Top Books to

Transform an
Entrepreneur’s Life

danmartell.com
Top Books to Transform
an Entrepreneur’s Life
Here’s the truth... Then it all changed when I saw a book
called Love is The Killer App.
Second to people, books have had
the greatest impact on my life. It was by a guy named Tim Sanders
and he worked at Yahoo.
It all started with a trip to the bookstore.
Since I was a tech nerd, it
I was 23 years old, had started
resonated with me.
two failed companies, and was
about to start on my 3rd. I figured if I didn’t learn anything,
at least their would be some good
I was so worried of failing.
stories about a company I admired.
I decided to look for guidance.
So I bought it... the audio book version :)
But I wasn’t a “reader”.
(Still counts, right?)
Up until that point in my life,
Once I started I couldn’t stop.
I had never read a book.
I binge-listened to that book
I’m serious... It actually took me
over the next 2 days.
5 years to get out of high school
because I wasn’t a great student. It literally transformed my life.

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 2

Over the years I’ve read Certain books can be listened to,
over 1,000+ books. in those cases I make a suggestion
next to the author’s name.
Reading is what shapes my
thinking, my actions and are Other should be read with a highlighter.
responsible for my outcomes.
The key to reading is retention.
That’s why I wanted to create this list.
Here’s the dirty truth.
I get entrepreneurs asking me all the time
Most books could be
to recommend books... but the truth is, I
summarized into 20 pages.
can’t do it justice without understanding
the challenge they’re having. What makes a great book a GREAT
book is it’s ability to suck us in and
So that’s why I created this list.
persuade us to take action.
It’s the books that have stood
It’s about a transformation.
out for me over the years.
To connect with a book you need
They might not be the most popular but
to underline, highlight and share
they moved me to take action and had
what you’ve learned with others.
a dramatic impact in my businesses.
It’ll help you go back and reference
So here you go.
key strategies, quotes and suggestions
How Should You Read Them? made by the author to help you
improve your business and life.

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 3

Do the work. But...

Collect your highlights and review them. If you read a book, and make a firm
commitment to extract and implement
That way, it gets ingrained in your mind
3 new strategies you learned, then
and will help guide your decisions.
you’ve integrated the learning.
What Should You Do With
After a while, it compounds
What You Learn?
and you will grow.
The key to getting benefit from reading is
Trust me, it’s a beautiful thing.
integrating the knowledge into your life.
It also helps build your confidence
If all you do is read to be inspired but
because the world stops seeming
do nothing with it then you might as well
so mysterious to you.
have spent that time serving a customer.

Dan Martell

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 4

Personal Development

Think and Awaken the Managing

Grow Rich Giant Within: Oneself
by Napoleon Hill How To Take Immediate Control by Peter Drucker
Of Your Mental, Emotional,
Physical And Financial
by Tony Robbins

As a Man The
Thinketh Compound
by James Allen Effect
by Darren Hardy

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 5

Productivity

The 7 Habits of Getting

Highly Effective Things Done:
The Art of Stress-Free
People Productivity
by Stephen R. Covey by David Allen

The 4-Hour The ONE Thing:

The Surprisingly Simple
Work Week: Truth Behind Extraordinary
Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere Results
and Join the New Rich
by Gary Keller and Jay
by Timothy Ferriss Papasan

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 6

Motivation

The Magic Of The Charge: The 48 Laws

Activating the 10
Thinking Big Human Drives That of Power
by David Schwartz Make You by Robert Greene
by Brendon Burchard

Leadership

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership:

Follow Them and People Will Follow You
by John C. Maxwell

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 7

Marketing

Purple Cow: Influence:

Transform Your Business by Being The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins
Business Essentials)
Remarkable
by Robert B. Cialdini PhD
by Seth Godin

Positioning: Getting Everything You

The Battle for Your Mind Paperback Can Out of All You’ve Got:
by Al Ries & Jack Trout 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-
Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition
by Jay Abraham

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 8

Business Building & Systems

Good to Great: Scaling Up: The E Myth:

Why Some Companies How a Few Companies Make Why Most Businesses
Make the Leap...And It...and Why the Rest Don’t Don’t Work and What
Others Don’t by Verne Harnish to Do About It
by Jim Collins by Michael E. Gerber

Work the System: The Checklist

The Simple Mechanics of
Making More and Working Less Manifesto:
How to Get Things Right
by Sam Carpenter
by Atul Gawande

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 9

Hiring & Managing People

Who Tribal Leadership:

by Geoff Smart Leveraging Natural Groups to
Build a Thriving Organization
by Dave Logan

Delivering Scrum:
Happiness: The Art of Doing Twice
the Work in Half the
A Path to Profits, Time Hardcover
Passion, and Purpose
by Jeff Sutherland
by Tony Hsieh

