Successful and wealthy people come from all walks of life and their individual experiences have shaped who they are, what they do and how they do it. But most of them have something in common – they read. A lot.

In Steve Siebold’s book How Rich People Think, he points out that a packed library is something many wealthy people have in common. And they’re not usually picking up mystery novels. They’re focused on reading non-fiction books – especially biographies and autobiographies – to learn and build knowledge.

“Walk into a wealthy person’s home and one of the first things you’ll see is an extensive library of books they’ve used to educate themselves on how to become more successful … The middle class reads novels, tabloids, and entertainment magazines,” he says in his research.

Many of the world’s wealthiest people aren’t quiet about their reading habits. Warren Buffett has regularly said that he spends 80 percent of his day reading. In a 2013 interview with The Week, Buffett said the key to getting smarter is reading. In fact, he challenged people to read 500 pages a day.

Obviously Warren Buffett isn’t the only bookworm – Bill Gates’ dad told Forbes that Bill was a huge bookworm and, in a 2016 article, said “Just about every kind of book interested him–encyclopedias, science fiction, you name it. I was thrilled that my child was such an avid reader, but he read so much that Bill’s mother and I had to institute a rule: no books at the dinner table.” In a 2016 New York Times article, Gates said he reads about 50 books a year. Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg are also self-proclaimed avid readers.

Here are just a few of the books you’ll find on our shelves:

Business Adventures by John Brooks

The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

The Pumpkin Patch by Mike Michalowicz

Think and Grow Rich by Andrew Carnegie

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

What books would you recommend your business colleagues read? Are there books or publications that have had a dramatic impact on your life or how you do business? Tell us in the comments!

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