The best books on self-development. What books really help in business?

13.10.2023

First of all, you can pay attention to the best publications that business literature offers. They will help you change your attitude towards money, business and people, but most importantly they contain great motivation, necessary for anyone who wants to become independent.

Robert Kiyosaki "Rich Dad Poor Dad"

This book first saw the world in 1997, but today it is considered the best financial guide in the world for people of all income levels. The book talks about how to generate and manage cash flows, invest and make a profit from it, as well as how to change your attitude towards money.

The businessman shares with readers his own secrets of how to get out of the vicious cycle inherent in the life of an employee, become independent and rich, and also raises the problem of the lack of financial education in schools using examples from his own life.

Nir Eyal "Buyer on the Hook"

In 2017, this book was included in the ranking of the best according to Forbes. It will be useful to private entrepreneurs, including beginners, designers and marketers. The best-selling book tells how to create products that create certain habits in customers and how this will help you build a business, without using aggressive marketing in your practice.

The author examines the principles of using various social networks, and also answers the question of why some products evoke consumer affection and others do not. It also provides practical guidance on interacting with clients and influencing their psychology.

Donald Trump "The Art of the Deal"

A remarkable book from 1987 reveals to readers the secrets of concluding some of the biggest real estate deals in New York City. Despite the autobiographical content and scale of the business described, many negotiation situations are comparable to typical problems for medium and small enterprises.

Useful material is presented with humor and actively motivates the reader to find new ideas for their business. The bestseller will be of interest not only to entrepreneurs, who will find in it many living examples of successful deals, but also to simply people interested in outstanding personalities of our time.

D. Knapp, B. Kowitz, D. Zeratsky “Sprint: how to develop and test a new product in just five days”

D. Knapp, B. Kowitz, D. Zeratsky

This unique book was released in 2017 and almost immediately became a bestseller. It's about an innovative method used by Google developers to quickly create and test products. It provides practical advice on how to make a high-quality project and at the same time spend no more than a week on the entire process.

The material will be of interest to both large companies and beginners. The methodology proposed by the authors has been used by many young companies, helping them survive and get on their feet in real business conditions.

Napoleon Hill "Think and Grow Rich"

If you're looking for the very best business books, this is one of the oldest and greatest in this category of literature. It was first released in 1937. The contents of the book incorporate the results of twenty years of research and analysis of the lives and careers of many successful businessmen and simply outstanding personalities. It reveals important secrets of developing your business, attracting and increasing capital.

The author of the famous book is a famous American journalist, writer and psychologist. In his comments, he explains that the proposed methodology for achieving success can be applied not only in business, but also in any other type of activity.

Carl Sewell "Customers for Life"

Published in 1990, this best-selling book is considered one of the best guides to customer interaction. According to the author, who built his own business and achieved success, the main condition for stability is the creation of a client base and its retention, thanks to a reconsideration of attitudes towards employees and service in general.

The book will be of interest to aspiring entrepreneurs and developing small businesses. It contains practical recommendations on marketing, personnel management and merchandising.

Mike Mikalovits "Startup without a budget"

This book was published in 2011. It is dedicated to how to start your own business without financial support and your own start-up capital. The author shares his experience of how to find ways out of seemingly insoluble situations and develop your business in any circumstances.

“Startup Without a Budget”, as well as another book by Mike Mikalovits, “The Pumpkin Method” are the best business books for beginners. On the other hand, they will be of interest not only to those who are just thinking about creating one, but also to businesses that have outgrown a startup, but want to retain the energy and inspiration inherent in the first stages of formation. The contents of the book are filled with inspiring motivation and many phrases that can easily become your motto in entrepreneurial activity.

Douglas McGregor "The Human Side of Enterprise"

First published in 1960, this book revolutionized the understanding of principles in personnel management. The author of the outstanding bestseller is a social psychologist and management guru, who based his theory on the fact that the participation of subordinates in decision making is one of the main factors of motivation to perform their duties better. In his book, he shares with the reader the secrets of how to motivate staff to be the best in their field.

