Books have been one of the most significant sources of learning and information for thousands of years. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to expand your knowledge of running a business or interacting with people, you can do a lot worse than picking up one of these books. Some are classics of the genre, while others are modern best sellers, but they’re all full of advice that can sharpen your entrepreneurial edge.

The Art of the Start

Author Guy Kawasaki has two decades of experience working with big businesses like Apple, and he channels that experience into this book about starting anything. It will teach you everything from raising money to hiring the right people to creating a brand. 

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Ben Horowitz is one-half of Andreessen Horowitz, one of the most respected venture capitalist firms in Silicon Valley. He’s also the author of “The Hard Thing About Hard Things,” a book that teaches you all the lessons about running a business that you don’t learn in school. The hard thing about hard things is that there are no easy answers.

Rework

If you’re impatient and want to start a business fast, you need to read “Rework” by David Hanson and Jason Fried. It only covers the basics of building a business, but it does so in a way that will get you on your feet in no time. If you want to learn how to be an entrepreneur by doing, read this one book first. 

How to Win Friends and Influence People

If there is a single “classic” in the lexicon of entrepreneurship books, it would be “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Though it was written in the 1930s, its lessons about interacting with people in the business world are still relevant today and make for essential reading for any entrepreneur.

The Lean Startup

This book by Eric Ries takes a more scientific approach to starting a business. It will teach you how to innovate and adapt your business, no matter the size, to survive and thrive in today’s dog-eat-dog business world.