30 May 2025
8 MIN READ
20 Overlooked Must-Read Books for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in 2025
Summary
Success leaves clues, and many of them are hidden in books most entrepreneurs haven’t read. If you’re building a business in 2025, this curated list of the best books for entrepreneurs blends strategic insight, psychology, marketing, and leadership lessons that don’t often show up on mainstream lists.
Best books for entrepreneurs in 2025: Core strategy and mindset
These foundational books focus on psychology, growth, and unconventional thinking, ideal for any entrepreneur ready to rethink how business actually works.
1. Alchemy (Rory Sutherland)
A smart, entertaining book on the irrational nature of consumer decisions. Sutherland blends psychology and marketing in a way that makes you question traditional logic in branding.
2. Cashvertising (Drew Eric Whitman)
An underground favorite in ad psychology, this book breaks down why people buy and how top advertisers use science to persuade without being noticed.
3. Competition Demystified (Bruce Greenwald & Judd Kahn)
A simplified but powerful take on competitive strategy. This is one of the recommended books for entrepreneurs who want to outthink, not outspend, their competition.
4. Extreme Revenue Growth (Victor Cheng)
Startup secrets from a consultant who’s helped founders grow sales from $1M to $25M. A book that offers a pragmatic approach by combining many cross-functional practices to draft a blueprint for explosive growth.
5. Hidden Champions of the Twenty-First Century (Hermann Simon)
A look at global companies you’ve never heard of, but should. This book decodes how lesser-known firms quietly dominate their markets. The author identifies the common patterns, behaviors, and approaches that contribute to the success of these companies.
Recommended books for entrepreneurs on leadership and mindset
These books for entrepreneurs focus on the personal qualities, mental models, and resilience needed to lead and scale a business.
6. How to Get Lucky (Max Gunther)
What if luck isn’t random? This book outlines 13 techniques used by consistently "lucky" people, and how entrepreneurs can create more of their own good fortune.
7. Mindset (Carol S. Dweck)
A book presented by renowned psychologist Carol S. Dweck, who introduced the “growth mindset”. Essential reading for entrepreneurs who want to reframe failure as feedback.
8. Oversubscribed (Daniel Priestley)
Want customers lining up to buy? Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley, deals with how businesses can deploy the methods of oversubscribing in a crowded marketplace. The co-founder of Entrevo guides you on how business strategy can lead people to follow your model. A must for marketing-led founders.
9. Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff)
Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff is a book that teaches the correct and exclusive method of pitching. The author affirms that creating and presenting a great pitch isn't an art but a simple science. Oren, the Director of Capital Markets at Intersection Capital, shares his method of pitching by applying the latest findings in the field of neuroeconomics.
10. The Art of Thinking Clearly (Rolf Dobelli)
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli presents a captivating and eye-opening view of human reasoning. It is an essential reading for anyone with important decisions to make. Rolf provides an examination of the faulty reasoning that leads to repeated mistakes by individuals, businesses, and nations. The book is a review of this faulty reasoning and concludes a well-considered treatise on avoiding ‘self-induced unhappiness.
Top books for entrepreneurs on marketing and profitability
If you’re building demand or trying to turn attention into profit, these are your go-to reads.
11. How Brands Grow (Byron Sharp)
How Brands Grow is an exceptional literature review on the effectiveness of advertising, an ideal read for all marketing professionals seeking to grow their brands.
12. Scientific Advertising (Claude C. Hopkins)
From the work of well-known advertising leader, Claude C. Hopkins. He is known as the father of modern advertising techniques and has inspired many leaders and students of advertising and marketing. The book Scientific Advertising is another inspirational and critical piece of literature on advertising from the early 20th century. A book that is still referred to today by those learning the basics and more advanced parts of the advertising field.
13. The Art of Profitability (Adrian J. Slywotzky)
Not all revenue is good revenue. This book teaches you to understand profit patterns and make intelligent pricing decisions. It presents ongoing tutorials between two fictitious individuals describing several patterns of business operation.
14. The Great Game of Business (Jack Stack)
First published in 1992, The Great Game of Business outlines a unique approach to running a business. It is one of the top ten most essential business books for all growth-minded company leaders to read. The book paved the way for a business revolution by introducing the world to open-book management, a new approach to running a business that generated unprecedented profits and employee engagement.
15. The Success Equation (Michael J. Mauboussin)
The Success Equation by Michael J. Mauboussin examines the interplay between skill and luck in shaping our experiences in life. The author presents complex neuroscience in accessible terms, using case studies and examples from various fields, including investing decisions, college rankings, and hospital procedures. The book is a must-read for those who seek to make better decisions in business and life.
Books for entrepreneurs based on real stories and lessons
Want to learn from real founders and operators? These top books for entrepreneurs reveal the stories behind the headlines and the failures that no one talks about.
16. American Icon (Bryce G. Hoffman)
A book that delivers first-hand experience and the inside story of the remarkable transformation of Ford Motor Company under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally.
17. Let My People Go Surfing (Yvon Chouinard)
The Patagonia founder's personal story and unconventional views on capitalism, sustainability, and purpose-driven business.
18. The Courage to Be Disliked (Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga)
The Courage to Be Disliked explores a complex theory, which is presented as an intersection of Adlerian psychology and Stoic philosophy in a Socratic dialogue. The book is read by many and noted as a transformative and practical guide to personal happiness and self-fulfillment. Deeply relevant for entrepreneurs who are managing expectations and criticism.
19. The Goal (Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox)
This is an enjoyable business novel written on state-of-the-art economic theory. The book conveys a series of messages that explain the ideas underlying the Theory of Constraints, as developed by the authors.
20. Turn the Ship Around (L. David Marquet)
Turn the Ship Around was first published in 2013 and has inspired readers and shaped organizations by projecting a work environment where everyone takes responsibility for their actions. Based on the true story of former Navy Captain David Marquet, the book serves as a how-to manual for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.
Conclusion
In a world obsessed with shortcuts, reading might feel slow, but it’s often the fastest way to avoid costly mistakes. These books for entrepreneurs offer timeless insights, practical frameworks, and mindset shifts that can change how you lead, scale, and build. If you're serious about success, treat these not as a reading list, but a roadmap.
People also ask
Which book is best for entrepreneurship?
It depends on your focus. For branding, try Alchemy; for growth strategy, Extreme Revenue Growth; and for mindset, Mindset by Carol Dweck.
Who is the No. 1 entrepreneur in the world?
While subjective, many consider Elon Musk the most influential entrepreneur today, founder of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, and owner of X (formerly Twitter).
What are the top 10 business books?
Some top picks: Pitch Anything, Oversubscribed, How Brands Grow, Mindset, Scientific Advertising, American Icon, The Art of Profitability, The Goal, Turn the Ship Around!, and Cashvertising.
What are the 5 C's of an entrepreneur?
Courage, Confidence, Creativity, Commitment, and Communication are key traits every founder needs to develop and balance.