10 inspiring books about visionaries that are shaping our future

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These works are worth reading for anyone who wants to become better at what they do.

Reading a book about someone famous is like asking this person over a cup of coffee about his path to success, ups and downs, stupid mistakes and great achievements. Famous entrepreneurs have an interesting life, so we have collected 10 works about them.

1. "The ZARA Phenomenon" by Covadonga O'Shea

Until recently, not much was known about the personality of the legendary founder of the Zara chain of stores and the owner of the Inditex group of companies Amancio Ortega. Fashion journalist Covadonga O'Shea opened the veil of secrecy and spoke about the approaches and principles that a businessman follows in work and life.

The main rules are to boldly try new things, trust your subordinates, put customer preferences at the forefront, do not disdain simple work and do not stop developing. The book also describes Ortega's early years and the process of creating the fast fashion giant.

2. “Principles. Life and work ", Ray Dalio

Why are principles good? In fact, this is a set of universal rules on how to act in a particular life situation. So you don't have to endlessly come up with new solutions for similar cases. A kind of collection of recipes for success.

The principles of Ray Dalio, the head and founder of investment firm Bridgewater Associates, have helped him reach the heights throughout his life. Judge for yourself: Dalio is one of the 100 most influential people on the planet (according to Time magazine), and the entrepreneur's firm is recognized as the fifth most important private company in the United States (according to Fortune). The rules of a businessman are in the book.

3. “The Everything Store. Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Era, Brad Stone

Jeff Bezos - a genius entrepreneur or an ethically flawed person? Is Amazon an innovative retail leader or a corporation with an outdated approach to work organization and employee motivation? Both. Journalist and writer Brad Stone covers every aspect of the businessman's and his company's success story, and doesn't turn a blind eye to details that differ from a glossy one-dimensional picture. The author strives for objectivity at any cost.

4. “Losing My Innocence: How I Built a Business, Doing It My Way and Enjoy Life,” Richard Branson

Does this secret of success sound tempting? Still would. Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group, shows by his own example how you can grow your company and enjoy the process. In the book, a businessman speaks equally frankly about victories and about grandiose mistakes. Such sincerity is always captivating. Personal observation: at least one of Branson's books has been read by many aspiring entrepreneurs. And yes, an eccentric millionaire knows how to infect with the spirit of novelty and adventure.

5. "Tim Cook", Linder Cani

On account of the journalist and writer Linder Kani, there are already four books about the Apple corporation. This time, he not only and not so much examines the personality of Tim Cook, who succeeded Jobs as CEO of the company, but analyzes the management decisions that led to the firm's undoubted success. Under Cook's leadership, Apple's share price has nearly tripled. As a result, the company became the most valuable corporation on the planet and the first in history to be worth a trillion dollars.

6. “I have an idea! History of IKEA ", Bertil Torekul

The first half of the book paints a portrait of Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA: childhood in a tiny Swedish city and early sales successes, a frugal attitude towards all resources, including time, production capabilities and money. It's easy to get a lot of business ideas from the second part. The book will appeal to owners of small businesses who are close to the "family is a company, and a company is a family" approach.

7. "Shoe Salesman" by Phil Knight

A gripping memoir from the founder of Nike. It's 1962. Oregon student and middle distance runner Phil Knight borrows $ 50 from his father and travels to Japan to negotiate the first deliveries of sneakers. Fast forward to the present: Nike's annual turnover is $ 30 billion, and Nike is worn by everyone from teenagers and athletes to rappers and presidents. The book tells how it happened.

8. “Never give up. The history of AliExpress”, John Grisham

Audiobook for those who have heard almost nothing about Jack Ma, the owner of the Alibaba group of companies. John Grisham has put together facts about the entrepreneur and interviews with him. Don't expect an audiobook to rip off the covers - this is a short and succinct overview of the life and work of a man who was named the most influential businessman in Asia by Forbes magazine and whose fortune is estimated at more than $ 50 billion in 2021.

9. "My Life, My Achievements," Henry Ford

A classic book from the list "What to read for an aspiring entrepreneur." Henry Ford talks about the decisions that led his company to success, what qualities a businessman should have, and more importantly, people or maximum productivity. Read on through a 21st century ethics and worldview.

10. "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the road to the future", Ashley Vance

A fascinating story about a South African youth who has always had ambitious dreams. Affordable space flights? Yes! Stylish and powerful alternative energy vehicles? Of course! Today we know this guy as the founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, and his dreams are consistently being realized. Ashley Vance skillfully increases the degree of tension, and we simply cannot help but empathize with the hero and root for him.

MyBook gives new users 14 days of premium subscription with a promotional code JULY2021plus a 25% off MyBook premium subscription for one or three months. The code must be activated by July 31, 2021.