Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” The entrepreneurs at Project: SPACES know this better than anyone, as they often credit the knowledge they gained from reading to their real life success. As the community here has so much talent and intelligence, we decided to interview people to find out the top 5 books on business and startups and take a glimpse into the material that has helped to shape their achievements.

1. Zero to One 

Recommended by: Anil Mohabir of Patio Interactive 

“If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.” Zero to One: Notes on startups or how to build the future is a book by acclaimed entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel. It discusses how one must create something new, and the importance of innovation and unique business ideas as competition in today’s marketplace is fierce and unwavering. The novel has been highly praised by The Economist, Mark Zuckerberg as well as Elon Musk, who has stated that “Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to Oneshows how.” SPACES own Anton Zilberberg credits it as one of the best books he has read, saying “it has a lot of mind opening insights on startups, technology and business.”  

2. Atlas Shrugged 

Recommended by: Tehsin Bhayani of Serind Labs

Objectivism, a philosophical system developed by writer Ayn Rand, is explored throughout her final novel Atlas Shrugged. This book is not your typical business related read, as it is set in a Dystopian United States and reads more like a story as opposed to simply stating and explaining intricate theories. Often considered a mystery novel, Atlas Shrugged is really a philosophical revolution that touches on liberty and analyzes the line between good versus evil. John Allison, former CEO of BB&T is quoted as saying “I know from talking to a lot of Fortune 500 CEOs that Atlas Shrugged has had a significant effect on their business decisions, even if they don’t agree with all of Ayn Rand’s ideas.”

3. The 4-Hour Work Week

Recommended by: Cahill Puil, Director of Marketing for Toronto Men’s Fashion Week

Having spent more than four years as a New York Times Bestseller, Timothy Ferriss’ self-help book, The 4-Hour Work Week, is highly renowned worldwide. After working 14 hour days as an entrepreneur, Ferriss set out to discover what he refers to as “lifestyle design,” and the importance of outsourcing as well as automation. The novel teaches readers that “mini-retirements” and short term satisfaction may in fact be more useful and fulfilling than putting in grueling hours for the sake of a lengthy retirement. Leslie Garner of The Telegraphnoted that the book had a “punchy writing style” and that Ferriss had “struck a chord with his critique of workers’ slavish devotion to corporations.”

4. Trust me I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Recommended by: Anton Zilberberg of Wildround

One of the more recent books on this list, Trust me I’m Lying discusses the ever popular subject of media manipulation. Ryan Holiday, the former Director of Marketing for American Apparel, was inspired to write the book after receiving his own personal critiques for attempted to shape and mold the media. He has stated that “The book purports to expose flaws in current online journalism system and catalogs (the author’s) exploitation of them.” Often considered a tell-all expose of modern media, this novel will have you questioning your perception of reality and is a must read for everyone.

5. Contagious: Why things catch on

Recommended by: Casandra Campbell of Liberty Village Beer

A professor at the distinguished Wharton School of Business, Jonah Berger is said to be an expert on word of mouth, viral marketing, social influence, social contagion, and trends. His book Contagious discusses what advertising truly means today: how much do our peers influence us? Do million dollar campaigns really have an effect on our buying habits? This book explains “why certain stories get shared, e-mails get forwarded, or videos go viral and shows how to leverage these concepts to craft contagious content.”

Honourable Mentions:

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An inquiry into values by Robert M. Pirsig

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Poke the Box: When was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time by Seth Godin

Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow

Hackers & Paintersby Paul Graham 

And remember, friends: “The book you don’t read won’t help.”