I’m always asked about book recommendations, since I absolutely love reading. I’m what you may call a sucker for books, especially books on business and productivity. Indeed, while I plowed through 25 books in 2018, 80% of those volumes were business oriented.

All of the books on my “Five [5] Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2019” list are books that I’ve read more than once and have been heavily influenced by in some way. Whether it’s running my digital marketing company for nearly a decade or creating a lifestyle business that generates passive revenue, these books have helped me get there.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, I know you’re busy and time is valuable, so I’m limiting the list to what I truly believe are the top five books every entrepreneur should read.

Without further ado, here’s my list of the top 5 books every entrepreneur should read in 2019.

If you prefer to watch this in video format, simply check out the video below!

5. The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker

What it’s Good For:

Understanding that just because something is done efficiently, it doesn’t make the task effective. This book helps all entrepreneurs—particularly those in leadership roles—prioritize what’s truly important in their business. The Effective Executive will help you manage your time, forgo unnecessary tasks, double down on your strengths, and dramatically increase your productivity in the workspace.

It’s a great book for those who want to maximize efficiency and to feel like a super human performer.

Favorite Quote or Passage:

“Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.”

“There is nothing quite so useless, as doing with great efficiency, something that should not be done at all.”

–Peter F. Drucker, The Effective Executive

4. Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb

What it’s Good For:

A fellow professional poker player recommended Fooled by Randomness to help me better analyze my results so I could make rational, effective decisions. While critical thinking is a necessary part of playing poker professionally, analytical thinking and the ability to separate noise from facts is an essential skill in business and life as well.

Whether you’re analyzing data to get feedback on your product offering or understanding which variables are yielding the highest impact on returns, Fooled by Randomness is an excellent, must read book for all aspiring entrepreneurs. Taleb also discusses the role of chance and luck in everyday life, which helps you get a grasp on business, success, and life.

Favorite Quote or Passage:

“A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in light of the information available until that point.”

“No matter how sophisticated our choices, how good we are at dominating the odds, randomness will have the last word.”

–Nassim Taleb, Fooled by Randomness

3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

What it’s Good For:

We all know that good business requires strong intrapersonal skills, and How to Win Friends and Influence People is by far the best book I’ve ever read on human relations. This timeless classic helps you manage, improve, and strengthen your existing and future relationships. Regardless of what business you’re in, this book is the perfect tool for learning the art of effective communication.

Favorite Quote or Passage:

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.”

–Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

2. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

What it’s Good For:

The E-Myth Revisited helps entrepreneurs to better understand themselves, their businesses, and—most importantly—their role in running their companies. It helps you avoid the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs face and how you can effectively manage, outsource, and run your company to achieve your life goals. This book should be mandatory reading for every entrepreneur and is another book that’s great to read before you start your business.

More than anything, The E-Myth Revisited helps empower entrepreneurs to work on their business instead of in their business.

Favorite Quote or Passage:

“The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is living fully and just existing.”

“If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business—you have a job.”

–Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited

1. The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

What it’s Good For:

The Four Hour Work Week makes you rethink the way your business runs and operates, enabling you to create your ideal lifestyle. It’s first on the list, because it’s the first book people should read before they conceptualize the idea of starting a business. At the age of 18, The Four Hour Work Week profoundly influenced my life, encouraging me to explore what I wanted out of my business and my life in general.

Because The Four Hour Work Week covers a wide array of subjects, you can read this book and skip other would be necessary works, such as The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch.

If you’re looking for the why to starting a business or help with understanding the big picture, this book is for you.

Favorite Quote or Passage:

“To enjoy life, you don’t need fancy nonsense, but you do need to control your time and realize that most things just aren’t as serious as you make them out to be.”

–Timothy Ferriss, The Four Hour Work Week

I hope you enjoyed the “Top 5 Business Books that Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2019.” Which title is your favorite?

What books would you add to the list?

Leave your thoughts in a comment below. I personally read every one.

Alec