Recommendations based on Anything You Wantby Derek Sivers

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Rework

    by Jason Fried
    A guide to starting and running a successful business with unconventional advice and practical tips.

    Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf. ... (Goodreads)

  2. The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle

    by Steven Pressfield
    A guide to overcoming procrastination and other inner obstacles to unleash creativity.

    A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere,, The War of, Art, is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul. What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. Do the Work

    by Steven Pressfield
    A practical guide to overcoming resistance and completing creative projects. Encourages action and persistence in the face of self-doubt and fear.

    Do the Work Our enemy is not lack of preparation; it's not the difficulty of the project, or the state of the marketplace or the emptiness of our bank account. The enemy is resistance. The enemy is ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

    by Eric Ries
    Systematic approach to launching and managing successful businesses in an ever-changing market.

    Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched. ... (Goodreads)

  5. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

    by Carol S. Dweck
    Examining the impact of mindset on achievement, and strategies to cultivate a growth mindset for success.

    A newer edition of this book can be found, here., After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the ... (Goodreads)

  6. The 4-Hour Workweek

    by Timothy Ferriss
    A guide to creating a lifestyle of financial and personal freedom by optimizing work and lifestyle.

    What do you do? Tim Ferriss has trouble answering the question. Depending on when you ask this controversial Princeton University guest lecturer, he might answer: "I race motorcycles in Europe." "I ... (Goodreads)

  7. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

    by Ashlee Vance
    A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.

    Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)

  8. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

    by Tony Hsieh
    A business leader's journey from success to significance, showing how to build a corporate culture of happiness.

    You want to learn about the path that we took at Zappos to get to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales in less than ten years. You want to learn about the path I took that eventually led me to ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit

    by Seth Godin
    A guide to help readers identify when to quit and when to persevere in their pursuits, in order to achieve success.

    A, New York Times,, USA Today, and, Wall Street Journal, bestseller In this iconic bestseller, popular business blogger and bestselling author Seth Godin proves that winners are really just the best ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

    by Peter Thiel
    A guide to launching a startup, exploring the power of entrepreneurship.

    If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets. The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, ... (Goodreads)

  11. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

    by Seth Godin
    A guide to standing out and becoming remarkable in the modern business world.

    The acclaimed Wall Street Journal and Business Week Bestseller. You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. What do Starbucks and JetBlue and ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

    by Ben Horowitz
    A practical guide to navigating the challenges of building and leading a successful business, with insights from a seasoned entrepreneur.

    Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup—practical wisdom for ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    by Cal Newport
    Strategies and techniques to help readers stay focused on tasks and achieve greater success.

    One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

    by Jim Loehr
    Strategies to reduce stress and improve performance through managing energy, rather than time.

    “Combines the gritty toughmindedness of the best coaches with the gentle-but-insistent inspiration of the most effective spiritual advisers” (,Fast Company,). This groundbreaking, New York Times, ... (Goodreads)

  15. Poke the Box

    by Seth Godin
    Encourages readers to take initiative, start something new, and embrace the uncertainty of the creative process.

    Poke the Box is a manifesto about producing something that’s scarce, and thus valuable. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. You know how to do this, you’ve ... (Goodreads)

  16. Getting Real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Web Application

    by 37 Signals
    A practical guide to building web applications with a focus on simplicity, efficiency, and user experience.

    Getting Real details the business, design, programming, and marketing principles of 37signals. The book is packed with keep-it-simple insights, contrarian points of view, and unconventional ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

    by William B. Irvine
    A practical guide to applying Stoic philosophy in modern life, offering techniques for finding joy and tranquility in the face of adversity.

    One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life. In A Guide to the Good Life , William B. Irvine plumbs ... (Goodreads)

  18. Business Model Generation

    by Alexander Osterwalder
    A guide to crafting business models and creating new sources of value.

    Business Model Generation is a practical, inspiring handbook for anyone striving to improve a business model or craft a new one. 1) Change the way you think about business models Business Model ... (Goodreads)

  19. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

    by Michael E. Gerber
    A guide to harnessing the power of entrepreneurial thinking to create a thriving small business.

    E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work ... (Goodreads)

  20. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

    by Jocko Willink
    How to lead and win through the lessons learned by the U.S. Navy SEALs.

    The #1 New York Times bestseller "An incredible book... you teach guys and gals about leadership and you've helped not only military guys but families." - Megyn Kelly "You show in the book how to ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

    by Peter F. Drucker
    A guide to becoming an effective executive by focusing on time management, decision-making, and prioritization.

    What makes an effective executive?, The measure of the executive, Peter F. Drucker reminds us, is the ability to "get the right things done." This usually involves doing what other people have ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

    by Twyla Tharp
    A guide to developing and sustaining creativity, using tools and rituals for success.

    Creativity is not a gift from the gods, says Twyla Tharp, bestowed by some divine and mystical spark. It is the product of preparation and effort, and it's within reach of everyone who wants to ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

    by Josh Waitzkin
    An inspiring story of how to attain excellence through the martial art of Tai Chi.

    Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind ... (Goodreads)

  24. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

    by Greg McKeown
    An exploration of the power of focus and clarity of purpose to create a more meaningful, productive life.

    Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being ... (Goodreads)

  25. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

    by Chip Heath
    Exploring why certain ideas are remembered and others are forgotten, focusing on practical ways to make ideas ‘stick’.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea's chances–essential reading in the "fake news" era. Mark Twain once ... (Goodreads)

  26. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

    by Simon Sinek
    A guide to inspiring and motivating others to take action through understanding the power of why.

    Why do you do what you do? Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees ... (Goodreads)

  27. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

    by Timothy Ferriss
    Strategies and insights from top performers to help you reach your fullest potential.

    The latest groundbreaking tome from Tim Ferriss, the #1, New York Times, best-selling author of, The 4-Hour Workweek,.,, From the author:, , “For the last two years, I’ve interviewed more than 200 ... (Goodreads)

  28. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    An exploration of how disorder and chaos can lead to strength and resilience.

    From the bestselling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost philosophers of our time, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a book on how some systems actually benefit from disorder. In The Black Swan ... (Goodreads)

  29. Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity

    by Hugh MacLeod
    A witty and insightful guide to unlocking your creative potential, with practical advice and humorous illustrations.

    When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular ... (Goodreads)

  30. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered

    by Austin Kleon
    Practical guide to building an audience and recognizing success in creative endeavors.

    In his, New York Times, bestseller, Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by “stealing” from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more ... (Barnes & Noble)