10 Books That Jeff Bezos Recommends Downloading to Your Kindle

Hard to believe but Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1994. It all began when Bezos put together a list of products that could be profitable if there was an online marketplace to purchase them. Among the list were compact discs, computer hardware, software, videos, and books. Bezos settled on books among all the products he listed. He knew there was a world-wide demand for books and with millions of book titles to sell, what better place to do so than online? Bezos is now a billionaire with a business that keeps on expanding. It makes sense that someone who started the world’s largest bookstore attributes much of his success to books. 

Pull out that Kindle or hop on your Audible account and download these books Bezos recommends everyone to read.

Memos from the Chairman by Alan C. Greenberg

“Never believe your own body odor is perfume,” is one of the many pieces of advice Alan C. Greenberg shares with you in his book, Memos from the Chairman. A quick read for busy managers and professionals, you’ll learn simple business philosophies that make for a successful entity.

 

 

 

 

 

Sam Walton: Made in America by Sam Walton

The founder of Sam’s Club and Walmart, Sam Walton, recounts what it was like to start a business that is now one of the largest retailers in the world. He relives his tale with anecdotes and “rules” for anyone who is looking to achieve the American Dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering by Frederick P. Brooks Jr.

This isn’t your typical software engineering book. The Mythical Man-Month is a series of engineering facts and opinions that offers insight to anyone dealing with a large, complex project. The central theme is that “adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.” This is also known as Brooks’ Law and has helped companies (including Amazon) organize their man and machine power.

 

 

 

 

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

Find out what it takes for a company to transition into a great one. Best-selling author Jim Collins spent five years researching to see what it took for 28 companies to become great companies. He then compared the data of each to one another. “Some of the key concepts discerned in the study,” comments Jim Collins, “fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people.” He details his findings in a series of six books, starting with Good to Great.

 

 

 

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox

Written as a piece of fiction, The Goal tells the story of plant manager Alex Rogo. Rogo is in a lot of trouble as the plant he manages is currently unprofitable and unreliable. The higher-ups give him three months to turn things around, and Rogo needs to find how to do so. Authors Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox tell management tips through the series of events the character Rogo has to deal with. It’s an excellent book for you, but don’t give it away to your competitors! 

 

 

 

 

Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones

Rather than reinventing the wheel, Lean Thinking advocates to go back to the basics of managing a business. Using examples from major corporations (like Toyota, GE, and Welch) authors James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones explain how the most simple of ideas can point a struggling company in the right direction.

 

 

 

 

 

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Author Nassim Nicholas Taleb defines a black swan as “an event, positive or negative, that is deemed improbable yet causes massive consequences.” In The Black Swan, you’ll learn to navigate through these events successfully. If you are looking for a modern-day masterpiece that will alter your way of how the world works, you’ll want to pick up a copy.

 

 

 

 

Creation: Life and How to Make It by Steve Grand

We are a society that is getting closer to perfecting artificial intelligence (AI), and it is both exciting and frightening at the same time. Since its publication in 2001, technology has come a long way, but the questions Steve Grand poses in Creation: Life and How to Make It still remain unanswered. A thought-proking book that anyone interested in AI should pick up.

 

 

 

 

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton Christensen

Bezos isn’t the only one that recommends The Innovator’s Dilemma. Fast Company, Amazon Editors, Businessweek, and The Wall Street Journal all agree that it is one of the most influential business books of all time. Read, and you’ll see precisely where the biggest names in business have been successful when they failed, and what you can do for your business following these examples.

 

 

 

 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

You can learn just as much from a novel than any other “how-to” book. Said to be Bezos’ favorite book, The Remains of the Day is an award-winning historical fiction novel. The main character, Stevens, is the perfect butler who sets out for a drive one day. Along the way, you enter his past as Stevens determines whether or not he has served the “great gentleman” Lord Darlington well. Doubts arise in Stevens’ mind and indeed doubts about his own life. 

 

 

 

These are all great reads for the entrepreneur and professional looking to be the best of the best. In addition to reading these books, why not take one of our speed reading courses? We’ve designed our courses to help maximize your memory, learn productivity strategies, and advance in your career. Learn more today.