Reading list: the books for what you are building
Tell us your business model, industry and stage, or how you invest, and get the books worth your time, picked from 30,000 on building and backing companies. Chosen by ratings and what they are about.
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643 books written by investors and founders
Now readingAtomic HabitsJames Clear4.31★
Change your answersFounder · Media, entertainment and games · Seed
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ShortlistThe best matches for everything you told us, ranked.
The best matches for everything you told us, ranked.
- 1
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Di
David Meerman Scott · 2007
3.856,679 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesMarketing and growthCompany building
About the book
"The" benchmark guide to marketing and PR, updated with the latest social media and marketing trends, tools, and real-world examples of success"The New Rules of Marketing & PR, 4th Edition" is the pioneering guide to the future of marketing, an international…
- 2
The Infinite Game
Simon Sinek · 2017
4.1630,000 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Do you know how to play the game you're in? In finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, the rules are fixed, and the endpoint is clear. The winners and losers are easily identified. In infinite games, like business or politics or life…
- 3
When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead
Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man
Jerry Weintraub · 2010
4.144,414 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Here is the story of Jerry Weintraub: the self-made, Brooklyn-born, Bronx-raised impresario, Hollywood producer, legendary deal maker, and friend of politicians and stars. No matter where nature has placed him--the club rooms of Brooklyn, the Mafia dives of…
- 4
Spreadable Media
Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture
Henry Jenkins · 2012
3.72524 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany buildingMarketing and growth
About the book
Spreadable Media maps fundamental changes taking place in our contemporary media environment, a space where corporations no longer tightly control media distribution and many of us are directly involved in the circulation of content. It contrasts…
- 5
Winning Every Day
The Game Plan for Success
Lou Holtz · 1998
4.14903 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
"Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it."-- Lou HoltzMeet Lou Holtz, the motivational miracle worker who revitalized the Notre Dame football program by…
- 6
George Lucas
A Life
Brian Jay Jones · 2016
4.194,248 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
The essential biography of the influential and beloved filmmaker George Lucas On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theaters. Conceived, written, and directed by a…
- 7
Dream Team
How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
Jack McCallum · 2012
4.2314,275 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team that captivated the…
- 8
Shoe Dog
A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Phil Knight · 2016
4.45389,310 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable…
Books on media, entertainment and games.
- 1
Convergence Culture
Where Old and New Media Collide
Henry Jenkins · 2006
3.863,860 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
Convergence Culture maps a new territory: where old and new media intersect, where grassroots and corporate media collide, where the power of the media producer and the power of the consumer interact in unpredictable ways. Henry Jenkins, one of America's…
- 2
The Book Of Satoshi
The Collected Writings of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto
Phil Champagne · 2014
4.06725 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
Have you, like the rest of the world, speculated as to the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, anonymous creator of Bitcoin? The world's first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin went online in 2009 and has since revolutionized our concepts of currency and money. Not…
- 3
Ripped
How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music
Greg Kot · 2009
3.75755 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
A decade ago the vast majority of mainstream music was funneled through a handful of media conglomerates. Now, more people are listening to more music from a greater variety of sources than at any time in history. And big corporations such as Viacom, Clear…
- 4
The Chaos Machine
The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World
Max Fisher · 2022
4.269,592 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
From a New York Times investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist, “an essential book for our times” (Ezra Klein), tracking the high-stakes inside story of how Big Tech’s breakneck race to drive engagement, and profits, at all costs fractured the world…
- 5
The Creator's Code The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs
Amy Wilkinson · 2014
3.76813 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Each of us has the capacity to spot opportunities, invent products, and build businesses, even $100 million businesses. How do some people turn ideas into enterprises that endure? Why do some people succeed when so many others fail? The Creator’s Code unlocks…
- 6
The Zen of Social Media Marketing
An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue
Shama Hyder · 2010
3.741,831 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Social media is a crucial tool for success in business today. People are already talking about your business using social media, whether you’re using it or not. By becoming part of the conversation, you can start connecting directly to your customers, as well…
- 7
The Filter Bubble
What the Internet is Hiding From You
Eli Pariser · 2011
3.795,527 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
An eye-opening account of how the hidden rise of personalization on the Internet is controlling - and limiting - the information we consume. In December 2009, Google began customizing its search results for each user. Instead of giving you the most broadly…
- 8
Ask Iwata
Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Legendary CEO
Satoru Iwata · 2021
4.143,655 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.", Satoru IwataSatoru Iwata was the former Global President and CEO of Nintendo and a gifted programmer who played a key role in the creation of…
What founders at seed need most: company building, finding product-market fit, raising money, first sales, marketing and growth.