The ideas and guidelines provided by McGregor are still successfully applied in practice both in large companies and in small businesses. This book is a must-read for all managers, as well as those planning to build a career in management and management.

Henry Ford "My Life, My Achievements"

The autobiographical book of a cult personality in the automotive industry is at the same time one of the best manuals on organizing work and motivating staff. The system of organizing production proposed by Ford, through the use of an assembly line, was named after him (Fordism) and is today used by most industrial enterprises in the world.

In his book, the author talks about the difficulties he had to overcome on the path of formation, about his negative attitude towards the influence of capital and the banking system, and about the desire to do high-quality work, despite receiving higher profits, which in turn brings him world fame and enormous wealth.

Published in 2017, this book addresses one of the main problems of modern business - proper personnel selection. The authors suggest that entrepreneurs and managers reconsider their attitude towards applicants and pay attention not to the track record, but to real qualities, which will allow companies not to waste time and money.

Unlike most business books, Who? has many practical tips and techniques that you can apply in your practice. All of them are based on the analysis of information obtained from interviews with the most successful businessmen, executives and top managers.

A selection of books for personal growth

If you are interested in psychology and personal growth, the best books that will help you on the path to self-improvement are the selection below. She will teach you how to change yourself and your attitude towards the world, reveal the secrets of the behavior and thinking of others and allow you to unlock your own potential.

Brian Tracy "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone"

The first publication of this book took place in 2014. It brought lightning fame to the author and was translated into several dozen languages. It tells how a person can change his life by leaving his comfort zone. Today it is recognized as the number one book on personal growth and self-development.

The author gives 21 methods on how to increase your own efficiency in any type of activity. This book will be of interest not only to entrepreneurs, but also to simply people who want to achieve more in life.

David Allen "Getting Things Done"

This book was first published in 2001, but today in bookstores you can find a revised and expanded edition, suitable for modern realities of life. The author talks about a unique method of self-organization using the GTD system or “getting things done.”

This book will primarily be useful to those who suffer from constant lack of time and continuous stress. It teaches planning and a positive outlook on life in general.

Eric Berne "Games People Play" People who play games"

This is one of the most famous books on personal growth. The author of this sensational bestseller is a famous psychologist whose work is devoted to human relationships. The material presented in the book will allow you to independently identify your own mistakes in communicating with other people, as well as get rid of stereotypes in behavior.

Despite the fact that the book is dedicated to psychoanalysis, it is written easily and with humor. You will also find in it many vivid examples of situations that you have encountered many times in your life. You can read this book at any age.

Jacob Teitelbaum "Forever Tired"

If you are interested in real practical advice from a doctor on how to overcome chronic fatigue, you should read this book. It is based on 37 years of research and recommendations for increasing vital energy, tested by the author from his own experience.

“Forever Tired” is one of a whole series of books by the author dedicated to health and getting rid of negative habits in life. It will be useful to people of different ages and occupations.

Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

The cult book, published in 1936, simply and concisely tells how to communicate with others and make a positive impression on the interlocutor in any situation. It will help you not only comprehend the basic rules of politeness and mutual respect, but also master the art of oratory.

The principles given by the author can be applied both in the business sphere and in everyday and family life, and therefore this book is recommended for study by everyone without exception. It is full of practical advice and effective recommendations, and most importantly, they are all relevant even today.

Brett Blumenthal "One Habit a Week"

A practical guide to changing yourself and your own habits in just one year. The author of the book suggests using the program of “small changes” he developed, which can have a significant impact on your life and worldview as a whole. The material is very easy to read and filled with positive motivation.

The main goal of the book is to teach the reader to better cope with life's difficulties, establish relationships with others, and also reveal their own intellectual and creative potential. It will be most useful to those who are taking their first steps in self-improvement.

Peter Kamp "Speed Reading"

This is one of the newest books on speed reading, first published in 2015. It represents a new approach to learning and allows you to work at your own comfortable pace. The book contains theories that are taught at the most progressive lectures and courses on speed reading.

