100 Books Like As a Man Thinketh

A timeless meditation on purpose, suffering, and the human spirit. While not about entrepreneurship, this book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the deeper meaning behind their work. Frankl’s insight—that we can find meaning even in suffering—is profoundly relevant for founders navigating hardship and uncertainty. 

What struck me most about it was how Frankl captured the Holocaust not just as a historical event, but as a raw, existential landscape. I’ve seen many films and documentaries about that era, but Frankl’s account stands apart. His lens is philosophical, not just historical. His insight that meaning, not pleasure or power, is the primary driver of human life resonated deeply.

I've focused on the idea myself that many entrepreneurs pursue ventures not for wealth or control, but as a way to fill a deeper existential hole. Frankl’s writing felt honest, profound, and necessary. This is a serious and enduring book I’ll return… show more.

Simple, lyrical, beautiful.

Siddhartha is the story of an epic journey of a man traveling through ancient India, with life lessons subtly woven through the narrative.

Ultimately, this book is about how all things are connected through nature, and more specifically, how attaching too much weight to individual events—good, bad, happy, sad—misses the totality of appreciating how those events work together to make a more joyful, meaningful life.

A comprehensive and illuminating read that covers the promise and necessity of the spiritual search, the problems encountered along the journey, and the ways and means to successfully transcend them. Reality at Dawn is an answer to the spiritual seeker of the modern world. Authored by my Guru, Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, this book still inspires me today—even after countless readings, I still find something new in it every time I go through its pages.

This 1970 novella transported me into a world of seagulls, how they live and how they fly, and one, Jonathan, who decides to be different, to defy conformity, to go further and faster, like my own striving for something more, for experiences beyond the mundane.

I never thought I’d identify with a seagull, but this wonderful bird’s world view is exactly the same as that of anyone who sees more than what’s just in front of them.

A priceless record of the interactions between 19th century Bengali saint Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples, including Swami Vivekananda. This is the book which ignited my own spark of spiritual longing when I discovered it at a young age.

I love this book because it is the handbook of messaging that is purposeful.

It made me a better communicator by teaching me the importance of building a strong, consistent story about who you are and what you want.

Also, this book sharpened my own ability to create messages people remember, to be able to help others do the same. I love how clearly it lays out what makes a story unforgettable. It pushed me to be intentional about the words I choose and how I deliver them, something I use every single day in my work. 

This best-selling book, from the incredibly talented Karen Pryor, looks at behavior through a scientific and practical lens. When it comes to animals and humans, we aren’t that different in terms of our behavior and how it can be corrected positively. Through encouraging reinforcement, we can learn new ways of taking in and dealing with conflict in a more constructive way. I have found the methods suggested in this book extremely beneficial and have successfully incorporated them in my own life. 

Take a second and think, “what is marketing?” Simply put, marketing involves having an idea and persuading others to believe or buy into that idea. We use marketing in our daily lives and probably don’t even think about it. Getting someone to agree to meet you at the restaurant of your choice or helping your family decide that the movie you suggested is the one you should all watch tonight involves some key marketing tenants. This book can help you examine your ideas and discover why they work or fall by the wayside. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing helped me better understand that although all my ideas and concepts might not be successful, there is a process of understanding why that is and how I can alter them to be more valuable. 

Whenever I recommend meditation to other men, they all ask the same questions I once asked: How the hell do I meditate? What exactly am I supposed to do? So, I’m supposed to sit there for how long? And think about nothing?

All the answers are in this book. Yogani is the author of the Advanced Yoga Practices (AYP) system, covering all aspects of Full-Scope Yoga Practice.

Unlike other books, this book actually offers concise step-by-step instructions for a method of meditation that has allowed me to experience more inner peace, creativity, and energy in my daily life.

This book is pragmatic and less complex than any sales-oriented book I have ever read. The simplicity and truths make 100% sense like, “Happy cows give more milk, and happy salespeople tend to sell more.” And, “There’s a much better way to close sales and find happiness than walking on hot coals and repeating mantras. I didn’t know that for certain until I did the research for this book.” 

The author, correctly in my view, discounts the value and importance of the huge piles of sales books that give sales advice that seems formulaic and manipulative. His focus is real and on mindset, saying, being happier is likely to make you more successful. Instead of just discussing how to close more sales he presents ways you can be happier.

Successful salespeople are pragmatists. They are realistic about their own abilities. They focus their efforts on activities that are actually likely… show more.