Transcription
Fifteen Business Books Everyone Should Read
Welcome to a lox.com, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired. Hello, A Lexers! If there's one video you've been asking us every single week to make, it's this one. Initially, we wanted it to be a top ten where we ranked the best of the best in business books. But to be completely honest, what book works for some of you would be terrible advice for others. That's why we decided to list 15 books that we read when we were all at the beginning of our journey and that we found valuable. It's not a top 10; it's a list of books that we think have nuggets of gold within their pages. If you're looking to expand your library, these are a great place to start. We believe that depending on what points you're at in your journey, you should adjust your reading material so you increase your chances of moving forward with your current projects. The following list covers a wide range of ways of thinking about life and business, so make sure you pick the ones that would have the biggest impact on your life right now. We'll link to all the books mentioned in this video in the description so you can purchase them on Amazon if you wish. If you're new here, welcome! Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram at @alux.
With that said, here are 15 business books everyone should read.
Number one: Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich. When to read: When you've just finished high school and want to expand your horizons. This book is basically the pillar on which all other business books were built. While the book's title and much of the text concerns increased income, the author insists that the philosophy taught in the book can help people succeed in any line of work, to do and be anything they can imagine. Napoleon Hill was the protégé of Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest people to ever live. This masterpiece of a book is the result of 20 years of study of many individuals who had amassed personal fortunes and what common traits they share. Perfectly structured, don't be put off by the fact that this is an older book. If you haven't read it, do it.
Number two: The Secret. When to read: When you've never read a business book in your life but feel you want to be successful. It's likely we're going to get a bit of backlash for including this book here because we never shied away from saying that positive thinking is not enough, and we still stand by that. But if you're just getting started, you've decided to follow your passion, and you're just starting to read self-help books, The Secret is the perfect place to begin. They focus exclusively on mindset, and if you're not able to get your mindset right, there's no need for you to study advanced strategies or business models. Read the book or watch the video, apply it, and see what happens.
Number three: Rich Dad Poor Dad. When to read: When you're ready to start your financial journey. Whenever someone asks us, "Where do I start?" we always give them a copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This is the first book that we read which truly made an impact on the way we look at life and what it means to achieve financial freedom. It teaches the importance of cash flow and is the perfect place to start understanding the difference between assets and liabilities. The entire business community seems to agree that it's one of the best business books ever written. We've covered Robert Kiyosaki in a dedicated video, which you can check out in the top right corner.
Number four: The Intelligent Investor. When to read: When you're thinking of investing in the stock market. The author, Benjamin Graham, was the mentor and main inspiration of Warren Buffett. You know him, the third richest person in the world right now. In The Intelligent Investor, Graham teaches the vital elements of value investing. If you want to go into the stock market, this is an essential book for you to read.
Number five: Money: Master the Game. When to read: When money starts coming in and you want to know what to do with it. Tony Robbins might just be the richest self-help coach in the world right now, and no matter how you feel about him, Money: Master the Game is an incredible book which we definitely recommend. If you are living in a developed country, the USA especially, you have to read this book. The book breaks down and simplifies the process of securing your financial future in a way everyone can understand. And the beauty is, the advice in it doesn't just come from Tony but from people who are at the pinnacle of wealth management, people like Ray Dalio, whom you never could have gotten access to otherwise. Tony is leveraging the connections he's built throughout his life to share the strategies of the super-wealthy. If you want to learn more about Tony Robbins, click or tap the card in the top right corner.
Number six: The 4-Hour Workweek. When to read: When you feel like you need a fresh new start because your life is passing you by. We love Tim Ferriss' book, especially because it has to do with how we built our own business model. The book tackles the idea of location independence, where you can travel the world, make a lot of money, and live your life to the fullest. It's one of those rare books that comes once in a while which dramatically redefines everything people have taught you. Becoming a millionaire was never easier than it is today, and The 4-Hour Workweek is definitely a great stepping stone in the right direction. A while back, we also did a video on Tim Ferriss. We'll link to that in the card on the top right.
Number seven: The Millionaire Fastlane. When to read: Immediately after you read The 4-Hour Workweek. This book by MJ DeMarco is less known than the rest, but we wanted to include it because it actively dismisses all the popular books. It goes hard and deep into every major book on this list, and the arguments are strong. It showcases his personal story, and this might be the right strategy for those who think, "Go big or go home." We definitely recommend checking it out.
