
Marc Benioff Recommended Books
Marc Benioff has recommended 27 books. Browse the complete reading list with quotes and sources below.
Marc Benioff is the founder, chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce.
(Read more on Wikipedia)27 Books Recommended
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The Mythical Man-Month
Essays on Software Engineering
"Had a huge impact on me." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
4 people
Jeff Bezos recommended this bookJeff Bezos
Part of "Jeff's Reading List."
Jeff Bezos's recommendation of this book
Larry Ellison recommended this bookLarry Ellison
"Larry [Ellison] had given this book to every software executive whom he met within the company." - Marc Benioff
Larry Ellison's recommendation of this book
Alan Kay recommended this bookAlan Kay
"An early look and experience with timeless truths (and gotchas) from systems building with teams" - Alan Kay
Alan Kay's recommendation of this book
Jeff Atwood recommended this bookJeff Atwood
"Arguably the only classic book in our field. If you haven't read it, shame on you." - Jeff Atwood
Jeff Atwood's recommendation of this book
Managing
"One of the most powerful books in business I ever read [...] It changed my life and my whole approach to business." - Marc Benioff (Source)
The Good Heart
A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus
"I started to change my spiritual philosophy based on [this book]. I kind of rebooted my religion of origin." - Marc Benioff (Source)
The Big Switch
Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
"We often referenced [this book. A] thought-provoking [book] that validated our crusade." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Autobiography of a Yogi
"If you haven't read it, and if you want to understand Steve Jobs, it's a goood idea to dip into [this book]." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
7 people
Steve Jobs recommended this bookSteve Jobs
Marc Benioff said everyone at Steve Jobs' memorial service got a copy of this book.
Steve Jobs's recommendation of this book
Dan Engle recommended this bookDan Engle
"One of the more impactful books for me when I was living down in the jungle and experiencing more of the deeper reflections through the medicine space." - Dan Engle
Dan Engle's recommendation of this book
Richa Chadha recommended this bookRicha Chadha
"Reminded me to have faith at a low point in my life, hence I share it as widely as possible to pull others out of their misery." - Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha's recommendation of this book
Travis Brewer recommended this bookTravis Brewer
One of Travis Brewer's answers to "what is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift?"
Travis Brewer's recommendation of this book
Sahil Lavingia recommended this bookSahil Lavingia
Sahil Lavingia recommended this book on Notion.
Sahil Lavingia's recommendation of this book
Phil Jackson recommended this bookPhil Jackson
Phil Jackson recommended this book on Twitter.
Phil Jackson's recommendation of this book +1
More recommendations
- Virat Kohli
"I love this book. A must read for all those who are brave enough to let their thoughts and ideologies be challenged." - Virat Kohli
- Virat Kohli
The Art Of War
"Served me well. [...] Advocates keeping one’s cool at all times." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
11 people
Jocko Willink recommended this bookJocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 23
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book
Neil deGrasse Tyson recommended this bookNeil deGrasse Tyson
"To learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson's recommendation of this book
Evan Spiegel recommended this bookEvan Spiegel
"After meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'." - Business Insider
Evan Spiegel's recommendation of this book
Dave Camarillo recommended this bookDave Camarillo
"Another [book] I have to mention." - Dave Camarillo
Dave Camarillo's recommendation of this book
Ryan Petersen recommended this bookRyan Petersen
Ryan Petersen mentioned this book on Twitter.
Ryan Petersen's recommendation of this book
Travis Kalanick recommended this bookTravis Kalanick
"It became [Travis Kalanick's bible]." - Mike Isaac
Travis Kalanick's recommendation of this book +5
More recommendations
- Vlad Tenev
"I like the classics such as The Republic by Plato and The Art of War by Sun Tzu." - Vlad Tenev
- Fred Wilson
"Has to get onto my list." - Fred Wilson
- Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
- Elon Musk
"I've read [this book] many times." - Elon Musk
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Vlad Tenev
Crowdsourcing
Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business
Marc Benioff mentionod this book on the "Behind the Cloud" book. (Source)
Zucked
Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe
"Fully captures the disastrous consequences that occur when people running companies wielding enormous power don't listen deeply to their stakeholders." - Marc Benioff (Source)
The Innovator's Dilemma
When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
"We often referenced [this book. A] thought-provoking [book] that validated our crusade." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
17 people
Jeff Bezos recommended this bookJeff Bezos
Part of "Jeff's Reading List."
Jeff Bezos's recommendation of this book
Steve Jobs recommended this bookSteve Jobs
Walter Isaacson said Steve Jobs was deeply influenced by this book.
Steve Jobs's recommendation of this book
Mark Cuban recommended this bookMark Cuban
Mark Cuban's answer to "what's a book you always recommend?"
