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Chris Guillebeau's Top Book Recommendations

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

1
What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale a new start-up, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours, and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better—and smarter—solution is simply to remain small? This book explains how to do just that.

Company of One is a refreshingly new approach centered on staying small and avoiding growth, for any size business. Not as a freelancer who only gets paid on a per piece basis, and not as an entrepreneurial start-up that wants...
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Cal NewportJarvis makes a compelling case for making your business better instead of bigger. Company of One is a must-read for any entrepreneur who prioritizes a rich life over riches. (Source)

Ben ChestnutEver since starting MailChimp 18 years ago, I’ve always been told that my way was wrong. My way has never been to “be big.” My way was always to “be useful.” My company has become a global brand with millions of customers, over $525 million in annual revenue, and almost 1000 employees united by a single mission to help companies of one and entrepreneurs. Go figure. There’s not one, right way.... (Source)

David Heinemeier HanssonGrowth has been hacked to simply mean “more”. More revenue, more customers, more employees, more products, more, more, more. That’s a tragically myopic view of growth. Paul Jarvis will help you open your eyes to a broader, wiser definition of growth. One of learning, one of betterment, one of contentment. There’s never been a more opportune time to launch or run companies that embrace having and... (Source)

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2
Now a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Learn a new talent, stay relevant, reinvent yourself, and adapt to whatever the workplace throws your way. Ultralearning offers nine principles to master hard skills quickly. This is the essential guide to future-proof your career and maximize your competitive advantage through self-education.

In these tumultuous times of economic and technological change, staying ahead depends on continual self-education—a lifelong mastery of fresh ideas, subjects, and skills. If you want to accomplish more...
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Cal NewportUltralearning is like a superpower in our competitive economy. Read this book! It will change your life. (Source)

Chris GuillebeauThis book is an invaluable tool to help you master complicated skills in a short period of time. Read Ultralearning and level up your life! (Source)

Derek SiversA truly great book about learning. Riveting, useful, practical, and applicable to anyone ready to learn something at their own pace. Ultralearning shows you exactly how to learn better than you thought possible. (Source)

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3
Rand Fishkin, the founder and former CEO of Moz, reveals how traditional Silicon Valley "wisdom" leads far too many startups astray, with the transparency and humor that his hundreds of thousands of blog readers have come to love.

Everyone knows how a startup story is supposed to go: A young, brilliant entrepreneur has an cool idea, drops out of college, defies the doubters, overcomes all odds, makes billions, and becomes the envy of the technology world.

This is not that story.

It's not that things went badly for Rand Fishkin; they just...
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Nir EyalYou won't find a more honest, raw, and helpful look into the trenches of founding a tech startup than this book. Rand Fishkin shares the rare hard-won insight no one else dares tell you. (Source)

Seth GodinRand Fishkin is the real deal. This book is an honest, generous and useful look at what actually happens when you build a company, including the downs as well as the ups... I wish I had read it thirty years ago. (Source)

Chris GuillebeauThis is a truly courageous book. It's one part business-building guide and two parts Indiana Jones-style adventure memoir. And if you've ever wondered if the 'timeless wisdom' you often hear about startups is bullsh*t, here's the proof. (Source)

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4
Customers, followers, subscribers.

It's easy to just look at the numbers. How many likes? How many purchases? How many email subscribers?

But as entrepreneurs, we have to remember that there are people behind all that data. People who are looking to us to be a leader, to give advice, and to care. In this dog-eat-dog world, these are the people who are looking for someone who they can trust, and who they know have their best interests in mind.

These are the people, if you connect with them in the right way, who will become Superfans.

Followers may...
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Chris GuillebeauAfter you read it, you'll go away feeling motivated and ready to work. (Source)

Chris DuckerHave you pre-ordered your copy of @PatFlynn's new book, "Superfans" yet?! If not, jump on before August 13th and he'll throw in the AudioBook version for free, too! It's a GREAT read, y'all. Pre-order here: https://t.co/6B2Jb5qjYq https://t.co/gQlzkGBfcy (Source)

Christy WrightSuperfans is a must-read for any leader at any stage of business. (Source)

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5
A charming, life-changing fable that will help you rethink your whole approach to time, priorities, and possibilities.

Riley Jenkins is in trouble. An ambitious, hardworking consultant in her late twenties, she's used to a lifetime of nearly perfect evaluations - until she gets a terrible performance review from her boss. How is that possible when Riley does everything her clients want - including answering emails 24/7 - faster than they expect it?

That's precisely the problem: she's spread too thin. Despite her insane hours and attention to detail, Riley can't...
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Gretchen RubinThousands of books explain how we should set priorities, stay focused, and make time for what truly matters—but that advice, however sound, is all too easy to ignore. Laura Vanderkam takes a different approach. By harnessing the irresistible power of story-telling, she makes those aims vivid and compelling in an entirely new way, to show us how and why we can make room for possibilities. (Source)

Chris GuillebeauLaura is my go-to expert for time management and Juliet's School of Possibilities is a delightful book. You can read it in a couple of short sittings, then go away with a lifetime of application. (Source)

Alissa CarpenterOne of my favorite experts on time management and productivity @lvanderkam released a new book, Juliet's School of Possibilities! https://t.co/12kBFrvimV She's also giving away a free time makeover guide and time sheet and I needed to share! https://t.co/fXrE63NHX6 (Source)

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6
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius

We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek.

These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless...
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James AltucherMy life has been beset with obstacles. It takes practice (and pain) to surmount them and achieve success. [This author]’s book is a how-to guide for just that. (Source)

Marvin LiaoMy list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)

George Raveling[One of] the books that I’ve given away the most lately. (Source)

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