Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful investors, is known for his voracious reading habit. He spends about 80% of his day reading, absorbing knowledge that has helped him build his extraordinary business skills.
While many might expect Buffett to recommend investing books exclusively, his recommended reading list extends far beyond financial markets. The following ten books, all endorsed by Buffett himself, offer insights into leadership, decision-making, resilience, and business management—principles that can be applied across many areas of life.
Here are the ten books that Warren Buffett recommends for success that are not just about investing:
1. Business Adventures by John Brooks
Buffett has described “Business Adventures” as “the best business book I’ve ever read.” This collection of New Yorker stories, written over 50 years ago, offers timeless insights into corporate decision-making and organizational resilience. Buffett was so impressed by the book that he recommended it to Bill Gates, who also found it immensely valuable.
The book examines various corporate episodes, including Xerox’s spectacular rise and fall and the infamous Ford Edsel failure. Through these stories, Brooks shows the human element in business decisions—a factor Buffett has always emphasized in evaluating companies and leadership teams. The book demonstrates how character, judgment, and temperament often determine business outcomes more than pure financial analysis.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Few books have had such a profound personal impact on Buffett as Dale Carnegie’s classic. “I was terrified of public speaking when I was young. I couldn’t do it. It cost me $100 to take a Dale Carnegie course, which changed my life,” Buffett has shared. This transformation illustrates why Buffett values this book so highly—it addresses a fundamental aspect of success that financial knowledge alone cannot provide.
Carnegie’s people skills complement technical business expertise and have contributed significantly to Buffett’s ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. His annual shareholder letters, renowned for their clarity and wisdom, reflect the principles of effective communication that Carnegie championed. The book’s teachings on genuine relationship-building also align with Buffett’s approach to business partnerships and acquisitions.
3. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
In his 2016 letter to shareholders, Buffett called this memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight “the best book I read last year.” He praised Knight as “a sagacious, intelligent, and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller.” The book chronicles Knight’s journey of building Nike from a small import operation into one of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Knight’s persistence through numerous challenges resonates with Buffett’s long-term philosophy. The book shows how Knight navigated cash flow problems, manufacturing issues, and fierce competition—staying true to his vision despite significant obstacles. For Buffett, who values companies with sustainable competitive advantages, Knight’s story illustrates how brand-building and corporate culture contribute to lasting success.
4. Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charles T. Munger
This compilation of speeches and writings by Buffett’s late long-time business partner offers wisdom that extends well beyond investing. Munger’s “mental models” approach—drawing insights from various disciplines like psychology, mathematics, and history—has profoundly influenced Buffett’s thinking.
The book emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking as essential for sound decision-making, a principle that has helped Berkshire Hathaway avoid many pitfalls over decades. Munger’s focus on ethics and philanthropy alongside business success reflects the values-based approach that has characterized Buffett’s career.
Their partnership, documented in this book, demonstrates how complementary thinking styles can create extraordinary results when built on mutual respect and shared principles.
5. The Clash of the Cultures by John C. Bogle
Recommended in Buffett’s 2012 shareholder letter, this book by the founder of Vanguard Group examines how short-term speculation has increasingly displaced long-term investing in financial markets. The distinction between investment and speculation is central to Buffett’s philosophy, making Bogle’s analysis particularly relevant.
Bogle’s emphasis on “reversion to the mean”—the principle that extreme market conditions eventually normalize—aligns with Buffett’s contrarian approach. Buffett has consistently praised Bogle’s efforts to help ordinary investors achieve fair returns through low-cost index funds. The book’s focus on long-term thinking over short-term gains mirrors Buffett’s investment horizon, which he famously describes as “forever.”
6. On The Brink by Henry M. Paulson
This behind-the-scenes account of the 2008 financial crisis by the former Secretary of the Treasury offers insights into the economic resilience that Buffett values. During this crisis, Buffett made significant investments in companies like Goldman Sachs, demonstrating his willingness to act decisively when others were paralyzed by fear.
Paulson’s book illustrates how leadership during crises requires technical expertise and psychological fortitude—qualities Buffett has demonstrated throughout market downturns. Understanding economic history and the mechanics of financial crises has been integral to Buffett’s ability to capitalize on market dislocations rather than being victimized. The book’s lessons on systemic risk and institutional interdependence provide context for Buffett’s cautious approach to leverage and financial complexity.
7. One Thousand Ways to Make $1000 by F.C. Minaker
This Depression-era book holds special significance for Buffett, who read it as a child. The book inspired his entrepreneurial spirit and shaped his business acumen with practical advice on salesmanship, hard work, and resourcefulness. Despite some dated examples, its timeless principles on marketing, customer relations, and raising capital helped form Buffett’s foundational understanding of business.
The book’s emphasis on multiple revenue streams and creative problem-solving foreshadows Buffett’s later diversification across industries. It also reflects his belief in starting small and reinvesting profits—a principle he applied from his earliest paper route to his most significant acquisitions. This formative influence shows how early reading can shape a lifetime of business thinking.
8. Dream Big by Cristiane Correa
Buffett recommended this book at the 2014 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. It tells the story of Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles, and Beto Sicupira—three Brazilian entrepreneurs who founded 3G Capital and transformed the global beer and food industries through acquisitions of companies like Anheuser-Busch and Kraft Heinz (the latter in partnership with Berkshire Hathaway).
The book highlights 3G’s principles of meritocracy and relentless cost-cutting, approaches that align with Buffett’s appreciation for operational efficiency. Their disciplined management style and focus on long-term value creation rather than quarterly results mirror Buffett’s business philosophy. The partnership between Berkshire and 3G on major transactions demonstrates how Buffett practices the principles he admires in others.
9. First A Dream by Jim Clayton
This autobiography of Jim Clayton, who grew up as the son of a sharecropper and built Clayton Homes into the largest producer of manufactured housing in the United States, inspired Buffett to acquire the company in 2003. The book embodies the American dream of rising from humble beginnings through determination and business acumen.
Clayton’s focus on providing affordable housing solutions for middle-income Americans aligned with Buffett’s interest in businesses that serve essential needs. In contrast to many competitors, the company’s conservative lending practices during the housing bubble exemplified the kind of financial discipline Buffett seeks in management teams. This acquisition demonstrates how Buffett’s reading directly influences his business decisions.
10. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
Though this is a biography about Buffett himself, he has recommended it for the principles and lessons it conveys. Author Alice Schroeder had unprecedented access to Buffett, resulting in a comprehensive portrayal of his life and philosophy. The book explores his key relationships, including his close friendship with the late Charlie Munger, and traces the evolution of his business approach.
The “snowball” metaphor refers to how Buffett built his fortune through the compounding of knowledge, relationships, and capital over time—starting small and growing consistently through disciplined application of principles. The book reveals how Buffett’s values and experiences shaped his business decisions, demonstrating that character and consistency are as important as analytical skills in achieving lasting success. This is the closest thing readers will get to an autobiography.
Conclusion
These ten books, recommended by Warren Buffett, reveal that success extends far beyond the technical knowledge of investing. They emphasize the importance of clear communication, relationship building, ethical decision-making, and long-term thinking—principles that have guided Buffett throughout his career.
From Dale Carnegie’s people skills to Charlie Munger’s mental models, these works have helped shape one of history’s most successful businessmen. Buffett’s appreciation of practical business knowledge and more profound wisdom about human nature stands out in this recommendation.
His reading habits demonstrate that broad learning creates the foundation for sound judgment. Buffett once said, “The more you learn, the more you earn.” By exploring these books, we can absorb some wisdom contributing to Buffett’s extraordinary journey and apply these timeless principles to our paths to success.