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10 Books Small Business Influencers are Reading in 2015

If you could read just one book on business and marketing this year, what would it be? Well, one of the great things about the modern world is choices, and rather than confine you to just one, we’ve assembled a list of 10 books some of the top entrepreneurs are leafing through. 

The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, Period!  This is a hands-on guide written by Stoney deGeyter that walks you through the process of building a website that not only attracts visitors, but increases sales.

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future  The #1 Bestseller by entrepreneur and investor Peter Theil. Theil believes innovation starts with learning and that asking the right questions can lead you to find value in unexpected places.

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom  By don Miguel Ruiz. Some values are just as important for living as they are for your business. Based on traditional Toltec wisdom beliefs, four agreements in life are crucial steps on the path to personal freedom.

Michael Jackson, Inc. The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Billion-Dollar Empire  How did a poor kid from Gary, Indiana create a billion-dollar empire? Zack O’Malley Greenburg explains the secrets behind the success. 

Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office by Bill McDermott. A leadership and career guide by the CEO of business software giant SAP.

The Art of War for Small Business: Defeat the Competition and Dominate the Market with the Masterful Strategies of Sun Tzu  Author Becky Sheetz-Runkle examines how the strategies of Sun Tzu can be used by small businesses to outmaneuver their larger, stronger competitors.

Mike Tyson’s Undisputed Truth This self-told memoir covers the up and downs of Mike Tyson’s phenomenal and controversial career. What can an entrepreneur learn from his rise, fall and redemption?

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder by Arianna Huffington.  After a mishap caused by overwork and stress, media mogul Harrington took a hard look at what we consider success and what it means to us. 

Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered  In a follow-up to his New York Times bestselling book Steal Like an Artist, author Austin Kleon examines ways creative artists (and small business people) can get noticed…. by giving their work away!

The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators by Chris Brogan is a book for people who wouldn’t normally read a business book. The author takes on the question of how we can take our passions and turn them into successful businesses.

While a well-written guide can be a life-saver for a small business, some of the best books on business come from experiences about life and values. This list has both. Enjoy, though you may find it hard to choose just one.