Number eight: The Power of Habit. When to read: When you feel like you're procrastinating all the time. You know habits are what make or break us, right? Well, Charles Duhigg's book dives right into the science of how habits are created and how to alter them to your personal gain. The stories that Duhigg weaves together are all fascinating in their own right, but take on an added dimension when wedded to his exploration of habits. If you are struggling with bad habits and looking to acquire better ones, then this is the book for you.
Number nine: Atlas Shrugged. When to read: When you're on holiday and need something to keep your mind too busy. Oh, people are gonna be so mad we put Ayn Rand in here, but to be honest, the people who are going to get mad don't read as much anyway, so we don't care. This is Mark Cuban's favorite book. He says that in it, you'll find everything you need to know about how to be successful in life. Atlas Shrugged is not a business book; it's a science fiction romance mystery novel. It outlines Ayn Rand's groundbreaking philosophy on Objectivism. Get the book; you're either going to love it or hate it. There's not really much wiggle room in there.
Number ten: How to Win Friends and Influence People. When to read: When you feel that you're never taken seriously by others and don't know how to build real relations with anybody. This is another one of the classics. Dale Carnegie's masterpiece breaks down the fundamentals of how humans work and what it takes to make them like you. In it, you'll learn how to handle people, how to make them interested in you, how to bring them over to your way of thinking, how to change people without offending them, and how to be happier at home. It might sound like a lot, but this is one of those books that will apply to everyday life until the day robots finally take over.
Number eleven: The $100 Startup. When to read: When you want to start a business but you feel like you don't have enough money to do it. Would you look at that? Another book that you've probably never heard about or mentioned in our mainstream publications. This has to do with the establishment. Whenever one of the guys previously mentioned on the list drops a new book, they're all over it. It just so happens that most of them missed this gem. We wanted to include The $100 Startup on this list because it was fundamental in our beginning. The book looks at how you can establish a lucrative business without spending more than $100. There are so many businesses that have been quite successful without any serious seed money. This book is filled with case studies and gets right to the point.
Number twelve: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. When to read: When you feel that despite making a ton of money, you're not happy. Now that you already have your investments and your companies running and profitable, it's time to take a look at the later stages in business. In this book, Robin Sharma does a phenomenal job of translating why money doesn't bring happiness and what to do about it if you've already made it but you don't yet feel happy or at peace with your life. This is the book for you. If you're interested in learning more about Robin Sharma, there's a video on our channel. Click on the top right corner to get to it.
Number thirteen: E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It. When to read: If you're struggling with your first business. They say it's an instant classic. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy to adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed, and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it's a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital distinction between working on your business and working in your business.
Number fourteen: The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure. When to read: When your business is no longer growing. Grant Cardone is an interesting figure. We like his books because he usually cuts to the chase, and there are no fancy words, no secret strategies, just pure American Muscle. And by American Muscle, we mean sales. He's known for his ability to close down sales, an ability which got him to where he is today. The 10X Rule is the type of book that will make a lot of sense, but you might be reluctant to apply it because you're too lazy.
Number fifteen: Zero to One. When to read: When you're ready to disrupt an entire industry. Peter Thiel is the founder of PayPal and Palantir. If you haven't heard about one of those, you definitely heard about the other. He made billions in the new economy. This is a short book, so it's easy to go through it, but don't underestimate it. Its contents hit the targets in all the right spots and will make you think of the world differently. The book is based on a class he once taught at a master's program at Stanford University, a class which we are proud to say we took. It focuses on what the future holds, what the current state of the startup world is, and what industries are to be disrupted next.
We know there are a ton of other books we could have mentioned, so that's why we're going to do a part two for this video. Which books do you think we should include in the second part of this video? Let us know in the comments below. As for those of you still watching till the end, we've created a special forum where A Lexers discuss the things they've learned from books and from life. You can find it at a lox.com/question. If you ask us a question there, we promise we'll do our best to answer it directly. You're welcome. Thank you for spending some time with us, A Lexers. Make sure to LIKE and subscribe so you never miss another video. We also hand-picked these videos which we recommend you watch next. Thank you for being an A Lexer, and we'll see you back tomorrow.