The material will be useful to those who want to learn how to quickly perceive and remember large amounts of text information. Suitable for daily and non-systematic activities.

Greg McKeon "Essentialism"

This book is dedicated to the problems of setting priorities in our lives. The author tells the reader how to give up unnecessary obligations and stress in order to do only the things that are important to you, while getting better results. The book teaches you to be careful with your own time and fills you with self-confidence.

The proposed methodology is based on essentialism, which the author presents as a fundamentally new approach. It can be used in any area of your life. By putting these recommendations into practice, you will be able to put your affairs in order and focus on your main goals.

Daniel Kahneman "Think slow, decide fast"

This bestseller was written by a Nobel Prize laureate and is devoted to the problem of the relationship between human actions and thoughts. In his work, the author identifies two types of thinking - slow and fast, which a person subconsciously uses when solving various types of problems.

The material will be of interest to both managers and people interested in psychology. Having studied it, you will not learn to make decisions, but you will be able to understand how the thinking process occurs when making them, as well as how you can influence them from the outside, which will allow you to draw very interesting conclusions and conclusions for yourself.

Stephen Covey and his "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"

Another bestseller on popular psychology, included in the top ten books on personal development. After reading it, you will understand how to define and formulate a life goal for yourself, and most importantly, how to achieve the required result. The author does not offer a magical method of transformation in a short period; on the contrary, he emphasizes that it is not enough to just want to achieve a goal, you need to work hard on yourself. This book will be interesting to read both for professionals in the field of management and simply for people seeking to make the most of the potential inherent in nature.

Unfortunately, good literature from the business and personal growth category appears on store shelves quite rarely. Most of the material is a repetition of common truths, and sometimes just empty demagoguery that is not worth your attention. Therefore, when choosing the best books on business and self-development for yourself, you can also pay attention to other works of the authors listed in the TOP, whose reputation has been tested by time and their own success.

Books are our life. From them we learn not only stories of incredible love or travel together with the authors to mysterious places, but also gain knowledge. Our website contains the best online library of business books. Without registration, you can download free business literature in fb2, rtf, txt, epub, pdf formats, read online and buy the book you like.

If you want to dive into the world of money, finance, economics and analytics, then you need to read business books. Here you will find literature from foreign and domestic authors, ranked by popularity, which touch on a variety of topics, questions and problems and offer their solutions. Thanks to such information, you will be able to analyze your activities, highlight its strengths and weaknesses, and radically change the situation for the better.

Thanks to this literature you will be able to:

analyze the markets of your country and the whole world;
find the right direction for your business;
analyze activities, find problems and successfully deal with them;
find out how famous people of the world achieved success and got their fortunes;
study the psychology of communication. You will be able to understand people better, you will know what clients and partners want, and you will be able to successfully conduct presentations;
you can become more confident in yourself. Learn to influence people, capture their mood and desires. As a result, you will not only be a successful businessman, but also an excellent conversationalist who knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it.

Don't assume that creating your own business is easy. All you have to do is gather good people who will do the main work, and all you have to do is give orders and reap the rewards. In fact, there are a large number of pitfalls that every manager has to face sooner or later.

It is even more difficult to find the direction of development of your business and get around all the sharp corners that can harm your business. Literature from the best analysts and businessmen from all over the world about business analysis will help with this. You will be able to analyze your work, find ways to improve activities, products and services, draw up a business plan, identify problems and solve them with ease. Books about business analysis will help you answer many questions.

Business books will not only help you manage your company competently and promote its development, but will also allow you to get out of difficult situations correctly, know the secrets of business and use them effectively.

Even if you do not have your own company, but you want to become an excellent specialist in your field of activity, business literature will be extremely useful to you. Any job is not just about completing certain tasks and assignments, but also about communicating with superiors, colleagues, and companions. This requires knowledge in the field of business psychology. You will not only become an excellent conversationalist, but you will also be able to influence people's decisions, you will be confident in yourself, in your work, persuasive, and you will impress others as a serious and wise person who can be trusted.

