6 Best CEO Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 6 best ceo books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best CEO books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best ceo books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
6 Best CEO Books
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The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Also recommended by
22 people
Peter Thiel recommended this bookPeter Thiel
"[The author] has written the first true guide for protecting a startup from self-sabotage." - Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel's recommendation of this book 
Mark Zuckerberg recommended this bookMark Zuckerberg
"For anyone insterested in building, growing, or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource." - Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg's recommendation of this book 
Peter Attia recommended this bookPeter Attia
One of Peter Attia's answers to "any books you feel would make your reading list?"
Peter Attia's recommendation of this book 
Marc Andreessen recommended this bookMarc Andreessen
"Let’s just say, we started out relationship with vigorous disagreement, and we’ve continued that to this day." - Marc Andreessen
Marc Andreessen's recommendation of this book 
Larry Page recommended this bookLarry Page
"An inspiring story of a business rebirth through sheer willpower." - Larry Page
Larry Page's recommendation of this book 
Matt Mullenweg recommended this bookMatt Mullenweg
"Entertaining more than anything. I read [this book], I was like: I would never work for this guy. But entertaining and some good lessons." - Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg's recommendation of this book +16
More recommendations
- Andrew Ng
"A bit dark but it does cover a lot of useful territory on what building an organization is like." - Andrew Ng
- Drew Houston
"One of the great things that [the author] wrote in [this book] is the hardest part of being a CEO is managing your psychology." - Drew Houston
- Keith Rabois
"Reflects 2000-2003." - Keith Rabois
- Dustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book during a Stanford lecture in 2014.
- Max Levchin
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
- Luis von Ahn
"I like this one, but it’s not for very new entrepreneurs." - Luis von Ahn
- Kathryn Minshew
Most Recommended Books reached out to Kathryn Minshew directly.
- Andrew Wilkinson
"One of the best business books I've picked up in years." - Andrew Wilkinson
- Tim Ferriss
"A great book." - Tim Ferriss
- Blake Scholl
"Good." - Blake Scholl
- Chris Dixon
Chris Dixon recommended this book on Twitter.
- Fred Wilson
"Chapter five in [this book] is possibly the best thing I've read about leading a tech company." - Fred Wilson
- Raoul Pal
"By far, the best, most brutally honest and incredibly useful book about the realities of starting and running a company." - Raoul Pal
- Jodie Cook
"Reframes your mind: hard doesn’t mean bad. Seeking the easy route is a trap." - Jodie Cook
- Michael Dell
"Candidly talks about the very real thrills and perils of starting a business."- Michael Dell
- Marty Cagan
"Trust me: if you're a leader in tech, the best thing you can do in 2014 for your company is to read [this book]." - Marty Cagan
- Andrew Ng
Delivering Happiness
A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Also recommended by
7 people
Tim Ferriss recommended this bookTim Ferriss
"What I also enjoyed is that it's entirely in Tony's voice." - Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's recommendation of this book 
Kevin Rose recommended this bookKevin Rose
"Phenomenal." - Kevin Rose
Kevin Rose's recommendation of this book 
Gretchen Rubin recommended this bookGretchen Rubin
"In this fascinating (and often hilarious) account, [the author] explains how he turns his beliefs into actions that really do deliver happiness." - Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin's recommendation of this book 
Julie Rice recommended this bookJulie Rice
"[At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]." - Julie Rice
Julie Rice's recommendation of this book 
Chip Conley recommended this bookChip Conley
"[The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age." - Chip Conley
Chip Conley's recommendation of this book 
Danny Miranda recommended this bookDanny Miranda
"I bought it for three people and recommended it far and wide." - Danny Miranda
Danny Miranda's recommendation of this book +1
More recommendations
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Patrick Bet-David
Shoe Dog
A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Also recommended by
16 people
Alexis Ohanian recommended this bookAlexis Ohanian
"A great one -- had no idea Nike had such a long history." - Alexis Ohanian
Alexis Ohanian's recommendation of this book 
Anthony Pompliano recommended this bookAnthony Pompliano
"[One of the] best books I read in 2017." - Anthony Pompliano
Anthony Pompliano's recommendation of this book 
Austen Allred recommended this bookAusten Allred
"Loved [this book]." - Austen Allred
Austen Allred's recommendation of this book 
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book 
Bill Gurley recommended this bookBill Gurley
"All entrepreneurs should read." - Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley's recommendation of this book 
Brian Armstrong recommended this bookBrian Armstrong
"Memoir by the Nike founder and CEO." - Brian Armstrong
Brian Armstrong's recommendation of this book +10
More recommendations
- Jason Calacanis
"Great inspirational [book]." - Jason Calacanis
- Kathryn Minshew
Most Recommended Books reached out to Kathryn Minshew directly.
- Tobi Lütke
"An autobiographical account of one of the world’s most recognizable brands." - Tobi Lütke
- Vlad Tenev
Vlad Tenev's response to Bloomberg's "The Best Books of 2017" survey.
- Warren Buffett
"The best book I read [in 2015]." - Warren Buffett
- Patrick O'Shaughnessy
"A perfect business book & memoir hybrid." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy
- Tim Cook
"Best business book of the century." - Tim Cook
- Ryan Shea
Ryan Shea recommended this book on his website.
- Trung Phan
"About the Footwear industry." - Trung Phan
- Blake Randall
"" - Blake Randall
- Jason Calacanis
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
A Leadership Fable
Also recommended by
2 people
Alfred Lin recommended this bookAlfred Lin
"Talks about the breakdowns of a team." - Alfred Lin
Alfred Lin's recommendation of this book 
Patrick Bet-David recommended this bookPatrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
Patrick Bet-David's recommendation of this book
Conscious Capitalism
Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business
Nine Lies About Work
A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World
Sources
- 1
7 Books Your CEO Is Reading—and You Should Be, Too
shrm.org
- 2
The Top 10 Books Every CEO Should Read
ceotodaymagazine.com
- 3
Top 20 Best Books by CEOs for Executives & Entrepreneurs
greatworklife.com
- 4
Christina Desmarais21 Books To Read If You Want To Get Ahead In Business Life.Html
inc.com
- 5
These are the 11 best books of the decade, according to a top CEO
cnbc.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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