Mark Cuban's recommendation of this book
Ben Horowitz recommended this bookBen Horowitz
"A great book on strategy." - Ben Horowitz
Ben Horowitz's recommendation of this book
Drew Houston recommended this bookDrew Houston
"About how businesses get disrupted, and a lot of those themes are why startups can succeed and thrive even when there are big competitors who you would think would just wipe ’em out." - Drew Houston
Drew Houston's recommendation of this book
Aaron Levie recommended this bookAaron Levie
"[One of] four good books that I would highly recommend reading if you're gonna build a B2B software company." - Aaron Levie
Aaron Levie's recommendation of this book +11
More recommendations
- Ev Williams
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
- Max Levchin
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
- Tim O’Reilly
"[A] business classic." - Tim O’Reilly
- Caterina Fake
"A must-read for entrepreneurs." - Caterina Fake
- Guy Kawasaki
"Taught me why it’s so hard to come up with a second hit." - Guy Kawasaki
- Bill Gurley
"All entrepreneurs should read." - Bill Gurley
- Blake Scholl
"Everyone talks about it, I wonder how many people actually read it. You should actually read it." - Blake Scholl
- Chris Dixon
Chris Dixon recommended this book on Twitter.
- Marc Andreessen
"Really critical to understanding how this industry works." - Marc Andreessen
- Michael Bloomberg
"An insightful analysis of changing technology and its importance to a company's future success." - Michael Bloomberg
- Steve Blank
"The foundational read for managing disruptive innovation." - Steve Blank
- Ev Williams
Ask Your Developer
How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century
"The ultimate guide for creating a software developer culture that unlocks the passion, creativity, and empathy needed to build amazing products and succeed in the digital economy." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
2 people
Ashton Kutcher recommended this bookAshton Kutcher
"A must-read for any business looking to compete in the digital economy." - Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher's recommendation of this book
Jason Fried recommended this bookJason Fried
"[The author]'s a really smart guy, and I’ve always enjoyed our chats." - Jason Fried
Jason Fried's recommendation of this book
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Marc Benioff texted The New York Times a screenshot of a quote from this book. (Source)
Also recommended by
6 people
Steve Jobs recommended this bookSteve Jobs
Brent Schlender said Steve Jobs reread this book several times.
Steve Jobs's recommendation of this book
Kevin Rose recommended this bookKevin Rose
"You could read over time and time again." - Kevin Rose
Kevin Rose's recommendation of this book
Sharon Salzberg recommended this bookSharon Salzberg
"Greatly influenced my life." - Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg's recommendation of this book
Leo Babauta recommended this bookLeo Babauta
"A classic." - Leo Babauta
Leo Babauta's recommendation of this book
Garry Tan recommended this bookGarry Tan
Garry Tan shared this book on Instagram.
Garry Tan's recommendation of this book
Andy Puddicombe recommended this bookAndy Puddicombe
"A great all-round book for anyone interested in mindfulness." - Andy Puddicombe
Andy Puddicombe's recommendation of this book
Principles
Life and Work
"A masterpiece - It's a must-read!" - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
24 people
Arianna Huffington recommended this bookArianna Huffington
"Beautifully written and filled with such wisdom." - Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington's recommendation of this book
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book
Bryan Johnson recommended this bookBryan Johnson
"[The author] open sourced Bridgewater’s methods in [this book] and the results were good evidence that collectives can operate at higher levels when they are open and honest about and can see past their cognitive flaws." - Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson's recommendation of this book
Diddy recommended this bookDiddy
"[Ray Dalio]'s a great guy and has a great book out you all need to get called Principles. It’s a major key!!" - Diddy
Diddy's recommendation of this book
Doug McMillon recommended this bookDoug McMillon
"Greg Penner, our chairman, asked me to read it." - Doug McMillon
Doug McMillon's recommendation of this book
Drew Houston recommended this bookDrew Houston
"Sketched really concise and good thoughts for [how to approach life]." - Drew Houston
Drew Houston's recommendation of this book +18
More recommendations
- Dustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.
