Success Books You Should Read

Success isn't a skill that you can learn, but you can learn a lot from people who have succeeded and a lot of skills that can help you succeed. This list of recommended success books include both these types of books.

I want to help you succeed and become the person you were meant to be.

If you want to read stories about creative people who have succeeded, check out my dedicated list of recommended creativity books.

I will add to this list as I read more, but if you have one that you think I should read, let me know! If you read one of these or have a suggestion for me, tag me on Instagram or Twitter with @kylewierks or on Facebook at Great North Dynamics.

The Sell: The Secrets of Selling Anything to Anyone by Fredrik Eklund and Bruce Littlefield


Don't judge a book by its cover. If you did, you'd think that this was a book about how to be a salesman. And, to be honest, you wouldn't be far off. But the truth is much greater; this is a book about how to succeed as a human being. Fredrik Eklund was the number one real estate agent in New York City (and possibly the entire world) when he wrote this book (and I believe he is still either number one or very close to it). I love this book because Eklund provides a holistic approach to both sales and success. You don't have to be a salesperson to find something useful in this book. For example, one of my favourite lessons is the ten minute rule: everyone will judge you base on the first ten minutes they spend with you. I would recommend it a hundred times over to anyone who wants to know what it takes to succeed.

The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

This book is dedicated to successful people and studies what sets apart the mega success stories from the rest. While it looks a lot at its subjects' upbringing and demographics, it also adds a ton of interesting information about how you can shape your own success by taking advantage of opportunity and mastering your own habits. If you want to challenge your notions of success and learn a little bit about your own environmental development, I'd encourage you to read The Outliers.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is probably best known for Outliers (also featured here), but The Tipping Point is a must-read for anyone who wants to succeed in sales, communication, or leadership. The whole point of this book is studying what makes something a widespread phenomenon. How does a book become a bestseller? How are ideas spread across a continent? What makes a shoe brand so successful? The short answer is twofold: first, little things matter; second, you need to target the right people. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to spread an idea.