- 1
The User Experience Team of One
A Research and Design Survival Guide
Leah Buley · 2013
4.191,657 ratings · Goodreads
Finding product-market fitCompany building
About the book
UX Team of Oneb Theory and Practice for Designers Responsible for Holo UX b This book presents ways to achieve greater impact than standardized UX work results with less time and resources do. Whether youre looking to turn to the UX field, or an experienced…
- 2
Get Backed
Craft Your Story, Build the Perfect Pitch Deck, and Launch the Venture of Your Dreams
Evan Baehr · 2015
4.36356 ratings · Goodreads
Raising moneyCompany building
About the book
HOW DO YOU LAUNCH THE VENTURE OF YOUR DREAMS? Get Backed isn’t just about startup fundraising. It’s a handbook for anyone who has an idea and needs to build relationships to get it off the ground. Over the last 3 years, entrepreneurs Evan Loomis and…
- 3
80/20 Sales and Marketing
The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More
Perry Marshall · 2013
4.191,904 ratings · Goodreads
First salesMarketing and growthCompany building
About the book
Stop "Just Getting By" ... Master The 80/20 Principle And Make More Money Without More Work. When you know how to walk into any situation and see the 80/20's, you can solve almost ANY marketing problem. 80/20 can demolish any sales and advertising problem.…
- 4
UX for Beginners
A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons
Joel Marsh · 2016
4.04527 ratings · Goodreads
Finding product-market fitCompany building
About the book
Apps! Websites! Rubber Ducks! Naked Ninjas! This book has everything. If you want to get started in user experience design (UX), you've come to the right 100 self-contained lessons that cover the whole spectrum of fundamentals. Forget dry, technical…
- 5
Selling the Invisible
A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
Harry Beckwith · 1997
3.9410,059 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growthFirst salesCompany building
About the book
You can't touch, hear, or see your company's most important products... So how do you sell, develop, make them grow? That's the problem with services. This "phenomenal" book, as one reviewer called it, answers that question with insights on how markets work…
- 6
Solving Product Design Exercises
Questions & Answers
Artiom Dashinsky · 2018
4.30675 ratings · Goodreads
Finding product-market fitCompany building
About the book
Practice your product design and UX skills. Prepare for your next job interview. "Redesign the NYC metrocard system. Design a dashboard for a general practitioner. Redesign an ATM". Learn how to solve and present exercises like these, that top startups…
- 7
LinkedIn Riches
How To Use LinkedIn For Business, Sales and Marketing! Updated and Revised
John Nemo · 2014
4.07319 ratings · Goodreads
First salesMarketing and growthCompany building
About the book
SPECIAL Includes Free Access to 25+ LinkedIn Training Videos!Discover How To Use LinkedIn For Sales, Business and Marketing, including how Find New Sales Leads and Prospective Clients on LinkedIn FAST- Turn Your Existing LinkedIn Connections into Paying…
- 8
Achieving Excellence in Fundraising + Website
Eugene R. Tempel · 2003
4.02249 ratings · Goodreads
Raising moneyCompany building
About the book
The third edition of this acclaimed resource, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, explains the fundraising profession's major principles, concepts, and techniques. With contributions from noted experts in the field, and filled with illustrative examples,…
Leading and managing a team as the company grows.
- 1
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins · 2001
4.12312,279 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
The Challenge: Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about the…
- 2
Rising Strong
The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution
Brené Brown · 2015
4.2590,292 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability, the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome, is the only path…
- 3
A Different Kind of Power
Jacinda Ardern · 2025
4.4521,916 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to a new generation of…
- 4
Give and Take
A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Adam M. Grant · 2013
4.0641,070 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success…
- 5
EntreLeadership
20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches
Dave Ramsey · 2011
4.1914,050 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Total Money Makeover and radio and podcast host Dave Ramsey comes an informative guide based on how he grew a successful, multimillion dollar company from a card table in his living room. Your company is only…
- 6
Joker One
A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood
Donovan Campbell · 2009
4.154,545 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
After graduating from Princeton, Donovan Campbell, motivated by his unwavering patriotism and commitment, decided to join the service, realizing that becoming a Marine officer would allow him to give back to his country, engage in the world, and learn to…
- 7
Becoming Steve Jobs
The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader
Brent Schlender · 2015
4.1517,220 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
#1 New York Times Bestseller There have been many books, on a large and small scale, about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others. Becoming Steve Jobs takes on and breaks down the existing myth and…
- 8
The First 90 Days
Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
Michael D. Watkins · 2003
3.8539,471 ratings · Goodreads
Leading and managing
About the book
Since its original release, The First 90 Days has become the bestselling globally acknowledged bible of leadership and career transitions. In this updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition, internationally known leadership transition expert Michael D.…
Published in the last three years, newest first, for what you told us.