- Gary Vaynerchuk
"The book's buzz and the reaction of the people has been overwhelming." - Gary Vaynerchuk
- Howard Marks
"I think the guiding quote of the book is [one] from Mark Twain, 'History does not repeat, but it does rhyme.'" - Howard Marks
- Jack Dorsey
"Helpful in showing people how to operate by clearly articulated and shared principles that lead to faster progress." - Jack Dorsey
- Kevin Systrom
"I was blown away. It’s both a guide to life, a guide to business, and also I think an insight into [the author] and someone who’s built an amazing business." - Kevin Systrom
- Mark Cuban
"The book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur." - Mark Cuban
- Michael Bloomberg
"Everyone with goals and dreams can learn from [the author]'s approach." - Michael Bloomberg
- Naval Ravikant
"As with most non-fiction, the meat was in the beginning." - Naval Ravikant
- Reed Hastings
"Had a profound positive impact on my leeadership style." - Reed Hastings
- Tim Ferriss
"I highly, highly recommend this book. It has already changed how I think about making decisions in my life and in my business." - Tim Ferriss
- Tony Robbins
"[Ray Dalio] tells you how he figured it all out – and about all the principles that guided him toward success in his life, business and finances." - Tony Robbins
- Austen Allred
"So good." - Austen Allred
- Patrick O'Shaughnessy
"Bridgewater’s infamous [book]." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy
- Tom Bilyeu
"The most powerful business book I've ever read." - Tom Bilyeu
- Lex Fridman
"A book I highly recommend." - Lex Fridman
- James Clear
"[One of] the 10 books with the most page-for-page wisdom." - James Clear
- Marty Cagan
"In my view, the most important business book of 2017." - Marty Cagan
- Ben Greenfield
Most Recommended Books reached out to Ben Greenfield directly.
- Dustin Moskovitz
The American Story
Conversations with Master Historians
"Illuminates that the tensions in our democracy are actually the fuel that powers our country forward." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person
Fareed Zakaria recommended this bookFareed Zakaria
"Really came out of [...] educating American congressmen about the country's history." - Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria's recommendation of this book
A Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug
The Working Woman's Guide to Overthrowing the Patriarchy
"There is no finish line on the path to equality." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
2 people
Adam Grant recommended this bookAdam Grant
"One of Silicon Valley’s most outspoken journalists challenges us to recognize that motherhood is a source of strength, not weakness." - Adam Grant
Adam Grant's recommendation of this book
Brad Feld recommended this bookBrad Feld
Brad Feld mentioned this book on Twitter.
Brad Feld's recommendation of this book
The Precariat
The New Dangerous Class
"Fascinating." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Ghost Fleet
A Novel of the Next World War
Marc Benioff recommended this book on Twitter. (Source)
MONEY Master the Game
7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
"Incredible." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
3 people
Ryan Petersen recommended this bookRyan Petersen
"A great starting point." - Ryan Petersen
Ryan Petersen's recommendation of this book
Andrew Wilkinson recommended this bookAndrew Wilkinson
"Never thought I'd say this, but [this book] is actually really good." - Andrew Wilkinson
Andrew Wilkinson's recommendation of this book
Lewis Howes recommended this bookLewis Howes
"So interesting." - Lewis Howes
Lewis Howes's recommendation of this book
Greenlights
"#1 Book." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person
Donald Miller recommended this bookDonald Miller
"One of the funniest, most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time." - Donald Miller
Donald Miller's recommendation of this book
The Ones We've Been Waiting For
How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America
"One of the most amazing & insightful books into the future." - Marc Benioff (Source)
The Future Is Faster Than You Think
How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives
"For leaders, innovators, & entrepreneurs wanting to take advantage of converging exponential technologies." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
1 person
Tony Robbins recommended this bookTony Robbins
"A powerful and beautiful masterpiece outlining a compelling future for humanity." - Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins's recommendation of this book
Find Me Unafraid
Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum
"Love [this book]." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Scale
The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies
"If you want to know why companies fail, how cities persist and what is needed to sustain our civilization in this era of rapid innovation, read this amazing book." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
4 people
Vinod Khosla recommended this bookVinod Khosla
"The physics behind biology, cities, economics and companies." - Vinod Khosla
Vinod Khosla's recommendation of this book
Stewart Brand recommended this bookStewart Brand
"Particularly fantastic." - Stewart Brand
Stewart Brand's recommendation of this book
Nassim Taleb recommended this bookNassim Taleb
"Will expand your thinking from three dimensions to four." - Nassim Taleb
Nassim Taleb's recommendation of this book
Bill Miller recommended this bookBill Miller
"If you are curious about how the world really works, you must read this book." - Bill Miller
Bill Miller's recommendation of this book
Future Forward
Leadership Lessons from Patrick McGovern, the Visionary Who Circled the Globe and Built a Technology Media Empire
"Patrick McGovern was a gift to us all." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
4 people
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Patrick McGovern shaped the way that millions of people grew to understand the enormous potential of computers and how they would change the world." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book
