There are a lot of books and articles talking about why & how of entrepreneurship including many bestsellers from real life experiences to strategies and case studies.
Here are my top 10 favorite list for any Budding entrepreneur ( not in any particular order).
Some of these are more relevant from Indian Perspective where I operate while others are relevant generically. A few of these books don’t have anything to do about entrepreneurship directly but offer some fantastic lessons which can be key to setting up and building a Business. Many of them are now famous movies too.
Book #1 – Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Richard Bach) – a book which makes the reader dream & explore the untested domains. a book that encourages you to find a purpose in life & then to strive to achieve perfection in that purpose. This is the story of a seagull who does not want to live just to eat. He loves flying and breaks all boundaries to become the best.
Book #2 – The Pursuit of Happyness (Chris Gardner) – real life rags to riches story of an individual. Showcases what sheer determination & perseverance can help you achieve.
Book #3 – Losing my Virginity (Richard Branson) – One of the original maverick. a fantastic account of how a dream gets shaped from a college publishing venture to music to airline and more. the tale of a person with steely determination & desire to succeed
Book #4 – Simply fly (Capt. Gopinath) – Every word, a lesson in the journey of a serial entrepreneur.From a farmer, to motorcycle dealer, from a politician to an aviation pioneer, this book will fill you with dreams and thoughts of being on your own.
Book #5 – Mahavakya on Leadership (Lt. Gen. Dr. M L Chibber) – a practical guide to value based leadership from a famous army veteran. Unveils the leadership principles for those who wish to lead & serve. This book discusses leadership in action by taking examples from lives of Mohandas Gandhi, Benjamin Franklin & Winston Churchill among others and even lays down a road map for teachers & parents to inculcate leadership qualities in children.
Book #6 – The High performance Entrepreneur (Subroto Bagchi) – a step by step do-it-yourself guide for anyone thinking of starting their own business. Subroto Bagchi’s other book ,The Professional, is an equally great book.
Book #7 – Mavericks at work (William C Taylor & Polly LaBarre) – an account of business leaders / entrepreneurs from around the world and how they are redefining their domains by being original .From banking for a cause to grassroot collaboration, open source to sharing values, every case study is like a fresh breath. Another book on same lines is Blue Ocean Strategy ( W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne).
Book #8 – Against all odds (A G Krishnamurthy) – instances from the life of Dhirubhai Ambani and how he fought against all odds and surmounted every obstacle to build a giant business empire.
Book #9 – Before you quit your job (Robert Kiyosaki) – From the writer of Rich Dad Poor Dad, a simple guide for every employee wanting to become an employer. some of Roberts messages could appear again & again in his books and his narrative too is repetitive in nature. This book still qualifies as one of the good reads.
Book #10 – Connect the Dots (Rashmi Bansal) – Success stories of common ordinary individuals who had the courage to see opportunity and the acumen to seize the moment.
Which are your favorite books that have made you think about being an entrepreneur ?