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Alden Mills's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Alden Mills recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Alden Mills's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1

The Diamond Cutter

The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life

The now classic work on Buddhism and business from the foremost American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism— reissued in a tenth anniversary edition with compelling case studies that showcase its principles in action around the globe.

With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from Tibetan Buddhism, THE DIAMOND CUTTER presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their personal and professional lives. The book is presented in three layers. The first is a translation of The Diamond Sutra, an ancient text of conversations between the Buddha and his...
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Recommended by Alden Mills, Irina Botnari, and 2 others.

Alden MillsThe Diamond Cutter aids me in how to best direct my actions strategically. I cannot stress enough the profound impact "The Diamond Cutter" has made on me. You must be open to it, but the power of what is taught in this book is truly life-changing. The Diamond Cutter helped me see clearly; it helped me understand the real connection between my success and my effort. I often thought, "gee, I got... (Source)

Irina BotnariSomewhere at the border between business and non-business I’ll place The Diamond Cutter by Michael Roach, a collection of empowering strategies for personal and professional life gathered from the contemporary wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism. (Source)

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2

For Entrepreneurs Only

Recommended by Alden Mills, and 1 others.

Alden MillsThere have been several books throughout my life that changed my mind and put me on the path I am today. The first one is called For Entrepreneurs Only. The founder of Formula 409 cleaning products wrote it, and it opened my mind to the endless possibilities that entrepreneurship represents. (Source)

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3
The "Greatest Business Book of All Time" (Bloomsbury UK), In Search of Excellence has long been a must-have for the boardroom, business school, and bedside table.

Based on a study of forty-three of America's best-run companies from a diverse array of business sectors, In Search of Excellence describes eight basic principles of management -- action-stimulating, people-oriented, profit-maximizing practices -- that made these organizations successful.
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Alden MillsIn Search of Excellence focused my daydreaming mind into what it takes to build truly great companies. (Source)

Aidan Connolly[I read] In Search Of Excellence at the age of 16 while on vacation and it convinced me that I had a passion for management, leadership and strategy. Prior to that I had planned to be an Engineer. I still have the copied I read three times in a row, and the key sentences are highlighted. Probably good that I read it then! (Source)

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4
A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns inside her brain, neurologists discover, have fundamentally changed.

Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new product called Febreze, on track to be one of the biggest flops in company history. Suddenly, one of them detects a nearly imperceptible pattern—and with a slight shift in advertising,...
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Naval RavikantI also recently finished The Power of Habit, or close to finish as I get. That one was interesting, not because of its content necessarily, but because it’s good for me to always keep on top of mind how powerful my habits are. [...] I think learning how to break habits is a very important meta-skill that can serve you better in life than almost anything else. Although you can read tons of books... (Source)

Blake IrvingYou know, there's a book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Simple read book about just how to build positive habits that can be I think I what I'd call you know whether in your personal life or whether in your business life to help you build you know, have a loop that can build your success and that's one I mean there are so many great books out there. (Source)

Santiago BasultoAnother book with great impact was “The power of habit”. But to be honest, I read only a couple of pages. It’s a good book, with many interesting stories. But to be honest, the idea it tries to communicate is simple and after a couple of pages you’ve pretty much understood all of it. Happens the same thing with those types of books (Getting things done, crossing the chasm, etc.) (Source)

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5

Built to Last

Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

"This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders. It is not about visionary product concepts or visionary products or visionary market insights. Nor is it about just having a corporate vision. This is a book about something far more important, enduring, and substantial. This is a book about visionary companies." So write Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in this groundbreaking book that shatters myths, provides new insights, and gives practical guidance to those who would like to build landmark companies that stand the test of time.

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the...
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Jeff Bezosrecommends this book because it shows how to create a long lasting company. (Source)

Tim O'ReillyBuilt to Last, by James Collins and Jerry Porras. The idea here is that great companies aren't afraid to have strong values. In fact, their cult-like values are what make them stand out from the norm. (Source)

Alden MillsBuilt to Last focused my daydreaming mind into what it takes to build truly great companies. (Source)

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6
Now updated with new research — the book that has changed millions of lives.

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset — those who believe that abilities are fixed — are less likely to flourish than those with a growth...
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Tony Robbins[Tony Robbins recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

Bill GatesOne of the reasons I loved Mindset is because it’s solutions-oriented. In the book’s final chapter, Dweck describes the workshop she and her colleagues have developed to shift students from a fixed to a growth mindset. These workshops demonstrate that ‘just learning about the growth mindset can cause a big shift in the way people think about themselves and their lives. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz[Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

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