There are so many great books to read – some that will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, spawn a Hollywood movie, or simply take you to a new world of imagination.
For me personally, books like Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – a memoir by the creator of Nike – have instilled creativity and a never-give-up mentality that fuels me whenever I take on a new business venture. I’ve learned that The Subtle Art of Not Giving F*ck is the most honest book I've read in a while and that my imaginations come to life with books like The Hobbit.
Below is a list of books I enjoyed reading and re-reading. This list includes genres from novels, to tell-alls, to feminist manifestos, books about business, and spirituality .
1. Becoming by Michelle Obama.
Written by the forever loved 44th FLOTUS, this book addresses Michelle Obama’s life until election year 2016. The reason why I love it, though, has less to do with her being Michelle Obama and more to do about how her life and upbringing was nothing special compared to the rest of us. She talks about real life struggles including marital problems, student loans, and infertility. Becoming is a book I would gift to any young woman to assure her that anything is possible in this world.
2. Educated by Tara Westover.
From talking to others who have read this book, I have learned that its contents may be somewhat controversial. To me, the book is a true story about abusers and enablers. When one has been raised ignorant to the truth of the world, the fact of the matter gets distorted through the narratives imposed by others. Throughout the book, Westover talks about her extreme upbringing that forces her curiosity of the world and liberates her from the invisible chains that have been holding her back throughout her life.
3. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.
This book sums up what it feels to live in an imperfect world. It is a non-fiction book that challenges your thinking of all the imperfections in this world through the retelling of David and Goliath’s story by giving you the perspective that wasn't been introduced in the Bible. It is an absolutely gorgeous story telling and I recommend reading this book 100%.
4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
This is a magical story of a young Andalusian shepherd boy who takes on a journey in search of a treasure. Through time and his experiences, the boy learns to listen more to his heart. The main message in this story is to follow our dreams. The book emphasizes that by doing so, we are lead to what our hearts desire the most. It is a great read to stay grounded, inspired, and positive while on an entrepreneurial journey, finding love, achieving success, and more.
5. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
If you are like me and want to learn about investing every chance you get, this is a great beginner book that discusses the measures Robert Kiyosaki – a real estate mogul, business man and author – took to earn his multimillion-dollar status as an entrepreneur and investor. This was the first book I read when I was serious about getting my finances in order and it was really helpful for me.
6. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer.
This is one of my favorite books as it relates to being mindful of our thoughts and the roles they play in our day to day lives. This book discusses your relationship with your thoughts, emotions and how they play a role in how you perceive the world around you.
7. Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance.
Elon Musk has got to be one of my favorite humans and this book highlights his life from his childhood to his genius creations from Zip2, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity. It captures his personal life (family and friends), and his dramatic technical innovations.
8. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.
As a woman in a male dominated field, I relate to this book and its contents so much. Delivering it in an honest and funny way, Sandberg talks about her experience as a C-suite executive and the types of leadership styles she has observed, especially from men and how they can be improved.
9. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.
I don’t know if I have met any millennial who didn’t grow up reading the Harry Potter books. Understandably, the imaginative story telling is really not for everyone. The books aren’t super complicated either, and the story is pretty standard given that it’s about an orphan white boy who turned out to be the hero. But, for someone who applauds imagination, and quite frankly, long reads, I think this is a great book to introduce to your kids, nephews or nieces when they hit 9 or get close to attending middle school.
10. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
I first learned about Eckhart Tolle when he came on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday podcast talking about his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. Eckhart Tolle is known as being one of the greatest ultra-spiritual thinkers of our time and his book, The Power of Now presents the importance of living in the moment and avoiding noisy thoughts about the past or future. These concepts are written in 11 Chapters each written in a Q&A format. It’s a remarkable read for those who are seeking or on their way to spiritual growth.
11. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.
I would bet that anyone reading this blog post owns at least one product from Nike. But, do you know the story of Nike and how it became a household staple? Written by Phil Knight himself, this book takes you on the journey starting from Nike’s birth in 19674 to how it became a publicly owned multi-billion-dollar company today.
12. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
Despite the age of this book, I would argue that the underlying lessons it contains to be highly relevant today. This book contains lessons on developing concrete plans to acquire wealth, cultivating a desire to the point where it becomes an obsession in order to be successful in your endeavors, being able to make decisions quickly as a trait of someone who is a high achiever, and last but not least, how material success does not come as a result of knowledge acquisition, but rather from one’s ability to transform that knowledge to a product or service.
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