5 Must-Reads for Founders and Entrepreneurs During the COVID-19 Isolation

While some states are now just starting to reopen most of us are still officially in some form of quarantine or self-isolation. As busy as many of us still are — or, at least, try to be — it looks as if we are going to have more free time than usual on our hands for the foreseeable future. It’s really a question of putting that free time to good use. As a founder or entrepreneur, there is always something else out there to help you increase your knowledge or give you a fresh perspective on how to approach your life and business. So, if you want to stay motivated, enrich your business knowledge, or simply get your mind elsewhere and away from the onslaught of coronavirus news, stop watching the Tiger King for the third time and dig into these 5 books that the team at Revel recommend.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck (Recommended by Gayle Myers)

With our world transforming seemingly every few days it pays to have a flexible mindset. This book helps unpack why — perhaps, now more than ever — adopting the right mindset is vital to success. Stanford University psychologist Dr Carol S. Dweck shows how achievement in business, work, sports, the arts and almost every other area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. It demonstrates how people with a fixed mindset are less likely to succeed whereas those with a growth mindset tend to flourish. Guy Kawasaki, the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, said, “If you manage people or are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset.” It’s a great book for the times we live in and will help entrepreneurs tremendously as they navigate the new normal and attempt to lead their companies forward.

King of Oil By Daniel Ammann (Recommended by Thomas Falk)

At Revel, we are always looking for ways to use big data and advanced technologies to create new marketplaces. Diving into how billionaire oil trader Marc Rich invented the spot oil market and changed the world economy is the perfect illustration of not only the pure potential of new marketplaces but also why we love companies that are trying to create new ones! It doesn’t hurt that this book is also a fascinating page-turner. It reads like a thriller as it touches upon his private life, his dealings with Ayatollah Khomeini, Fidel Castro, war-ravaged Angola and apartheid South Africa. His behind-the-scenes cooperation with Israeli and the U.S.- despite being indicted for tax fraud and the subject of multiple attempted kidnappings by the U.S. government — is also fascinating.

The Library Journal calls it a “cross between a rags-to-riches saga and a cloak-and-dagger thriller, but also an excellent and timely primer on the world of commodities trading within a global economy.” This portrait of one of the most successful and controversial commodities traders in recent history comes highly recommended and is the perfect antidote to quarantine induced boredom.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (Recommended by Marcos Martinez-Villalba)

We’re all getting a lot more sleep these days or, at least, we have a lot more time to try (when we’re not being awoken at 4 am by thoughts of impending doom and the end of times). This New York Times bestseller is a stimulating deep dive into the purpose and power of slumber. No less than Bill Gates said, “Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” For entrepreneurs Why We Sleep is a must-read. It explores the cognitive, health and business consequences of compromising the quality and quantity of your sleep. These insights may not only change the way you live your life but also how you build your business and approach your work. In these worrying and anxiety-ridden times where sound sleep can be hard to come by, the importance of this book cannot be understated.

Life by James Fox and Keith Richards (Recommended by Chris Young)

Sometimes what we want most in the age of COVID is just an escape from the hard realities pressing in all around us and with Keith Richard’s Life you get what you need. It was described as, “endearing, insightful, action-packed, graceful, generous-spirited, unflinching, and funny,” by Dan DeLuca of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s a compelling read about one of the most fascinating people (still, amazingly) alive, or, as David Remnick described him, “a man who knew every pleasure, denied himself nothing, and never paid the price.” Sometimes you just need to detach and let the mind recharge and this is the perfect book with which to do so. It’s lessons — while they may not always be obvious — are many and (occasionally) profound. As Keith once noted, “All you need is love? Try living off it.”

Shoe Dog by Phillip Knight (Recommended by Varun Sridhar)

This memoir unpacks the story of the notoriously media-shy man behind Nike. Entrepreneurs will find it a revealing and candid account of what the path to business success really looks like. Phil Knight is the founder of Nike, Inc. He served as CEO of the company from 1964 to 2004, as board chairman through 2016, and he is currently Chairman Emeritus. His story has earned near-universal acclaim as a blueprint for entrepreneurial success. In the Wall Street Journal Bill Walton called it, “the ultimate entrepreneur’s guide to the top of the mountain.” Who can argue with that?