- 1
Who Knew
Barry Diller · 2025
4.222,332 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Barry Diller, one of America’s most successful businessmen, reveals himself here, his successes, failures, and struggles, with surprising candor and intimacy in a memoir rich in Hollywood lore and filled with business acumen. Writing in his singular voice,…
- 2
Play Nice
The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment
Jason Schreier · 2024
4.167,684 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
New York Times bestselling author and the gaming industry's preeminent investigative journalist Jason Schreier examines three decades of ups and downs at Blizzard Entertainment leading up to a hostile corporate takeover and a sexual misconduct scandal that…
- 3
Mood Machine
The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
Liz Pelly · 2025
3.834,803 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
With unprecedented access and unsparing analysis, this is the definitive investigation into Spotify, weaving interviews with incisive cultural criticism, and illuminating how streaming has reshaped music for listeners and artists alike.Flush with testimony…
- 4
Simple Marketing For Smart People
The One Question You Need to Win Customers without Gimmicks, Hype, or Hard Selling
Billy Broas · 2024
4.35305 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growthFirst salesCompany building
About the book
Why do so many smart people struggle with marketing? The answer is smart people love complexity, and complexity brews problems. Does your marketing feel like it has way too many moving parts? If so, Simple Marketing for Smart People is the solution you’ve…
- 5
Character Limit
How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter
Kate Conger · 2024
4.243,256 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Rising star New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac tell for the first time the full and shocking inside story of Elon Musk’s unprecedented hostile takeover of Twitter and the forty-four-billion-dollar deal’s seismic political, social,…
- 6
Muskism
A Guide for the Perplexed
Quinn Slobodian · 2026
3.79855 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and games
About the book
Who on earth is Elon Musk and what is he doing? Is he a hero, a villain, or does he swing constantly between those two poles? According to the constant media gush driven by his every act and pronouncement, Musk is best understood in personal terms. This…
- 7
The Algebra of Wealth
A Simple Formula for Financial Security
Scott Galloway · 2024
4.0610,176 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA must-have guide to optimizing your life for wealth and success, from bestselling author, NYU professor, and co-host of the Pivot podcast Scott Galloway.Today's workers have more opportunities and mobility than any…
- 8
Collision of Power
Trump, Bezos, and THE WASHINGTON POST
Martin Baron · 2023
4.161,370 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
“A closely observed, gripping chronicle of politics and journalism during a decade of turmoil.”, The New York Times Book Review Politics. Money. Media. Tech. …It’s all here in Collision of Power. “ All the President's Men for a new generation.”, Town…
How companies like yours were actually built, from the people who built them.
