We reached out to successful entrepreneurs from all over the world for their recommendations for college students (esp those who are about to graduate to have recently graduated) about the books they need to read. We got a ton of responses, and we shortlisted some of the best.
These are some of the books (not in any particular order) that were highly recommended by successful entrepreneurs/CEOs etc
1) Elon Musk: How The Billionaire Ceo Of Spacex And Tesla Is Shaping Our Future
Author: Ashley Vance
Having graduated from college not too long ago myself, I found it difficult to actually apply my theoretical knowledge upon the world and make a difference. This book gives an excellent insight into the working philosophy of Elon Musk and how to apply your knowledge very efficiently. The ebook is filled with real-life examples (and failures) endured by Musk himself, making it easy to relate to for any college student.
Recommended by: Amit Gami
Purchase link: Get It From Amazon
2) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
3) To My Professor: Student Voices for Great College Teaching
Author: Michigan State University School of Journalism
“To My Professor: Student Voices for Great College Teaching” begins with remarks by students about their professors. They tend not to be the kind of remarks that professors usually hear, and some are harsh. Others are full of gratitude for teachers who inspire and motivate. The “To My Professor” statements are really just starting points that lead to advice from master teachers. Teaching college is difficult and this book has some potential solutions. More than 50 chapters cover situations including expectations, communication, technology, race, gender and religion, mental and physical health.
Recommended by: Susan Stitt
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon
4) Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
Authors: Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz
As an introvert, networking does not come naturally to me. Instead, itis a learned skill I have used to grow my career. Save yourself the trouble of learning networking through trial and error. I’ve read“Never Eat Alone” three times including twice via audio. The authors lay out specific, step by step process to build relationships with other people in a way that feels great for everybody involved. You will find excellent advice on how to use networking to achieve your career goals. In addition, there is an outstanding chapter on how to network effectively at conferences. By the way, don’t assume nobody will speak with you as a student. If you are hungry to learn and come prepared with a few good questions,many professionals will be happy to meet with you.
Recommended by: Bruce Harpham – Technology Marketing Consultant
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon – Get the Audiobook
5) Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant
Author: Robert Kiyosaki
We all come from different walks of life with different backgrounds. Some and some are not taught topics of finance and management when growing up. No matter your background, this book will help the listener obtain a new perspective on how to earn money and the difference between Active and Passive Income. This book helped me ditch the employee mentality and jump to the business owner/investor quadrant when you graduate from college. A must listen or read!
Recommended By: Chris McDermott – Real Estate Investor
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon
6) One Hundred Years Of Solitude
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The novel is written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’. The book is about a fictional Columbian town Maconda and the Buendia family, who were the founders of this town. It is an important book, and every student should make time to read it as it contains a valuable lesson about the importance and the value of friends and family which I believe is the fundamental thing to learn, especially when you are young.
Recommended by: Ahmed Ali – Outreach Consultant @ Heart Water
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon
7) Business in The Time of Corona: How to pivot your career or startup and succeed in disruption
Author: Sam Kamani
I recently read a new book called ‘Business in the Time of Corona’ by Sam Kamani, a New Zealand entrepreneur. I highly recommend this book to college students this summer who are currently anxious about their career prospects during and post Covid-19. The book’s discussion on ‘pivot’ success stories along with its practical strategies are very suitable for students and young professionals. Since reading the book I definitely feel more equipped to successfully deal with the current crisis and its potential impact on my future career.
Recommended By: Jennifer Yeoh
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon
8) In the Land of Whispers: The Weight of Smoke
Author: George Robert Minkoff
The three books comprising the trilogy In the Land of Whispers are historical novels about the founding of the first English colony in the New World at Jamestown, Virginia. The canvas is vast, intertwining the life of John Smith, as narrator, with that of Sir Francis Drake, the great Elizabethan explorer, whose feats thirty years beforehand inspired Queen Elizabeth and later King James, to dream of an English Empire. These novels depict the reality of the people who braved great unknowns – treacherous seas, new territory, indigenous populations – to bring with them a utopian ideal that was ultimately shattered on the altar of English custom. All three sagas, narrated by Shakespearean actor Nigel Gore, are available together on Amazon.com and Audible.com. Gore’s reading gives Minkoff’s language the dramatic lyricism of the English stage.
Recommended By: Olga Gonzalez, FGA DGA
Purchase Link: Get the Audiobooks from Audible – Get the ebook from Amazon
9) Healthcare Heroes: The Medical Careers Guide
Authors: Mary Choy, Michele B. Kaufman
Healthcare Heroes, with a prescient title, so relevant to our times, is a valuable reference for any student intending to embark on a career in healthcare. With passion, dedication, and practical information, Drs. Choy and Kaufman have compiled a book that educates, inspires, and guides students in their search for careers. At New York Institute of Technology, where I am an adjunct instructor in English, many of my students enroll with the intent to embark on careers in the healthcare professions. Often, although they have chosen to major in life sciences/pre-medicine, nursing, or bio-medicine, they have no idea what their career choices entail. This book serves as a reference and guide for the choices students will make as they pursue their degrees. It is more than a reference book though because it contains first-person discussions of the dreams, goals, and passions of real people who have succeeded in the field of healthcare, and these vignettes are what give the book its power.
The effectiveness of the book also lies in its organization and personal perspectives. For example, the chapters are divided by healthcare careers (who knew there were so many?) that range from the most well-known, physician and nurse, to lesser-known, surgical technologist and medical writer, to related professions such as social worker and art or music therapist. Each chapter also contains a section on why the professional chose the career and the requirements for that career. The wide range of fields allows readers to explore different aspects of healthcare to pinpoint those which match their unique talents. I always tell my pre-med/science/technical students with artistic or theatrical interests that they can find ways to explore those aspects of their personalities as well as their passion for healthcare. This book offers substantive suggestions on how to do that. This book would be valuable for any student to read. It can also be used by teachers in a class on writing for the healthcare professions or for any course where students are preparing for healthcare careers. Judging from present-day needs, this book will be essential for years to come.
Recommended by: Anne Sanderson (MA, English Department, New York Institute of Technology)
Purchase Link: Healthcare Heroes: The Medical Careers Guide
10) Connect! How to Quickly Collaborate For Success in Business and Life
Author: Barry J Moline
America, we have a problem. We lack civility in our communications, and we’ve lost the habit of working together. This limits productivity costs billions of dollars in wasted time and even threatens our ability to find political solutions to major national problems. Fortunately, we can fix it!
CONNECT! shows you how to quickly develop relationships that allow you to work well with others and accomplish important shared goals. You’ll learn to enhance collaboration between colleagues and teams, use networking to meet people quickly (and enjoy it!), onboard new employees effectively, and learn to handle situations when people don’t respond positively.
Follow Barry on Medium
Recommended by Brigette Young – Founder & CEO of The Modern Muse Company
Purchase Link: Get it from Amazon
Do let us know what you think. Do you have anything that you would recommend, or have you read one of these books (or heard the audiobook) and want to comment?
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