18 new books for entrepreneurs to get ahead in 2018

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What better way to get started in the new year than with a list of books to read? That’s how I see it. So here’s my selection of books to make sense of the world of startups, entrepreneurs, and tech trends in 2018. The aim is to inspire us to go from good to great.

I’ve curated it for my use and presented it in reverse chronological order, starting with books yet to be released and going on to recently published ones. There are many good lists already of evergreen gems, so I restricted myself to new books. But in the comments section below the article, I hope to find your suggestions – from old favorites you’ve relished as well as new books you’re looking forward to savoring.

First, let’s dive into this compilation of thought leaders and practical guides for anybody who aspires to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

The New Global Road Map – Pankaj Ghemawat

Management guru Pankaj Ghemawat is well known for his works on business strategies for going global. He now looks at it from the angle of rising nationalism and growing pressures against globalization in The New Global Road Map: Enduring Strategies for Turbulent Times, set for release this year. With examples from his consultancy around the world, he aims to help companies figure out their global footprint in the new business environment.

Conspiracy – Ryan Holiday

One of the biggest media events in recent times has been the stunning collapse of Gawker Media after it was sued for publishing Hulk Hogan’s sex tape. The case became more intriguing when it emerged that Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel secretly financed the lawsuit for years to settle old scores with Gawker. Ryan Holiday, best known for authoring The Obstacle is the Way with Tim Ferris, talks to the key players for a deep dive into the plot that undid Gawker. Bookmark Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue if you’re interested in the shifting landscape of digital media and power equations. If you’d rather just watch a documentary film on this, look up Nobody Speak on Netflix.

Skin in the Game – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I can’t wait for Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, iconoclastic author of Black Swan, Antifragile, and Fooled by Randomness. “Skin in the game” is a familiar phrase in startup circles, but Taleb’s interpretation broadens it to cover all aspects of risk management in our lives – from making a financial investment to committing to a religious faith.

Superconnector – Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh

Superconnectors are people who take networking beyond handing out business cards and making LinkedIn connections. In Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships that Matter, set for release in February, the authors share their insights on building professional communities. Scott Gerber is the CEO of The Community Company and Ryan Paugh co-founded CommunityCo. They draw upon anecdotes and strategies from successful superconnectors. Another notable book on networking coming out in May is Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career by business school professor David Burkus.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing – Daniel H. Pink

The best-selling author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and To Sell is Human has a new book releasing in January – When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Timing often determines success, whether you’re launching a product or declaring your love. But it’s mostly based on gut feel. Daniel Pink delves into the science behind it, drawing upon research in psychology and economics.

Great at Work – Morten T. Hansen

Business school professor Morten T Hansen is the co-author of the best-selling Great by Choice along with Jim Collins, well-known author of Good to Great published earlier. While those books focused on how companies and leaders succeed or fail, Hansen zeroes in on individual performance in his new book Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More scheduled to be released in January. The Berkeley professor draws upon a five-year study of managers and employees to present a seven-point framework for working smarter.

See: 13 biographies for entrepreneurs to read in 2017

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Blockchain – Richard Jacobs

The skyrocketing of bitcoin and ether, along with the growing adoption of their underlying blockchain technology, was the story of 2017. So here’s a book to prepare for what’s to come this year. Author Richard Jacobs started a podcast in 2016 on new technologies, and a side project was to write this book: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Blockchain: Surprising Insights from 200+ Podcast Interviews of Industry Insiders. It provides a broad sweep of issues around cryptocurrency and the application of blockchain in different areas.

Who Can You Trust? – Rachel Botsman

Blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies are taking us into a new world. Rachel Botsman, who teaches an MBA course on the collaborative economy at Oxford University’s Said Business School, explains emerging concepts of “distributed trust” across networks of people, organizations, and intelligent machines. Published in November, Who Can You Trust?: How Technology Brought Us Together and Why It Might Drive Us Apart throws light on an uncharted landscape.

Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love – Marty Cagan

Marty Cagan, who led product development at Netscape, HP, and eBay, became a thought leader on the subject with Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love, published in 2008. Nearly a decade later, he’s back with a new version of his first book. Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love examines the best practices in today’s leading tech product companies.

The Startup Way – Eric Ries

One of the most popular books in startup circles, The Lean Startup made concepts like minimum viable product and pivoting a part of everyday conversation. Eric Ries’ new book The Startup Way: How Entrepreneurial Management Transforms Culture and Drives Growth aims to help companies of all sizes apply the startup ethos to develop an innovation culture. Ries believes anybody can benefit from thinking like an entrepreneur.

Entering Startupland – Jeffrey Bussgang

Most startup books are written for entrepreneurs, but not everyone can be a founder. So here’s a book for anybody who aspires to work at a startup, whether they are fresh out of school or they want to leave the corporate world to dive into the innovation economy. Entering StartupLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job provides an insider’s view of various roles and responsibilities at startups.

See: 24 great books on startups and entrepreneurs that I must read

The Four – Scott Galloway

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are four American tech giants in a race to become a trillion-dollar company. Scott Galloway, who teaches brand strategy at New York University’s Stern School of Business, analyzes how these companies manipulate fundamental emotional needs to infiltrate the lives of people all over the planet. The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, released in October, provokes both fear and envy. But it also holds lessons for us all.

Find Your Why – Simon Sinek

Find Your Why is a sequel to the bestselling Start With Why published six years ago. While the earlier book laid out the principles of how leaders can inspire people by focusing on “why” rather than results, the sequel is more of a practical guide to finding the “why.” It’s based on questions that have come up since the publication of Start With Why – such as, “What if my competitor’s ‘why’ is the same as mine?”

The Power of Moments – Chip Heath and Dan Heath

What stays etched in our minds is a special moment. This could be from a lesson in school, a business situation, or an experience while on vacation. The Power of Moments asks and explores a central question: “Could we plan and create such moments instead of just relying on chance to make them happen?”. The brothers Heath believe we can, and present a guide to creating memorable experiences.

The Science of Meditation – Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson

Daniel Goleman is the author of acclaimed bestseller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. His new book, The Science of Meditation: How to Change your Brain, Mind, and Body, is a collaboration with his friend from Harvard, Richard Davidson, and shows how mindfulness can be transformative. Apart from discussing concepts, it goes into the smart practice of meditation.

Principles: Life and Work – Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio is the founder of investment firm Bridgewater Associates. In Principles, he shares what guided him over the past 40 years to make Bridgewater one of the world’s largest hedge funds. Dalio describes the company’s culture as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.”

Six Billion Shoppers – Porter Erisman

Former Alibaba VP Porter Erisman has devoted his time to writing books and advising internet companies after leaving the Chinese tech giant. His first book, Alibaba’s World, provided an insider’s view of how Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma grew from their formative years of ecommerce in China in 2000. Now, Six Billion Shoppers draws upon Erisman’s travels in emerging ecommerce markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

See: Ex-VP of Alibaba Porter Erisman on clash of ecommerce models in Asia

Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change – Ellen Pao

2017 was marked by a series of scandals exposing what many women face in a male-dominated tech workplace. Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change is Ellen Pao’s personal account of what it’s like to sue a powerful Silicon Valley VC firm for discrimination. She may have lost the suit, but the case by a daughter of immigrants to the US struck a chord. This book presents her full story and serves as a rallying point for more inclusiveness in the year ahead.

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