Jeff Bezos’ Book Recommendations: A Controversial Must Read at Blinkist!
To get to the origin of what inspired the world’s third-richest person, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 life-changing non-fiction books that Bezos has recommended over the years.
Every one of Jeff Bezos’s book recommendations can be enjoyed in the award-winning Blinkist knowledge app. Blinkist breaks down the powerful ideas from lengthy non-fiction books into bite-sized explainers. You can get through most of Blinkist’s explainer packs in as little as 15 minutes and even take learning with you using the app’s audio function.
– Holger Seim, CEO of Blinkist
Let’s explore the 5 books that inspired Jeff Bezos to “Work hard, Have fun, and Make history.”
1. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
ReWork
- 19 min reading time
- audio version available
Based on the real-life experiences of two trailblazing tech founders, Rework is a different kind of business book that explores the world of 21st-century entrepreneurship. With straightforward language and an easy-is-better approach, this title is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own.
In his book recommendation Bezos praised the authors for rewriting the rules of business and lauded their unconventional approach calling it “as successful as it is counter-intuitive.”
2. Built to Last by Jim Collins
Built to Last
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Built to Last is Jeff Bezos’s favorite business book, and it’s easy to see why. Over six years, author Jim Collins and research partner Jerry I. Porras examined eighteen long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. In addition, they studied the companies from their early beginnings to the present day to find out what makes certain businesses weather every storm.
This book is filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a framework of practical concepts that managers and entrepreneurs can apply at all levels. Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will stand the test of time.
3. Sam Walton: Made in America by John Huey and Sam Walton
Sam Walton: Made in America
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
Before Amazon, if you wanted to buy something, you had to actually go to a real store. Most likely that store would have been based on the retail principles pioneered by Sam Walton. Walton is considered by many to be a great example of the American dream in action, a man from America’s heartland who turned his Walton’s dime store into Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world.
In Made In America, Walton expounds on the principles of discount retailing. He discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action – a willingness to try new things and make many mistakes. There’s no doubt that Jeff Bezos took several pages out of Walton’s playbook and it’s easy to see why it has ended up in his top 5 reads.
For more insights on Sam Walton and the legacy of Walmart, check out Happy 100th Sam: Looking at Walmart 100 Years after its Founder’s Birth. Sam Walton’s company has grown into a controversial powerhouse. As the economy shifts to e-retail, what role will his namesake company play?
4. The Black Swan By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Black Swan
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
The Black Swan offers insights into chaos and explores our limitations in making predictions. Our over-reliance on methods that appeal to our intuition at the expense of accuracy, our fundamental inability to understand and define randomness, and even our biology itself all contribute to poor decision making, and sometimes to “Black Swans” – events thought to be impossible that redefine our understanding of the world.
In his Jeff Bezo’s review of Taleb’s work, he praised one of the author’s most potent ideas that “experimentation and empiricism trump the easy and obvious narrative.”
5. Good to Great by Jim Collins
Good to Great
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Back in 2001, Amazon was just four years old and struggling to get its footing after the dot-com bubble burst. Bezos turned to author Jim Collins for advice and invited him to visit the Amazon campus. There, Collins met with Bezos and his executives where they discussed entrepreneurship and the ideas from his book, Good to Great, which was published later that year.
With the wisdom of Good to Great in hand, Bezos and his team at Amazon could make necessary strategic changes to the business to draw their own blueprint for success.
After meeting Collins, Amazon seized on one of Collin’s powerful ideas, that to build a long-lasting business, one needed to develop and build momentum. Amazon shifted its focus and pivoted from concentrating on short-term profits to sustainable long-term growth.
The company then successfully turned its first profit in the last quarter of 2001. Flash forward to today, and Jeff Bezos is launching rockets into space. So, perhaps if you were to check out one book from Bezos’s reading list, Good to Great may be the one to send your own ideas into the stratosphere.
What the Billionaires Read at Blinkist
Looking for other book recommendations? Check out Elon Musk and Tim Ferriss‘s reading lists. And for more insights into Jeff Bezos’ background and the formative role of his parents and family life, explore Exploring the Roots of Success: Jeff Bezos’ Parents and Family.
But that’s not all Blinkist offers! If you’re passionate about expanding your knowledge in the world of business and aspire to become a business mogul, seize the opportunity with Blinkist’s 7-day free trial.
During this trial period, you can access a treasure trove of insights from top non-fiction books, including those Jeff Bezos book recommendations. Start your free trial today and embark on your journey to becoming a business maestro.
