

Ask YC: Business books actually worth reading? - neilc

I'm curious if fellow YCers can recommend business books that they found were worth reading (whether focused on startups/entrepreneurship or more broadly).<p>Given the vast swamp of business literature out there, it is hard to tell the signal from the noise (and it is definitely mostly noise).
======
davidw
The ones that I have rated highly here:

<http://www.squeezedbooks.com>

The problem is that there are many that are good books by smart guys with good
ideas - just that the ideas are really something that could be summed up in a
few pages.

I would second the recommendation for 'Growing a Business' and 'Founders at
Work', which is impossible to really summarize because it's full of
interviews.

------
Wump
Life Entrepreneurs (Christopher Gergen, Gregg Vanourek)-- the title sounds
gimmicky, but the content is excellent and gets you thinking about how to
create the life you want, not just the business you want.

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur (Mike Michalowicz) -- solid, practical advice.
Goes beyond the usual business-book cliches.

------
neilc
To get the list started, "Founders at Work" was outstanding -- by far the best
business book I've read.

Guy Kawasaki's "The Art of the Start" was okay, but it was too superficial /
trite for my taste.

------
tjr
"Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi David Lapin. One of my favorites.

"Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. Yeah, really. Both this book and the
author have been the recipient of a good amount of criticism, but this book
help me a lot to increase my thinking beyond a 9-5 job as the primary way of
making money. That said, the book is more inspirational and vague than a
concrete plan on how to do anything in particular.

------
david927
"Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore

"Classic Drucker", edited works of Peter Drucker

------
sghanizada
How to Win Friends and Influence People -Dale Carnegie, definitally one of my
top 10

------
dawie
Hackers and Painters Go It Alone How to get Rich - Dennis Felix

------
zacman85
Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

------
Mz
Books by Paul Hawken, like "Growing a Business"

[http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Business-Paul-
Hawken/dp/067167...](http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Business-Paul-
Hawken/dp/0671671642)