Bob Metcalfe recommended this bookBob Metcalfe
"Pat McGovern was an entrepreneur's entrepreneur." - Bob Metcalfe
Bob Metcalfe's recommendation of this book
Guy Kawasaki recommended this bookGuy Kawasaki
"It's about time that Pat's vision and wisdom sees the light of day." - Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki's recommendation of this book
Walter Isaacson recommended this bookWalter Isaacson
"Provides a dramatic, clear-eyed look at this visionary entrepreneur and the leadership lessons he used to build his global company." - Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson's recommendation of this book
The End of Illness
"Showing us how to live long, healthy, disease-free lives." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
2 people
Al Gore recommended this bookAl Gore
"Presents a dramatic, new way of thinking about our own health." - Al Gore
Al Gore's recommendation of this book
Walter Isaacson recommended this bookWalter Isaacson
"Both a useful guide on how to stay healthy and a fascinating analysis of the latest in medical science." - Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson's recommendation of this book
Dear Founder
Letters of Advice for Anyone Who Leads, Manages, or Wants to Start a Business
"An indispensable handbook for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
2 people
Ron Conway recommended this bookRon Conway
"I highly recommend [this book]…. [The author] has so much experience to share with founders!" - Ron Conway
Ron Conway's recommendation of this book
Howard Schultz recommended this bookHoward Schultz
"Serves as an extraordinary resource for leaders and managers in every sector of industry." - Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz's recommendation of this book
AI Superpowers
China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
"[The author] applies his superpowers to predicting the disruptive shifts that will define the AI-powered future." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
8 people
Yuval Noah Harari recommended this bookYuval Noah Harari
"A superb and very timely survey of the impact of AI on the geopolitical system, the job market and human society." - Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari's recommendation of this book
Arianna Huffington recommended this bookArianna Huffington
"One of those books you begin reading and instantly feel that everybody should know about it." - Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington's recommendation of this book
Chris Anderson recommended this bookChris Anderson
"Truly one of the wisest and most surprising takes on AI." - Chris Anderson
Chris Anderson's recommendation of this book
Peter Diamandis recommended this bookPeter Diamandis
"A must read for anyone serious about understanding the future of our species." - Peter Diamandis
Peter Diamandis's recommendation of this book
Satya Nadella recommended this bookSatya Nadella
"Clear-eyed and a must-read." - Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella's recommendation of this book
Tim O’Reilly recommended this bookTim O’Reilly
"If you care about the future being brought to us by AI, this is the one indispensable book of 2018." - Tim O’Reilly
Tim O’Reilly's recommendation of this book +2
More recommendations
- Balaji Srinivasan
"A history of the Chinese tech ecosystem." - Balaji Srinivasan
- Ryan Shea
Ryan Shea recommended this book on his website.
- Balaji Srinivasan
Play Nice But Win
A CEO's Journey from Founder to Leader
"Shares his incredible journey as founder and CEO of one of the most iconic and admired tech companies." - Marc Benioff (Source)
Also recommended by
13 people
Adam Grant recommended this bookAdam Grant
"The saga of how one of the great founders of our time launched his company, grew it, got it back, and rejuvenated it." - Adam Grant
Adam Grant's recommendation of this book
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Walks you through every step of his journey, from starting a company in his college dorm to pulling off the largest all-tech acquisition in history." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book
Eric Schmidt recommended this bookEric Schmidt
"Tells you how to be successful and true to your values in this awe-inspiring narrative of what it takes." - Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt's recommendation of this book
Howard Schultz recommended this bookHoward Schultz
"Has insights for leaders at every stage, from entrepreneur to CEO." - Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz's recommendation of this book
Jamie Dimon recommended this bookJamie Dimon
"Provides a powerful portrait of his life—the early years, the obstacles and challenges, the successes and triumphs." - Jamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon's recommendation of this book
Malcolm Gladwell recommended this bookMalcolm Gladwell
"The quietest of the entrepreneurs who created the modern computer business finally tells his story.'" - Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell's recommendation of this book +7
More recommendations
- Marc Andreessen
"An incredible window into what it’s like to be in a founder’s shoes, and the difficult work of growing a company." - Marc Andreessen
- Matthew McConaughey
"An autobiographical thriller, and Michael Dell is the gangster protagonist." - Matthew McConaughey
- Ray Dalio
"Takes you into the real world of building and transforming an empire." - Ray Dalio
- Richard Branson
"Takes us on a riveting journey from the dorm room at the University of Texas to the boardroom of one of the world’s largest tech companies." - Richard Branson
- Satya Nadella
"Tells his story, that of his iconic company and the grit required to compete in the ever-growing technology industry." - Satya Nadella
- Sheryl Sandberg
"As much a story about resilience as it is about business." - Sheryl Sandberg
- Walter Isaacson
"A fast-paced tale of launching a public company, taking it private, and then taking it public again." - Walter Isaacson
- Marc Andreessen
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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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