Our online library contains only the best books on economics, business analysis, and business psychology. You will also find bestsellers from the world's best authors who have helped many people become more successful and smart in business.

The “Business Books” section contains the best and most interesting literature about business and modern approaches to it, about financiers, economists and analysts from all over the world who have become successful in their endeavors. We have selected a rating of books by popularity and you can download for free, read without registration or buy literature that has become very useful and interesting for readers all over the world.

Here you can download for free the best books on a business plan in formats convenient for you - fb2, rtf, txt, epub, pdf.

Recipes for wealth are always in demand, and motivational literature is one of the few types of creativity that bring profit to publishers. The problem is that in the wake of interest, a number of “dummies” appear - secondary literature that copies the ideas of the donor publication. The level of education in schools is high - anyone can write advice and pose as an expert. At the same time, bestsellers that are read by several generations of entrepreneurs appear once every 10 years.

Among the variety of literature on business, 7 books stand out, each of which is capable of turning a person’s consciousness around, turning him into a businessman - a designer of his own destiny. Reading books by successful people is interesting and informative if they give specific recommendations and bring you closer to your goal. The listed works were written at different times, but all are of interest to modern entrepreneurs.

1. Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich”

This Talmud for businessmen occupies one of the first places in terms of frequency of mention in specialized literature, although it was written in 1937. It is not an exaggeration to call it a kind of Bible of entrepreneurship, since it sets out the fundamental principles of doing business that are not outdated to this day.

The book appeared thanks to Robert Taylor, the owner of a specialized magazine. He ordered a series of articles from the young author about successful people of our time - interviews and interviews lasted 20 years. The book went through 42 editions in the United States and was translated into dozens of languages. The first Russian translation appeared only in 1993.

All of Hill's advice is considered axioms. “Think and Grow Rich” is an encyclopedia book, a donor book, written with talent and authenticity. 90% of modern business literature, in one way or another, repeat Hill’s 3 axioms in their own way:

Negative thoughts slow you down and destroy you.
A person sets his own boundaries.
If you wait for the right moment, it may not come.

What else can you learn from reading Napoleon Hill:

how to motivate yourself on the way to business heights
how to build teamwork
why find and read specialized literature
how to effectively use your mind and knowledge
what is the secret of success of rich people.

Important! As a journalist, Hill has studied the biographies and business stories of hundreds of successful entrepreneurs; Based on them, he derived a universal formula for success. It goes like this: our affairs are controlled by the power of thought.

2. Robert Kiyosaki “Rich Dad Poor Dad”

Kiyosaki, whose bestsellers invariably occupy the top lines of the ratings, was not at all the child of a poor man - his father, a Ph.D., served as Minister of Education. But the native of Hawaii learned financial literacy and positive thinking from the father of his schoolmate.

Kiyosaki is read by experienced businessmen and those who are far from entrepreneurship - the American’s works are incredibly popular all over the world. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” has sold 26 million copies. What important points did the author make that made his books popular?

“Because we are in the investment business, our book selections are related to investing (surprise?) and entrepreneurship. These books will be of greatest interest to budding entrepreneurs. After all, at the beginning of the journey, what is most interesting is motivating but realistic literature, which will allow you to give answers on how best to launch a business, how to deal with the first difficulties and how to continue working despite everything. It is only later, at the stage of company development, that you will need books like “how to manage a company” and “financial planning”. Many of the books are not entirely new, but they are definitely worth reading.”

under the cut - top 10 books for startupers according to Nikolai Lyakhovsky

1. And nerds do business.Maxim Kotin (oz.by)

And don't let the name fool you. The book is a kind of hymn to entrepreneurship. She tells the story of a young Russian businessman who, through his example, shows that business is perseverance, willpower and remarkable endurance. Moreover, the book is universal and will be suitable for both online and offline businesses - the systems work the same way: there is a product, and there is a client who needs this product. By the way, the ending is not like in all books of this genre: without a Ferrari and a mansion on some island. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to do business, and I am a supporter of the idea that any startup is first and foremost a business and nothing else.

2. Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur.Dermot Berkery (amazon.com)

A guide for people who plan to engage in venture investments and those who want to attract venture capital. Thanks to the book, you will be able to understand the logic of a venture investor and either attract financial resources to the company, or understand that you do not yet need them for development. The book is only in English - I have not seen the Russian version. The key phrase in the title is “serious entrepreneur”, i.e. The literature will be useful for those entrepreneurs who have already passed the stage of launching a company. If you are just creating a prototype and attracting business angel investments, this is still wasted time. But when the company starts earning money and showing good dynamics, be sure to read Comrade Berkery.

3. Durov code.The real story of VKontakte and its creator.Nikolay Kononov (oz.by)

It was impossible to ignore a book about a large and at the same time controversial Internet project in the CIS. It was interesting to find out what logic guides the person who was and remains at the head of the social network. As a result, we can take away the main idea of the book: when creating a social startup, attract as many beautiful girls as possible (in general, it seems to me that all areas where there are beautiful girls are simply doomed to success). Well, what is also obvious is that Pavel Durov (i.e. the totem) is a complex person, but he has his own point of view, which can be supported or not.

4. Life like a startup.Build a career according to the laws of Silicon Valley.Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha (oz.by)

The cover is beautiful, but the book does not contain any particularly valuable thoughts. The whole idea of the book can be expressed in one sentence: you need to “spin”, create opportunities and move from words to action as quickly as possible. Oh, yes, and, of course, LinkedIn will help with this like no one else.

5. Your own MBA. Self-education 100%.Josh Kaufman (oz.by)

A kind of MBA for dummies. The first few chapters can be intimidating, as the author goes too deep into stories about how cool he really is. But the further you read, the more intelligent the book becomes. Anyone who doesn't have the money or time to get an MBA is worth reading. It’s cheaper than listening to video lessons from domestic information businessmen on how to make a million (we all already understood that for this you need to become an information businessman and record the same lesson).

6. Atlas Shrugged.Ayn Rand Trilogy (oz.by)

Although the genre of fiction is a classic. The story itself, however, is somewhat hyperbolic, but at least it can captivate the plot. Therefore, when a crisis occurs in your startup, at work or in your personal life and you need to distract yourself, take the trilogy and you will quickly forget about your troubles and problems, and perhaps learn something useful. And again, a book about entrepreneurship - but I can’t help it, we really want there to be more and more smart entrepreneurs in the Republic of Belarus.

7. How to become a businessman.Oleg Tinkov (oz.by)

Tinkov is one of the most extravagant, but, nevertheless, one of the most talented entrepreneurs in Russia (he was not noticed in loans-for-shares auctions - although he may now regret it). In the book, he breaks down the main nuances of any business - from trade to manufacturing and banking (fortunately, his experience allows him to do this). How to choose your niche and what you should pay attention to, i.e. If you are already an existing entrepreneur, the book is unlikely to be useful. But for those who are just thinking about their own business, the book is worth reading.

8. Steve Jobs.Walter Isaacson (oz.by)

It's probably easier to find those who haven't read this book. What I learned for myself personally is that talented people are always very complex and although it is difficult to work with them, there is no escape. After all, it is precisely such people who achieve heights in life - be it politics, business or science. Therefore, learn to work with different people and we will be Zen for you.

9. Lean Startup (Business from scratch).Eric Rees (oz.by)

The book is very good. But again, the main idea can be expressed in a couple of sentences. Startups - don’t try to make the perfect product (it won’t work anyway). It’s better to release it first and raw than perfect, but no one needs it (who would have thought?!). And always test your startup idea on a minimally finished prototype. This will save you and the investor (we would really like it) money. Despite the fact that I have already talked about the main idea of the book, I strongly recommend reading it to those who are starting their own IT startup.

