The 5 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read, or Read Again, in 2015 Your time is valuable, so make sure to make the most of your reading this year by picking up these great texts.
By Adam Toren
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Time is perhaps the rarest and most coveted asset an entrepreneur has in their life. The time to read is a crucial but often challenging feat to tackle on every entrepreneur's to-do list. So when you take the time out of your hectic day to actually read a book, you want to make sure it's great and worth that time allocation in your schedule.
The right book has to have that certain harmonious balance of facts and stories, inspiration and actions, and somehow leave you changed afterwards. You need to learn and grow from it and be a bigger, better entrepreneur in some way because you took the time and made the effort to read.
You know you've really gotten something out of a book when you not only read it once, but also actually go back and read it again. Those are the beloved paperbacks you keep stacked around your desk, dog-eared and marked up like a canvas to have at your beck and call when you need answers or inspiration.
Related: 5 Books That Will Help You Transform How You Do Business
There are so many great books out in the market today, some old, some brand new but of all the books out there, here are five that you should not only read, but also re-read again in 2015. These are the collection of texts that I return to time and again to get the inspiration, practical advice and tools I need to keep charging ahead down the entrepreneurial path.
1. Choose Yourself by James Altucher
If time and money are at the top of your needs list, you're going to especially love James Altucher's Choose Yourself. This book is packed with the advice and inspiration every entrepreneur needs to build themselves and their core personal practices up to face the challenges of this lifestyle.
Altucher lays himself bare in a way that will at times make you laugh and at other times make you cringe, but in every chapter you'll learn. At only 99 cents for the Amazon Kindle version, you'll love the price tag as well. See why this is a book that is worth visiting daily.
2. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holliday
From the growth-hacking guru comes the latest release on improving your life and your performance. The Obstacle Is The Way starts out with the simple premise and philosophy laid out by Roman Legion and Leader Marcus Aurelius that by embracing our challenges, we actually find the ways to overcome them.
You don't want to avoid the obstacles -- you need to run toward them. In doing so, innovation and solutions ensue. Each chapter packs a concise but deadly punch of business advice and a powerful perspective to get your actions aligned.
Related: 8 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2015
3. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
This is a classic that at one time or another has probably been on every entrepreneur's reading list or bookshelf. If you haven't picked up James Allen's timeless treatise on cultivating mindset in a while, make the effort to re-read it again this year. There is wisdom in this book that transcends time and will revive your spirit, helping you to guard your thinking and get your mind right with straightforward, inspirational wisdom.
4. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Every entrepreneur needs to make studying success a priority in 2015. You can make a mentor's hindsight your foresight and save yourself a tremendous amount of time and effort. I hear a lot of new entrepreneurs say they don't know where to start or who to approach for mentoring, and I always offer that one of the most immediate, effective and affordable ways to get a mentor is to read.
That's one of the reason's I like Gladwell's Outliers so much. This book is packed with a collection of stories, common traits and studies on what makes high-achievers so different. If you want to know where to start your reading list, start with Outliers in 2015.
5. The Self-made Billionaire Effect: How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value by John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen
Technically, this book only came out at the end of 2014, so you may just be reading it for the first time this year, but it's certainly worth the read. Ever wonder what unifies the characteristics and qualities of the billionaire community? Turns out it's providing massive value.
The Self-made Billionaire Effect analyzes 120 self-made billionaires, with the authors specifically interviewing 16, to determine how creating massive value for others translates into incredible value for themselves. It's not that the return is their motivation, but there is an emphasis on providing incredible value that seems to tie this group of billionaires together.
Study the qualities and learn the mindset: others before self. It may be a helpful mantra as an entrepreneur.
Related: To Improve His 'Media Diet,' Mark Zuckerberg Announces Virtual Book Club
