Biographies That Will Rev Up Your Entrepreneurial Drive
on Jun 5, 2009 - 7:00 AM PST
Mixergy readers Yaw Owusu and @candymath asked me to recommend some business biographies, so I put this list together for them.
I picked these books because they show what a fun adventure business can be. These books aren’t meant to just fire you up. I wanted to pick stories that will embed themselves in your mind and help shape the way you think about business.
The Operator
What it’s about: How David Geffen became a billionaire in the entertainment industry.
Why you should read it: It’s full of stories of manipulation. They’ll make you uncomfortable, but they’ll also help you think more creatively about business deals.
How To Get Rich
What it’s about: The founder of Maxim magazine, tells you the story of his business career while teaching you what he learned along the way.
Why you should read it: This quote says it all, “I’m just a guy that got rich in the real world, not the ‘self-improvement’ happy-clappy merry-go-round, where the only real winner is the weasel with the blow-dried hair.”
Michael O’Leary: A Life In Full Flight
What it’s about: The story of how Michael O’Leary turned Ryanair from a money-losing joke of an airline into one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Why you should read it: It’s an underdog story about a guy who took on the European giants in business and government and won because he built a good business.
What it’s about: How Wayne Huizenga became a billionaire by creating companies that pick up trash (Waste Management) and rent videos (Blockbuster).
Why you should read it: You’ll get to see how constant deal-making can lead to a mult-billion dollar business.
Stealing MySpace
What it’s about: How MySpace was created and turned into a top social networking site.
Why you should read it: It’s a motivating collection of stories about hustlers who keep trying different business ideas until they hit on the big one.
Call Me Ted
What it’s about: Ted Turner talks about how he built an empire that includes CNN.
Why you should read it: It’s inspiring to see how Turner told people in the early days that he’d be a billionaire and then read how he achieved it his goal.
Malcolm
What it’s about: How an eccentric biker turned Forbes magazine into a must-read for billionaires.
Why you should read it: It’ll show you how Forbes convinced an entire generation of CEO’s that being rich and and should be fun.
Sam Walton: Made In America
What it’s about: How Sam Walton turned a single dime store into Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer.
Why you should read it: You’ll see how Walton’s constant curiosity led him to find ideas others never would have discovered.
iWoz
What it’s about: How Steve Wozniak invented the modern computer and co-founded Apple.
Why you should read it: You’ll see how Wozniak kept getting smarter by tinkering.
Damn Right!
What it’s about: The story of how Charlie Munger became a billionaire by buying companies like See’s Candies — often along side Warren Buffett.
Why you should read it: You’ll see how success is based on rational, clear thought.
An Unseemly Man
What it’s about: How Larry Flynt built Hustler magazine and other businesses.
Why you should read it: Flynt talks about the part of business that more respectable people would hide — like how he funded Hustler by cheating on his taxes.
What other books belong on this list?
I know I left a bunch of books out. Want to add them to the comments so I could get to know you by seeing what books you recommend?
Updates:
- NO affiliate links here – A few people in the comments are asking if I added affiliate links to my book recommendations. I don’t have the patience to get affiliate links just so I could make a couple of bucks. Not worth my time. Let me know if you think I’m wrong.
- Thanks AJ Kumar for catching my typos!
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June 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I would highly recommend Richard Branson's book “Losing My Virgin-ity” (and then if you enjoy it try “Screw It Let's Do It”).
It's amazing to read how he built one of the world's most recognizable brands from a chancer record company start-up, buying CDs for pennies and selling them for a few more pennies.
Thanks for the list Andrew there are a few here I've not seen before.
Do you mind saying whether these are affiliate links?
June 5th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Thanks for calling out “The Making of a Blockbuster.” It's an oldie but a goody and is the single best business biography I've ever read. It's a shame it didn't get a wider release when it was first released.
If anyone reading this hasn't read it please do yourself a favor a try and find a copy. It's old school entrepreneurship at its very best. Wayne Huizenga was a serial entrepreneur way before the term was coined.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:52 am
very interesting slection
June 5th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I can't believe I didn't include Richard Branson's book. Great call Pavl.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Thanks.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I wasn't sure whether to include it because Blockbuster doesn't seem to be
the kind of company people emulate any more.
But their entrepreneurial story is inspiring because it can be repeated in
other businesses.
Speaking of inspiring, I great post on your site about the guy who lost
weight and got fit:
http://hellostephen.com/WordPress/?p=215
June 5th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
affiliate link in the URLS Andy?
June 5th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Nope. I don't have the patience for that.
I added a note about that to the post.
I don't have the time to grab an affiliate link to each
June 5th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Thanks a lot Andrew for sharing this list with us. Looking forward to absorbing all of this great stories.
June 5th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I'm really glad you asked for this. It gave me something worthwhile to write
about.
Any time buddy.
June 5th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz. An inspiring story.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
With Amazon perhaps it's just a matter of principle but the question is: why would you decline making some more money when you?
One possible answer is that it would somehow increase your reputation if you don't put affiliate links.