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 10

Getting More Sales
& Persuasion

The Ultimate Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little

Sales Machine Red Book of Selling:
By Chet Holmes 12.5 Principles for sales greatness:
How to make sales FOREVER
by Jeffrey Gitomer

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 11

Inspiring Business Stories
& Biographies

Steve Jobs Losing My Virginity:

by Walter Isaacson How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a
Fortune Doing Business My Way
by Richard Branson

Titan: Elon Musk:

The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest
by Ron Chernow for a Fantastic Future,
by Ashlee Vance

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 12

Building Business
Relationships

Never Eat Alone, How to Win Friends and

Expanded and Updated: Influence People
And Other Secrets to Success, One by Dale Carnegie
Relationship at a Time
by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 13

Using Story To
Compel Others

The Hero’s Journey Tell to Win: Start With Why:

By Joseph Campbell Connect, Persuade, How Great Leaders Inspire
and Triumph with the Everyone to Take Action
Hidden Power of Story by Simon Sinek
by Peter Guber

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 14

Finding & Breaking Through
Creative Blocks

Steal Like an Artist: The War of Art

10 Things Nobody Told You About by Steven Pressfield
Being Creative
by Austin Kleon

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 15

Cool Science &
Behaviour Psychology

The Tipping Point: Sapiens:

How Little Things Can Make a Big A Brief History of Humankind
Difference by Yuval Noah Harari
by Malcolm Gladwell

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 16

Building a Software Company

The Lean Startup: Don’t Make Me The Innovator’s

How Today’s Entrepreneurs
Use Continuous Innovation to
Create Radically Successful
Businesses Kindle Edition
by Eric Ries
Think, Revisited:
A Common Sense
Approach to Web Usability
(Voices That Matter)
by Steve Krug
Dilemma:
The Revolutionary Book
That Will Change the Way
You Do Business
by Clayton M. Christensen

Crossing the Chasm: Zero to One:

Marketing and Selling Disruptive Notes on Startups, or How to
Products to Mainstream Customers Build the Future
by Geoffrey A. Moore by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 17

Personal Development Business Building & Systems Building Business Relationships
Think and Grow Rich Good to Great: Why Some Companies Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated:
by Napoleon Hill Make the Leap...And Others Don’t And Other Secrets to Success, One
Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take by Jim Collins Relationship at a Time
by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
Immediate Control of Your Mental, Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make
Emotional, Physical and Financial It...and Why the Rest Don’t How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Tony Robbins by Verne Harnish by Dale Carnegie
Managing Oneself The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Using Story To Compel Others
by Peter Drucker Work and What to Do About It The Hero’s Journey
by Michael E. Gerber
As a Man Thinketh by Joseph Campbell
by James Allen Work the System: The Simple Mechanics Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and
The Compound Effect of Making More and Working Less Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story
by Darren Hardy
by Sam Carpenter by Peter Guber
Productivity The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire
Things Right Everyone to Take Action
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Atul Gawande
by Simon Sinek
by Stephen R. Covey
Hiring & Managing People Finding & Breaking Through
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-
Free Productivity Who Creative Blocks
by Geoff Smart
by David Allen Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Told You About Being Creative
Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Austin Kleon
by Dave Logan
by Timothy Ferriss The War of Art
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, by Steven Pressfield
Truth Behind Extraordinary Results Passion, and Purpose Cool Science & Behaviour
by Tony Hsieh
by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan Psychology
Motivation Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can
in Half the Time Hardcover Make a Big Difference
The Charge: Activating the 10 Human by Jeff Sutherland
by Malcolm Gladwell
Drives That Make You
by Brendon Burchard
Getting More Sales & Persuasion Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
The Magic Of Thinking Big The Ultimate Sales Machine by Yuval Noah Harari
by Chet Holmes
by David Schwartz Building a Software Company
The 48 Laws of Power Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book The Lean Startup: How Today’s
by Robert Greene
of Selling: 12.5 Principles for sales Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation
greatness: How to make sales FOREVER to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Leadership by Jeffrey Gitomer
Kindle Edition
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Inspiring Business Stories by Eric Ries
Follow Them and People Will Follow You & Biographies Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A
by John C. Maxwell
Steve Jobs Common Sense Approach to Web
Marketing by Walter Isaacson Usability (Voices That Matter)
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by by Steve Krug
Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had
Being Remarkable Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business The Innovator’s Dilemma: The
by Seth Godin My Way Revolutionary Book That Will Change the
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Richard Branson Way You Do Business
(Collins Business Essentials) by Clayton M. Christensen
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
by Robert B. Cialdini PhD by Ron Chernow Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream
Paperback for a Fantastic Future, Customers
by Al Ries & Jack Trout by Geoffrey A. Moore
by Ashlee Vance
Getting Everything You Can Out of All Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to
You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out- Build the Future
Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Competition
by Jay Abraham

TOP BOOKS TO TRANSFORM AN ENTREPRENEUR’S LIFE 18