- 1
Fifty Years of 60 Minutes
The Inside Story of Television's Most Influential News Broadcast
Jeff Fager · 2017
4.09249 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder stories
About the book
The ultimate inside story of 60 Minutes , the program that has tracked and shaped the biggest moments in post-war American history. From its almost accidental birth in 1968, 60 Minutes has set the standard for broadcast journalism, joining us in our living…
- 2
To Pixar and Beyond
My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History
Lawrence Levy · 2016
4.248,116 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder storiesCompany building
About the book
The never-before-told story of Pixar's improbable success? “Hi, Lawrence?” the caller asked. “This is Steve Jobs. I saw your picture in a magazine a few years ago and thought we’d work together someday.” After Steve Jobs was unceremoniously dismissed…
- 3
Disney War
James B. Stewart · 2005
4.128,885 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder storiesCompany building
About the book
The dramatic inside story of the downfall of Michael Eisner, Disney Chairman and CEO, and the scandals that drove America’s best-known entertainment company to civil war. “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Whistle While You Work,” “The Happiest Place on…
- 4
An Empire of Their Own
How the Jews Invented Hollywood
Neal Gabler · 1988
4.02816 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder storiesCompany building
About the book
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for history, this "wonderful history of the golden age of the movie moguls" (Chicago Tribune ) is a provocative, original, and richly entertaining group biography of the Jewish immigrants who were the moving forces…
- 5
Facebook
The Inside Story
Steven Levy · 2020
4.063,021 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder storiesCompany building
About the book
He has had unprecedented access to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg for three years. And now renowned tech writer Steven Levy delivers the definitive history of one of America's most powerful and controversial companies: Facebook. In his sophomore year of…
- 6
So That Happened
A Memoir
Jon Cryer · 2015
3.773,562 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder stories
About the book
If it can happen in show business, it’s happened to Jon Cryer. Now he’s opening up for the first time and sharing his behind-the-scenes stories in a warmly endearing, sharply observed, and frankly funny look at life in Hollywood. In 1986, Jon Cryer won over…
- 7
Howling at the Moon
The Odyssey of a Monstrous Music Mogul in an Age of Excess
Walter Yetnikoff · 2004
3.84451 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesFounder stories
About the book
he music industry’s most outspoken, outrageous, and phenomenally successful executive delivers a rollicking memoir of pop music’s heyday.During the 1970s and '80s the music business was dominated by a few major labels and artists such as Michael Jackson,…
- 8
Console Wars
Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
Blake J. Harris · 2014
3.9712,297 ratings · Goodreads
Media, entertainment and gamesCompany building
About the book
Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars, a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the…
What founders at seed keep coming back to, if you have not read them yet.
- 1
Crossing the Chasm
Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers
Geoffrey A. Moore · 2002
4.0332,109 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growthCompany buildingFirst sales
About the book
Here is the bestselling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This edition provides new insights into the realities…
- 2
Building A Story Brand
Donald Miller · 2017
4.2726,500 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growthCompany building
About the book
New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller uses the seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach readers how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses. Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven…
- 3
- 4
Inspired
How to Create Tech Products Customers Love
Marty Cagan · 2008
4.2226,350 ratings · Goodreads
Company buildingFinding product-market fit
About the book
Learn to design, build, and scale products consumers can't get enough of How do today's most successful tech companies–Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla–design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of…
- 5
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Violate Them at Your Own Risk
Al Ries · 1993
4.0522,738 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growthCompany building
About the book
There are laws of nature, so why shouldn't there be laws of marketing? As Al Ries and Jack Trout, the world-renowned marketing consultants and bestselling authors of Positioning, note, you can build an impressive airplane, but it will never leave the ground if…
- 6
The Art of the Start
The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
Guy Kawasaki · 2004
3.9129,538 ratings · Goodreads
Company buildingMarketing and growth
About the book
A new product, a new service, a new company, a new division, a new organization, a new anything, where there’s a will, here’s the way. It begins with a dream that just won’t quit, the once-in-a-lifetime thunderbolt of pure inspiration, the obsession, the…
- 7
Contagious
Why Things Catch On
Jonah Berger · 2013
3.9834,129 ratings · Goodreads
Company buildingMarketing and growth
About the book
New York Times bestseller and named Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing AssociationWhat makes things popular? Why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what…
- 8
The First American
The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin
H.W. Brands · 2000
4.1123,067 ratings · Goodreads
Marketing and growth
About the book
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this “thorough biography of ... America’s first Renaissance man” ( The Washington Post ) by the two-time Pulitzer Prize…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Which books we recommend never depends on it: they are chosen from their ratings and what they are about.
From the record
Written by the people who write the cheques
Books by investors and founders we hold records for. The author links to what they have done, not just what they wrote.
The Lean Startupby Eric Ries, Eric Ries2011 · 4.11★L
Lean Inby Sheryl Sandberg, Meta2013 · 3.94★T
The Hard Thing About Hard Thingsby Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz2014 · 4.19★D
Delivering Happinessby Tony Hsieh, Tony Hsieh2000 · 4.04★#
#Girlbossby Sophia Amoruso2014 · 3.64★T
The One Thingby Gary Keller, Pocketchange Investments2012 · 4.12★P
Principlesby Ray Dalio2017 · 4.09★Read what the people you are pitching read.
Every investor and founder on our records links to their books and the podcasts they are on.