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Gary Vaynerchuk's Top Book Recommendations

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

1
In The Nine, acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin takes us into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, revealing the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land. An institution at a moment of transition, the Court now stands at a crucial point, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, and church-state relations. Based on exclusive interviews with the justices and with a keen sense of the Court’s history and the trajectory of its future, Jeffrey Toobin creates in The Nine a riveting story... more
Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, and 1 others.

Gary VaynerchukMy favorite book I've ever read is [this book]. It was about the supreme court. (Source)

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2

Who Is Michael Ovitz?

"When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz.... It is impossible to read such a chronicle and not see Mr. Ovitz as the Steve Jobs of agenting, possessing a version of Jobs's fanatical drive and a similar desire to remake an industry." --The Wall Street Journal

Who is Michael Ovitz? He's a striver who talked his way into the famous mailroom of the William Morris Agency without any connections, then worked his way out of the mailroom in record time.

He's an entrepreneur who left a safe job to launch...
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Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, Ben Horowitz, and 2 others.

Gary VaynerchukMichael is a legend and I don't use that term lightly. Learning from his journey is something that every entrepreneur and executive should do. (Source)

Ben HorowitzIt is truly rare to read a book this honest from a living legend. The Hollywood superhero lets us peak behind his mask and understand his weaknesses and methods. (Source)

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3
If you pick your books by their popularity--how many and which other people are reading them--then know this about The Search: it's probably on Bill Gates' reading list, and that of almost every venture capitalist and startup-hungry entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. In its sweeping survey of the history of Internet search technologies, its gossip about and analysis of Google, and its speculation on the larger cultural implications of a Web-connected world, it will likely receive attention from a variety of businesspeople, technology futurists, journalists, and interested observers of... more

Gary Vaynerchuk[Gary Vaynerchuk mentioned reading this book in a video.] (Source)

Richard ReynoldsWell, the internet is a huge landscape and it’s up to us to plant it with ideas. It’s a wonderfully democratic space, unlike the physical landscape around us. I read this book because it was recommended by a colleague at work and I was inspired to really make the most of the internet. I realised that in parallel with doing the gardening I could also plant my ideas prominently on line. My blog is... (Source)

David SoskinThis explains very clearly why the Google search algorithm outclassed the other search engines of the time. (Source)

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4
The story of The Hundreds and the precepts that made it an iconic streetwear brand by Bobby Hundreds himself

Streetwear exists in that rarefied space where genuine “cool” coexists with big business; where a star designer might work simultaneously with Nike, a tattoo artist, Louis Vuitton, and a skateboard company. It’s the ubiquitous style of dress comprising hoodies, sneakers, and T-shirts that is worn by everyone from rappers to models to book editors. In the beginning, a few brands defined this style; fewer still survived as streetwear went mainstream. They are the OGs,...
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Gary VaynerchukSimply put, Bobby Hundreds is a social beast. He knows how to tell a story, where to tell that story, and he's great at bringing people together. He's also crazy dedicated to his work and has the laser-focused attention to detail needed to not only build an everlasting globally relevant brand, but any successful business. (Source)

Jessica AlbaBuilding a brand is about identifying and fulfilling a need in a way that no one else can. It takes vision, dedication, and attention to detail. The Hundreds is a prime example of what it looks like when you've combined all these elements along with tapping into a culture and community. This is Not a T-Shirt guides you through methods and tools you can apply to get you one step closer to... (Source)

Tony HawkThis is Not a T-Shirt tracks the history of surf and skate culture and their relationship to streetwear—from the Zephyr skate team of the 1970s to brands like Stüssy, Supreme, BAPE, and, of course, The Hundreds, which has managed to stay relevant for more than fifteen years in a fickle market. This book is an insider's guide to the prevailing trends in youth culture of the last few decades that... (Source)

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5
Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen Amazing Things Will Happen offers straightforward advicethat can be put into action to improve your life. Through personalanecdotes from the author's life, and interviews of successfulindividuals across several industries, this book demonstrates howto achieve success, in all aspects of life, through hard work andacts of kindness. Split into five sections, this book details howto begin the self-improvement journey.


