Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2014. The prices cited, such as most of these books on Kindle for less than €1 and The Prince for €0.47, are from the original and will have changed.
In a previous article we recommended business books to read in 2018. This time we are going to name the most influential classic business books in history, the ones great leaders and entrepreneurs have drawn invaluable lessons from.
Luckily, these days you can get most of these books on Amazon for ridiculously small sums of money, sometimes for less than €1 in the Kindle edition.
The best classic business books every entrepreneur should read
1. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
Written almost 2,000 years ago, the great Roman emperor set down in his personal writings a series of reflections and pieces of advice that are still valid today, however much times have changed.
In this book, Marcus Aurelius talks about the timeless nature of human beings and about how to keep self-control and determination in the face of adversity. It is one of those books that should be required reading at school.
Together with The Prince and The Art of War, Meditations ranks among the best classic business books of all time.
2. The Prince
The best-known work by Machiavelli, which has inspired a varied group of leaders, from Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte all the way to the Mafia boss John Gotti.
Machiavelli was considered a ruthless and manipulative leader, so how you interpret his teachings is up to you.
You can download the book for €0.47, or you can get the edition annotated by Napoleon Bonaparte himself.
3. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
This ancient classic by the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu is among the 3 books every leader should read. It is required reading for any executive.
Sun Tzu explained how to win on the battlefield by devising strategies, and how to survive an enemy that is bigger and more powerful. Best of all, his strategies are 100% applicable to the world of management and business.
One of the most recommended classic business books.
4. The Richest Man in Babylon
Probably one of the first books ever written on financial education. I even think Robert Kiyosaki based his own books on this one.
The Richest Man in Babylon will teach you a set of rules as old as the world itself for achieving success and prosperity. For people who are starting to invest and save, it is without a doubt a good place to begin, because I am sure that practically everything written on financial education from 1926 onwards came out of this book or followed the same script. It is still one of the most widely read books.
5. The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino
I discovered this book thanks to a reader who mentioned it in a comment, even though I had already read other books by this author.
Og Mandino tells the story of a poor traveller in the ancient Middle East who begins to carve out his path to wealth. Full of valuable lessons on motivation and the art of selling, it is a book that will teach you never to take “no” for an answer.
I will mention the remaining classics only briefly so as not to repeat myself, since we have already included them in previous recommendations.
6. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
Probably one of the most influential books when it comes to motivating you and advising you on reaching your goals in life.
7. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
A must-read classic, according to Warren Buffett and many other great leaders and billionaires.
See also: The best books on financial education
See also: 8 books Warren Buffett thinks everyone should read
Featured image: Jebulon, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
