📕 BYB Book Recommendations 📕
👉 Come back to this page periodically to check for new additions to this list. I am a big reader and love to share what I have read.
👉 If you see this: 👢 - you can read my book review!
Book Recommendations By Topic
Click to jump to the section (below) on these topics.
Read this Disclaimer about the books listed on this page.
If you have a book recommendation or want to see a new category added to this list, send me a message or comment on this page and I’ll get on it!
Accounting, Bookkeeping, & Financial Management
📕 Accounting for Small Business Owners
Tycho Press
This brief guide covers essential topics such as setting up a business, managing sales, and performing month-end account balancing. It includes definitions of basic accounting terms, sample financial statements, and practical tips to simplify the accounting process, making it an invaluable resource for small business owners.
📕 Accounting Made Simple: Accounting Explained in 100 Pages or Less
Author: Mike Piper
This concise and beginner-friendly guide breaks down essential accounting concepts without unnecessary complexity. Perfect for new business owners, it covers financial statements, bookkeeping basics, and key principles to help you manage your business finances with confidence.
Delegation, Hiring, & People
📕 What CEOs Need To Know About Design: A business leader's guide to working with designers
Author: Audrey Crane
This brief and to-the-point guide provides business leaders with key insights on how to collaborate effectively with designers to drive innovation and success. It’s an essential guide for entrepreneurs looking to understand the strategic value of design in their business operations.
Growth, Optimization, & Pivoting
📕 The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
Author: Seth Godin
Learn how to differentiate between temporary setbacks worth pushing through and situations where quitting is the best decision. The book provides actionable insights to recognize when to persist and when to pivot for long-term success.
📕 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Author: Carol S. Dweck
👢 BYB Book Review
Adopting a growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—can lead to greater achievement and resilience. Dweck contrasts this with a fixed mindset, where individuals see their talents as innate and unchangeable, and provides strategies to cultivate a growth mindset for personal and professional growth.
📕 The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do
Author: Jeff Goins
👢 BYB Book Review
This amazing book guides readers through the journey of finding their true calling by reflecting on personal experiences and embracing life's unexpected events. Goins emphasizes that discovering one's purpose is a nonlinear process, encouraging readers to remain open to new opportunities and to view challenges as integral steps toward meaningful work.
Happiness
📕 The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50
Author: Jonathan Rauch
This eye-opening read explores the U-shaped trajectory of happiness, where satisfaction declines in midlife and rises again after age 50. Rauch combines personal stories and research to explain this phenomenon, offering insights and strategies to navigate midlife challenges and embrace the upward turn in later years.
Innovation & Disruption
📕 Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Author: Ed Catmull
Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, shares invaluable lessons on fostering creativity and managing innovation within a company. Drawing from his experiences at Pixar, Catmull offers insights on overcoming obstacles that hinder inspiration, making it an essential read for business owners looking to cultivate a culture of creativity and drive growth.
Inspiration, Self-Motivation, & Drive
📕 The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How To Be One
Author: Peter B. Kyne
This inspiring story highlights the importance of perseverance, determination, and a proactive mindset in achieving success. It’s a great read for business owners looking to cultivate a go-getter attitude in themselves and their teams.
📕 Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Author: Daniel H. Pink
👢 BYB Book Review
Explore the science behind motivation, revealing that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are the key drivers of high performance. It’s an insightful read for business owners looking to inspire and motivate their teams to achieve their best work.
Leadership & Management
📕 The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Author: John C. Maxwell
This business classic offers timeless principles for effective leadership that can inspire and guide business owners to motivate their teams and build lasting success. It’s a must-read for those looking to develop strong leadership skills and influence.
📕 The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
Author: Julie Zhuo
Julie Zhuo provides practical guidance for new and aspiring managers, helping them navigate leadership challenges with confidence. Drawing from her experience as a design executive at Facebook, Zhuo offers actionable insights on building strong teams, making decisions, and growing as a leader.
LLCs, S-Corps, & Business Structuring
📕 The Tax and Legal Playbook: Game-Changing Solutions to Your Small-Business Questions
Author: Mark J. Kohler
Mark J. Kohler, an attorney and expert in small business law, provides actionable strategies for navigating the complex world of taxes and legal challenges. It’s an essential guide for business owners seeking to protect their assets and optimize their business structure for long-term success.
Marketing & Promotion
📕 Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Author: Jonah Berger
Jonah Berger explores the science behind why some ideas, products, and messages go viral while others don’t. Berger identifies six key principles—Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories—that drive people to share content and spread word-of-mouth. It’s an essential read for entrepreneurs looking to understand what makes marketing messages contagious and how to leverage these principles to promote their business.
📕 Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains
Authors: Matt Johnson, Prince Ghuman
👢 BYB Book Review
Discover how marketing strategies influence consumer behavior by tapping into various aspects of our mental processes. The authors explain the neuroscience behind branding, illustrating how marketers utilize our perceptions, emotions, and decision-making processes to shape our purchasing habits. Find valuable insights for business owners seeking to understand the psychological impact of marketing on consumers.
📕 Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion
Author: Robert B. Cialdini
In the latest edition, Cialdini explores seven principles of persuasion, including the newly introduced Unity, which emphasizes the power of shared identity. This comprehensive guide offers valuable insights for business owners aiming to ethically enhance their marketing strategies and build authentic customer relationships.
Money, Investing, & Financial Wealth
📕 The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
Author: Morgan Housel
👢 BYB Book Review
This Bestseller (in multiple categories) delves into the complex relationship between money, decision-making, and happiness, offering timeless lessons on wealth and greed. It’s a thought-provoking read for business owners seeking a deeper understanding of financial behavior and how to make better, more intentional financial decisions.
📕 Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life
Author: John C. Bogle
John C. Bogle, founder of Vanguard, explores the importance of balancing financial success with personal fulfillment. Bogle offers profound insights on creating a meaningful life and business, making it a must-read for entrepreneurs looking to achieve both prosperity and purpose.
Procrastination & Productivity
📕 Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Author: Brian Tracy
👢 BYB Book Review
Discover practical strategies to overcome procrastination and enhance productivity. Tracy emphasizes tackling the most challenging tasks first - referred to as "eating the frog" - to maximize efficiency and achieve personal and professional goals.
Writing & Communications (for Business)
📕 Writing That Works; How to Communicate Effectively In Business
Author: Kenneth Roman
Get practical advice on crafting clear, concise, and persuasive business communications. This valuable resource is for business owners looking to improve their writing skills for better professional outcomes.
⭐ BONUS: Books for Introverts! ⭐
📕 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Author: Susan Cain
👢 BYB Book Review
Susan Cain explores the undervalued strengths of introverts in a society that favors extroverted traits. She delves into the history of how Western culture shifted towards an "extrovert ideal" and provides insights into how introverts can harness their unique abilities to thrive in various aspects of life.
Disclaimer
The links to these books are affiliate links to Amazon. This means that, if you choose to purchase a book through these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support my Substack and allow me to continue providing valuable content for aspiring business owners.
♥️ Thanks for supporting this Substack! ♥️