If not, then if you can put the same time you put affiliate links in somewhere else making more money than you would make from those commissions. It also has to clearly balance out 1) the fact that you get upper tier in amazon if you make more sales 2) the chance of somebody buying something really expensive with your affiliate cookie. Then, the question is: does it? Are you certain it does?
In short, I'd be putting the affiliate links.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I think it would be useful to add affiliate links.
Aside of some extra $$$ you would get statistics on what books are more (or less) popular.
June 6th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Great list – lots of books I've never heard of. My local library has the Maxim book, so I'm on the way to get it.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
That book points out a major part of my mission with Mixergy. The
happy-clappy self-improvement guys are out of touch with what business
is really like.
We need to learn from real entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
Andrew Warner
(sent from my mobile)
June 7th, 2009 at 2:20 am
I can really vouch for Felix Dennis' book. The title makes it sound like one of those how to get rich books which are dime a dozen but he is direct as can be in the book. Not the best writer but very good insight of what it takes to get to that level from a personal perspective as well.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I see no harm in adding affiliate links. Andrew's recommending books hes liked – what difference does affiliate link make?
June 7th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I was concerned about the time it would take me to create all those
affiliate links. But I see what you mean.
June 7th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I love that book.
Though it seems the company turned its back on many of the statements
Schultz made in the book. I think he said that Starbucks would never
be in supermarkets and they'd never allow others to sell their coffee.
I wonder what that meant for the brand.
Great suggestion. I should have included that book.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Great list, Andrew, thank you for posting.
I also just wanted to say that affiliate links don't bother me at all. If people want to make a few bucks by recommending books, that's fine by me.
Keep up the great work, please!
June 8th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Hi Andrew,
re: affiliate links, as someone who does affiliate marketing, I am immediately suspicious of people posting aff. links. Obviously that's not the case with you, you've taken the time to build up trust in readers, but I wanted to weigh in.
I'm about 1/2 done Felix Dennis' book. I've immersed myself in 4 Hour Work Week-style stuff for a while now, so it's interesting to read a business book that is quite opposite in it's view – Dennis extols working longer and harder than your coworkers or competition and warns that pursuing real wealth will likely strain or damage relationships.
Tim Ferriss used that same reasoning (potentially damaging relationships and working too hard) as a reason to NOT pursue that type of wealth. I'll give a full review when I finish the book!
Thanks for the list.
June 9th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Great list, Andrew.
Btw, are the mixergy podcasts/videos now available on iTunes? I couldn't find them the last time I checked.
Cheers!
June 9th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Andrew, what do you think of snowball the warren buffet biography? I have been thinking about reading but not sure if its worth the time.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I really like this list of books! Not to take away from the biographies of Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Richard Branson or even Trump, I was very pleased that you didn't list the same ones that everyone else does. Some of these I haven't heard of.
Other ones that I've heard are good but haven't read myself are the stories of Intuit and Google.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Great post. Good books and quick, clear descriptions of why each are interesting reads. Well done. And my 2 cents: Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson. Fascinating read and should definately be up there. Why you should read: Richard Branson is ADD, Dyslexic, Hates public speaking and is often considered one of the more non-standard billionaires. His approach to business reflects his chaotic nature, yet despite these challenges he built up a record business that started out as a mail order catolog in his basement. By the time he was in his early 20s his record business was worth hundreds of millions of dollars and his latest net worth was set at 2.5 Billion.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:21 am
What a list Andrew – directly in line with my aspirations and sensibilities – just added a few of them – hope to get to them all -
June 19th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
I'd have to say Duncan Bannatyne's Anyone can Do it. Showing how it takes will and determination and belief in yourself and some good business sense to become succesful and rich. Also some interesting discussion of 'class' thinking.
June 19th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Forgot to add, he also started 'late' in life, was like 28 and 'living on the dole' and without a lot of formal education.
June 20th, 2009 at 12:44 am
Wow. Can't believe I ne'er heard about his story till you just told me.
I just found his book online. I hope to interview him some day.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_...
Thanks!
Andrew Warner
(sent from my mobile)
June 20th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I get a lot of my interviews from readers who introduce me to people
they know. I really hope someone who reads Mixergy can introduce me to
him.
If not, I'll find a way to connect with him directly.
What a story he's got.
Andrew Warner
(sent from my mobile)
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Another typo…
It’ll show you how Forbes convinced an entire generation of CEO’s that being rich and and should be fun.
“being rich and and should be fun.” – Missing something, I think.
June 26th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Other great biographies that have inspired by entrepreneurial spirit as of late include…
1. Pour Your Heart Into It – How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
2. iCon – Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business
3. Walt Disney – The Triumph of the American Imagination
July 13th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
[...] http://mixergy.com/books-that-fire-up-your-entrepreneurial-drive/ [...]
September 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Not recent by any means but interesting how similar his story/personality is to Bill G. and other entrepreneurs
Titan
http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefell...
September 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Titan is a great addition.
September 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
[...] Kolla in listan [...]
October 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Great selection….I can't wait to read the one about Forbes.
October 6th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Great selection….I can't wait to read the one about Forbes.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:26 am
[...] got a nice email from Mixergy fan Ruben Gamez about the list of biographies that I recommended for all [...]