Explains how to cope with the situation you are currently in, and how to make the most of it until...
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Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, and 1 others.

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6
Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, even fantasy sumo wrestling: the world of fantasy sports is huge, and still growing. Today, more than 35 million people in the United States and Canada spend hours upon hours each week on their fantasy sports teams. And as the Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst for ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what has grown from a niche subculture into a national pastime.

In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations....
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Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, and 1 others.

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7
The simple five-part formula the upstart Facebook CEO used to change the world—and how any business leader can apply it to his or her own company

Facebook changed the way hundreds of millions communicate, engage, and consume information and products—and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is behind it all. Think Like Zuck answers the questions everyone is asking: What did Mark Zuckerberg do right?

The book explores the critical elements that drive the success of Facebook and businesses like it, such as having passion to change the world, clear vision and higher purpose to execute,...
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Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, and 1 others.

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8
The DNA of business has changed. Forever. You can blame technology, smartphones, social media, online shopping and everything else, but nothingchanges this reality: we are in a moment of business purgatory.

So, what are you going to do about it?

Mitch Joel, one of the world's leading experts in new media, warns that the time has come to CTRL ALT DELETE. To reboot and to start re-building your business model. If you don't, Joel warns, not only will your company begin to slide backwards, but you may find yourself unemployable within five years.

...
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Recommended by Gary Vaynerchuk, Seb Dance Mep, and 2 others.

Seb Dance MepWas great to be @TomBaldwin66 launch for his book “Ctrl Alt Delete”: how media and technology is changing our democracy faster than many of us realise. If you’re looking for your summer read, look no further!! 🏖 📚 https://t.co/HV3TF1A69e (Source)

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9
The difference between helping and selling is just two letters

If you're wondering how to make your products seem more exciting online, you're asking the wrong question. You're not competing for attention only against other similar products. You're competing against your customers' friends and family and viral videos and cute puppies. To win attention these days you must ask a different question: "How can we help?"

Jay Baer's Youtility offers a new approach that cuts through the clut­ter: marketing that is truly, inherently useful. If you sell something, you make...
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Jeff GibbardOne of the five books Jeff recommends to young people interested in his career path. (Source)

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10

Steve Jobs

From the author of the bestselling biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, this is the exclusive, New York Times bestselling biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal...
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Elon MuskQuite interesting. (Source)

Bill Gates[On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012.] (Source)

Gary VaynerchukI've read 3 business books in my life. If you call [this book] a business book. (Source)

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Don't have time to read Gary Vaynerchuk's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.

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11

Principles

Life and Work

Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.

In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private...
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Mark CubanThe book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur. (Source)

Tony RobbinsI found it to be truly extraordinary. Every page is full of so many principles of distinction and insights—and I love how Ray incorporates his history and his life in such an elegant way. (Source)

Bill GatesRay Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles. (Source)

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12
From one of today's foremost innovation leaders, an inspiring and practical guide to mastering change in the face of uncertainty.

The world will never be slower than it is right now, says Beth Comstock, the former Vice Chair and head of marketing and innovation at GE. But confronting relentless change is hard. Companies get disrupted as challengers steal away customers; employees have to move ahead without knowing the answers. To thrive in today's world, every one of us has to make change part of our job.

In Imagine It Forward, Comstock, in a candid...
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Susan CainBeth Comstock is just as creative and bold in her approach to writing a business book as she is in running a business. Unafraid to get candid and personal, unusually generous in sharing her insights, this is a book for anyone who wants to see around corners — and to vanquish the fear that holds them back from acting on what they see. (Source)

Simon SinekIf there is one skill that more individuals and companies need to hone it's imagination. And if there is one person who can teach us how to do it, it’s Beth Comstock. Woven together through her own journey, Comstock offers us simple and practical steps on things we can all do to prepare ourselves for the future…or even invent it. (Source)

Gary VaynerchukBeth is a true force of smart, practical, and most of all, inspiring executions in the new business world. There are few people who I think 'get it,' and she’s at the top of that list. (Source)

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Don't have time to read Gary Vaynerchuk's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.