26 of the best business books you can read, from the CEOs and execs who can't put them down
Highly successful people typically work hard, practice the right habits every day and strive for self-improvement, with the latter often coming in the form of a book. If reading is something you're willing to do to sharpen yourself, take some suggestions from more than two dozen executives who have gleaned wisdom from these books.
1. The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton
"Stanford Professor Robert Sutton is an inspiration for me in building the right culture at Gfycat. Toxic people destroy innovation and have no place on any of my teams. Imagine how well-regarded Uber would be if it had followed that rule."
—Richard Rabbat, CEO of the user generated GIF platform Gfycat
2. The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? By Seth Godin
"At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, I was juggling my rapidly growing candle business and a full-time job as an art director in the corporate fashion world. It came to the point where the arrangement was no longer sustainable and I had to choose one, but the security of my biweekly paychecks and health insurance was anchoring me to my cubicle. However, as I started reading The Icarus Deception, its messages got under my skin—the primary one being that with the opportunities provided by the internet, not everyone has to conform to the traditional paths that had been long established by industrialization. If we take full advantage of the technological resources available to us, we can create the work we want to do as artists and entrepreneurs. Midway through this book, I was inspired enough to gather the courage to quit my job to work on growing my business full-time."
—Tamara Mayne, founder of Brooklyn Candle Studio, small-batch, hand-poured candles made with natural waxes, cotton wicks, and botanical perfume oils
3. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk
"[It's] the bible of content marketing and social media strategy. I give it to every new person on my team as required reading. Great for anyone interested in learning how to really connect with your audience authentically in the native language of each social platform. Not just for marketers. [It's] an important book for any entrepreneur or business leader looking to develop a fundamental understanding of what makes great digital content, the kind that will add value, compel sharing and—sometimes—catch fire."
—Megan Burke, CMO of eCornell, Cornell University's online education department with over 40-plus award-winning certificate programs
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