10. How to work 4 hours a week and not be stuck in the office “from bell to bell”, live anywhere and get rich. Timothy Ferris (oz.by)

Although the book contains many motivational moments so beloved by Western authors: go ahead and work, work. It also contains excellent tips on how, for example, to better plan your work, day and life. Moreover, the book provides specific examples of the author, and not a general theory on time management. It is suitable for future millionaires/billionaires. The beauty of the book is that it makes it clear that in order to taste all the joys of life, a million is not so necessary. You can also rent a Ferrari or Audi R8. So don't do a startup for the sake of money - do it for the soul (not really).

We present to you a selection of favorite business books by foreign and Russian businessmen. The wisdom and knowledge of these lines have inspired hundreds of successful people, who knows, maybe they will help you too? Think like a millionaire, act like a millionaire, read what a millionaire chooses!

One day Sergei Mikhailovich told reporters about two books that inspired him to achieve his accomplishments. This is an autobiographical book by Nobel laureate in quantum electrodynamics Richard Feynman“Of course you’re joking, Mr. Feynman!” and sci-fi novel "Avalanche" (Neal Stephenson), based on which it was createdvirtual universe Second Life.

One of the tycoon's favorite business books is The Rise of Money (Niall Ferguson), which tells the history of money from antiquity to the present day.

Bill Gates reads a book a week. Among his favorites are the story of a talented child from a wealthy family by Peter Buffett “Send Money to...”, a book about happiness “Awakening Joy” (James Baraz), a book with a telling title “Where Good Ideas Come From” (Stephen Johnson), discussions about American society "Shock Therapy" for "The American Dream" (Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum) and others. But the best book about business, according to him. "Business Adventures" (John Brooks) remains. These are 12 stories about the financial life of the United States.

Notes biography President of the United States “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House” (John Macham), a guide to working with creative individuals “Corporation of Geniuses. How to Manage a Team of Creative People" (Ed Catmull), the biography "Einstein: His Life and Universe" (Walter Isaacson) and others.

The book “The Power of Positive Thinking” (Norman Peele) has a place of honor in Trump’s library. According to the president, he believes in this strength and does not succumb to depression even in the most difficult times.

Like many successful businessmen, Fedor respects the success stories of great companies. These are “Made in America: How I Created Wal-Mart” (Sam Walton), “McDonald’s: How an Empire was Created” (Ray Kroc), (“Pour Your Heart into It.”"(Howard Schultz)

Among business books, Oleg Yuryevich especially highlights “Fundamentals of Marketing” (Philip Kotler), a book that shocked many residents of the post-USSR in the 90s. Next on the list -An ancient Chinese treatise on military strategy and politics, relevant at all times “The Art of War” (Sun Tzu),the story of the creator of Wal-Mart“Made in America” (Sam Walton), a book with the telling title “Think and Grow Rich” (Napoleon Hill), the history of the company “Sony. Made in Japan” (Akio Morita), “Losing My Virginity” and “Naked Business” (Richard Branson), the story of successes and failures “Rich Dad Poor Dad” (Robert Kiyosaki).

There is a list of books floating around the Internet that Roman Abramovich recommends. Alas, we were unable to verify its authenticity personally with Roman Arkadyevich - so take his word for it! But the list is good, that's a fact. Here is a prophecy about new technologies, “The Time of Recklessness” (Charles Handy), and a reference book for managers of all stripes, “Competitive Strategy. Methodology for analyzing industries and competitors” (Michael Porter), and the philosophical work of Viktor Vasiliev “White Book”, and interviews with top managers “First, break all the rules” (Marcus Buckingham, Kurt Coffman), and the book of the creator of management theory Peter Drucker “Encyclopedia management".

German Oskarovich is very sensitive to business literature. All top managers of Sberbank are required to read 12 books by foreign authors a year. Among the favorites is a book on personal growth “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” (Stephen Covey), stories about long-lived companies “From Good to Great” (Jim Collins), a bible of customer-oriented companies(Janelle Barlow, Klaus Möller), a book about the Toyota company “The Toyota Way” (Jeffrey Liker), a visual aid for managers “The Art of Effective Management” (Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan), an indispensable book about the art of simplifying “In Brief. Clear. Simple" (Alan Siegel, Irene Etzkorn) and others.

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