Business students and academics
• Tech industry professionals and corporate leaders

Happy Sexy Millionaire (2021) is part unfiltered memoir, part practical guide, and part desperate plea to today’s connected generation. Challenging pervasive narratives around what we “should” be chasing, it posits that fulfillment, genuine relationships, and intrinsic success are the true markers of a life well lived, and offers a range of strategies to get you on your way. 

• Those feeling they may be chasing the wrong things 
• Entrepreneurs carving out their own definition of “success” 
• Individuals interested in self-discovery and personal development

The Heart of Business (2021) recounts how former Best Buy CEO, Hubert Joly, led the electronics retailer to a remarkable turnaround by building a people-centric culture focused on a higher purpose. It provides a roadmap for value-driven leadership that engages employees, serves customers, and creates sustainable value for all stakeholders.

• Leaders seeking purpose-driven business approaches
• Struggling business owners or entrepreneurs seeking transformation
• Students of modern management principles

Going Infinite (2023) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the scandal surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried and the epic collapse of his cryptocurrency companies. It aims to answer the question: How can a man go from earning billions of dollars in a matter of years to losing it all in a matter of months?

• News junkies interested in current financial events
• Anyone who likes a good rise-and-fall story
• People curious about the Sam Bankman-Fried trial

The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived (2023) narrates the remarkable journey of Thomas Watson Jr., the visionary leader of IBM who shook up the worlds of technology and business in the mid-twentieth century. Delving into his decision to develop the IBM System 360, a pioneering mainframe computer, it shows us how Watson’s IBM laid the foundations for today’s digital age. But this book isn’t only a study of business strategy – it’s also a fascinating portrait of a complex man and his equally complex relationship with his domineering father.

• Fans of business history and corporate leadership stories
• Admirers of IBM and tech industry evolution
• Readers interested in personal transformation and family dynamics

I Am Ozzy (2009) is the story of how a working-class kid from Aston ended up redefining rock music – and lived to talk about it. It charts a life of chaos, excess, and dark humour, from factory floors and prison cells to fame, infamy, and near-death experiences. It’s raw, unfiltered, and delivered with all the madness and mischief that became Ozzy’s trademark.

• Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne fans both new and old
• Readers interested in music industry memoirs
• Fans of comeback stories and personal survival

Elon Musk (2023) chronicles the life and work of one of the most influential tech entrepreneurs of the twenty-first century. Covering Musk’s ambitious ventures in electric cars, space exploration, and renewable energy, it provides a rare detailed look into Musk’s unique approach to innovation, as well as the private and professional challenges he’s faced along the way.

• Entrepreneurs and startup founders seeking inspiration
• Students of technology and innovation management
• Fans of Tesla, SpaceX, and Elon Musk

Extremely Hardcore (2024) offers a behind-the-scenes look into a pivotal moment in tech history: Elon Musk's high-stakes takeover of Twitter. It offers insights into his unorthodox management style and the profound effects it had on the company and its workforce.

• Anyone interested in a Silicon Valley exposé 
• People curious about Elon Musk
• Former Twitter users wondering what happened to their platform

Buoyant (2023) is a guide for entrepreneurs and creators to overcome burnout and self-doubt by embracing creativity, curiosity, and self-trust as foundational practices for success. The book introduces art-focused tools and strategies to reconnect with one’s unique vision, voice, and genius, fostering authentic self-expression and innovation.

• Entrepreneurs ready to overcome burnout and unlock creativity
• Leaders ready to embrace authenticity and inspiration
• Perfectionists ready to open up to experimentation and play

Source Code (2025) takes you inside Bill Gates’s journey – from writing his first lines of code to the high-stakes battle to keep Microsoft afloat. Packed with ambition and innovation, this memoir offers a rare glimpse into the defining moments that shaped both Gates and the future of technology.

• Tech enthusiasts and programmers
• Entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Fans of biographies and memoirs

Pioneers (2025) explores how immigrant entrepreneurs build enduring, purpose-driven businesses by turning cultural displacement into a source of strategic advantage. It distills this approach into eight guiding principles that emphasize resilience, integrity, and community impact. Drawing on personal stories and case studies, it offers a roadmap for creating value that lasts across generations.

• Immigrants and first-generation professionals navigating identity and ambition
• Non-immigrant entrepreneurs looking for unconventional wisdom 
• Anyone seeking sustainable growth for their venture or side hustle

Shoveling $h!t (2025) is an honest look at the realities of being an entrepreneur. Too many entrepreneurs walk into the business world, not realizing it involves a lot more shit-shoveling and less champagne-popping than social media would have them think. Fortunately, you can go in prepared thanks to these lessons from high-growth founders who’ve just about seen it all. 

• New entrepreneurs or people fantasizing about becoming one
• Risk-taking investors who want to fund entrepreneurial dreams
• Anyone fascinated by the “backstage” of the business world

How to Make a Few Billion Dollars (2024) is a playbook for spotting mega-trends, building super-teams, and executing bold roll-ups that turn companies into high-velocity engines of shareholder value. It invites readers to rewire their thinking, harness failure, and cultivate a culture where talented people can flourish. 

• Aspiring entrepreneurs 
• Corporate leaders focused on scaling and culture-building 
• Investors interested in roll-ups and mega-trend opportunities 

The Fax Club Experiment (2025) begins with a simple question: What happens when a hundred strangers slow down, stay anonymous, and answer one deep question a week for a year? It’s a quiet rebellion against noise – a story about curiosity, courage, and rediscovering what it means to truly connect. If you’ve ever craved real conversation in a world of constant chatter, this is the experiment you’ll wish you’d joined.

• Creative professionals
• Fans of social experiments
• Seekers of slower living

Future Forward (2019) chronicles Patrick McGovern’s five-decade journey building International Data Group from a one-person research shop into a $3 billion global technology media empire. It reveals ten leadership lessons McGovern used to create publications in nearly 100 countries while maintaining extraordinary employee loyalty and editorial integrity.

• Business leaders building decentralized global organizations
• Entrepreneurs seeking sustainable growth and a strong workplace culture
• Managers balancing team autonomy with financial accountability

Muskism (2026) offers an in-depth analysis of the many facets of “Muskism” – the worldview represented by Elon Musk. It traces Musk’s trajectory from apartheid South Africa all the way to the government of the United States, covering SpaceX, Tesla, Grok, and other ventures, showing how they’ve contributed to forming the man we see today.

• Fans or foes of Elon Musk
• Students of society and its evolution over time
• Budding entrepreneurs looking for insights into the world’s richest man