books founders recommend.
the books our founders say they gift, recommend or call a favourite, in their own words. each one links to where they said it. older picks carry their year.
named by more than one.
naval ravikantrecommends“If going to start with one book. Start with Anthony de Mello’s A Way to Love or his book Awareness.”
tim ferrissgifts“I’ve gifted this at least 50 times, so I’ll keep gifting it.”
by founder.
steven bartlett5 books- lost connectionsjohann harirecommends
“It’s probably the number one book I recommend.”
- stolen focusjohann harifavourite
“now one of my favorite books”
- indistractablenir eyalfavourite
- the slight edgejeff olsonfavourite
- the psychology of moneymorgan houselfavourite
emma grede5 books- lean insheryl sandberggifts
“I bought it for every single woman in my office.”
- mindsetcarol dweckfavourite
“She gave me the language for understanding who I was.”
- what i know for sureoprah winfreyfavourite
- daring greatlybrené brownfavourite
“Game changer. To me, that was a lightning bolt.”
- the magic faraway treeenid blytonfavourite
“I think that that might have given birth to my love of reading.”
tony robbins4 books- as a man thinkethjames allengifts
“I’ve read this book more than a dozen times and often give it as a gift.”
- man’s search for meaningviktor franklrecommends
“It taught me that if you change the meaning, you change everything.”
- principlesray daliorecommends
- a mind at home with itselfbyron katierecommends
“A beautiful how-to for anyone wanting freedom from The Mind.”
jack dorsey5 books- the coming wavemustafa suleymanrecommends
“excellent book”
- ishmaeldaniel quinnrecommends
“this book (and The Story Of B) is incredible”
- tao te chinglaozifavourite
- becoming steve jobsbrent schlender & rick tetzelirecommends
“Amazing read and study”
- seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one seeslawrence weschlerrecommends
“beautiful book on the work of Robert Irwin”
whitney wolfe herd2 books- shantaramgregory david robertsgifts
“Something I’ve always gifted and just kind of held close over the years.”
- the plant paradoxsteven r. gundrygifts
“I think I’ve sent that book to 100 people, at this point.”
naval ravikant5 books- the beginning of infinitydavid deutschrecommends
“a degree more than a book.”
- the fabric of realitydavid deutschfavourite
“I’d rather reread the best of the best than go hunting for new books.”
- i am thatnisargadatta maharajfavourite
“I’m still absorbing Fabric of Reality, Schopenhauer’s Collected Works and I Am That.”
- awarenessanthony de mellorecommends
“If going to start with one book. Start with Anthony de Mello’s A Way to Love or his book Awareness.”
- the book of eloneric jorgensonrecommends
“The only book an entrepreneur needs.”
patrick bet-david5 books- power vs. forcedavid r. hawkinsfavourite
“I cant recommend this book enough. I read it back in 2000. Life changing to say the least.”
- unreasonable hospitalitywill guidararecommends
“A must read book!”
- hitmakertommy mottolarecommends
“a MUST read for every doer + entrepreneur.”
- how the mighty falljim collinsrecommends
“A must read book for every executive.”
- self-reliance and other essaysralph waldo emersonrecommends
“Timeless book to read. Highly recommend it.”
- the shardsbret easton ellisfavourite
“I simply couldn’t put it down.”
- scar tissueanthony kiedisfavourite
“One of my favorite and random books of all time.”
- start with whysimon sinekfavourite
“I also love Start with Why by Simon Sinek…”
- the mastery of lovedon miguel ruizfavourite
- think like a monkjay shettyfavourite
- hanging by a threaderin deeringrecommends
“I loved her story.”
jocko willink3 books- about facedavid h. hackworthfavourite
“About Face. Hackworth.”
- by water beneath the wallsbenjamin h. milliganrecommends
“This is the best book I have ever read on the subject.”
- homestandwill bardenwerperrecommends
“Great book by a great guy.”
tim ferriss5 books- awarenessanthony de mellogifts
“I’ve gifted this at least 50 times, so I’ll keep gifting it.”
- tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrowgabrielle zevingifts
“This was a new find in 2025.”
- goldrumi, trans. haleh liza gaforigifts
“Read 1–2 poems before bed each night and thank me later.”
- letters from a stoicsenecagifts
“perhaps the ultimate operating system for thriving in high-stress environments”
- surely you’re joking, mr. feynman!richard p. feynmangifts
brian chesky4 books- abundanceezra klein & derek thompsonrecommends
“this book has meaningfully influenced a lot of people who actually have the power to build”
- make something wonderfulsteve jobs archiverecommends
“Very cool new book”
- high output managementandy groverecommends
“That book will teach you the fundamental first principles of management.”
- the ride of a lifetimerobert igerrecommends
“Bob’s book is great”
jesse itzler1 book- fit for lifeharvey & marilyn diamondfavourite
“Single biggest life changer for me.”
mark zuckerberg4 books- the end of powermoisés naímrecommends
“The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply.”
- creativity, inc.ed catmullrecommends
“I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity.”
- the idea factoryjon gertnerrecommends
- the last days of nightgraham moorerecommends
“Graham is a great storyteller.”
george heaton1 book- discipline is destinyryan holidayrecommends
“It’s extremely inspiring.”
- when breath becomes airpaul kalanithifavourite
“One of my favorite books… I re-read it annually.”
- benjamin franklin: an american lifewalter isaacsonfavourite
“A real must read.”
- barbarian dayswilliam finneganfavourite
“Seriously one of my favorite books ever.”
- the splendid and the vileerik larsonfavourite
“one of my favorite books of all time.”
- four thousand weeksoliver burkemanfavourite
“my favorite book this year.”
gwyneth paltrow5 books- the obstacle is the wayryan holidayrecommends
“A mentor of mine recommended that I read The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday.”
- crime and punishmentfyodor dostoevskyfavourite
“One of my all-time favorite novels.”
- jane eyrecharlotte brontëfavourite
“It was the first adult book that I got lost in.”
- the sheltering skypaul bowlesfavourite
“One of the most visual books I’ve ever read.”
- the catcher in the ryej. d. salingerfavourite
“The first book I ever read that made me laugh out loud.”