Why Summer Is the Perfect Season to Grow Your Mind—and Your Business—with Books.
There’s something magical about summer. The pace slows down, the days stretch longer, and there’s finally space to breathe—and think. It’s not just a season for vacations and cookouts; summer is a prime opportunity to invest in yourself. While others are unwinding, the savviest entrepreneurs and small business owners are recharging their minds with fresh insights. This is the perfect season to read a game-changing business book while sipping iced coffee on the porch or listening to an audiobook on a morning walk.
Whether you’re plotting a sales breakthrough or simply looking to reignite your creative spark, the right book can help you shift your mindset, refine your systems, or scale your impact. With fewer meetings and more margin in your day, now is the time to turn pages—and turn up your growth. If you want to emerge from summer sharper, clearer, and ahead of the game, this list of the best 2025 business books is your launchpad. From powerful sales strategies to personal memoirs and marketing frameworks, each of these titles can help you make smarter decisions, generate more revenue, and step more boldly into your next chapter.
Add these titles to your summer reading list:
1. The 7 Commitments of a Great Team by Jon Gordon
In this inspiring and practical guide, bestselling author Jon Gordon outlines the seven essential commitments that transform average groups into high-performing, purpose-driven teams. Drawing on real-world examples from sports, business, and life, Gordon shows how commitment to communication, connection, trust, and shared goals can build resilient teams that thrive—even under pressure. A must-read for leaders looking to strengthen culture and collaboration in any organization.
2. No One Is Self-Made: A Motivational Self-Help Guide with a Community-Oriented Approach, Rewrite the Rules of Business with Collective Support by Dr. Lakeyesha Hallmon
No One Is Self-Made is a motivational guide that challenges the myth of the lone-wolf entrepreneur. With a community-oriented lens, this book empowers readers to rewrite the rules of business by embracing collective support, shared wisdom, and collaboration over competition. Through inspiring stories and practical strategies, it shows how real success is built on mentorship, networks, and the strength of trusted relationships. Whether you’re launching a venture or growing a legacy, this guide reminds you that you’re never alone—and you don’t have to be. Success isn’t solo. It’s social. Let this book be your blueprint for building with others.
3. Rich Girl Nation: Taking Charge of Our Financial Futures by Katie Gatti Tassin
Women experience money differently than men do. In the United States, women have only 55 cents for every dollar of wealth held by men, are more likely to end up in poverty following a divorce and are less likely to retire with the resources they need. What can women do to build wealth and claim financial power in a system that wasn’t designed for them? In Rich Girl Nation, Katie Gatti Tassin deconstructs the unique challenges women face on their journey to financial freedom, offering context and nuanced guidance on money matters.
4. Who Knew by Barry Diller
Barry Diller, one of America’s most successful businessmen, reveals himself here—his successes, failures, and struggles—with surprising candor and intimacy in a memoir rich in Hollywood lore and filled with business acumen. Writing in his singular voice, Barry Diller delivers, an unvarnished look at Hollywood, and a surprisingly frank coming-of-age story. Diller’s media savvy changed the course of American culture. His championing of Alex Haley’s Roots put long-form miniseries on the map. Diller also recognized our digital future, founding IAC and growing it into a billion-dollar constellation of brands, including Match, Tinder, and Expedia. Beyond business, Diller recounts his family life, personal struggles, and regrets, his joyful marriage to Diane von Fürstenberg, and where he has found fulfillment.
5. I Wish Someone Had Told Me . . .: The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life By Dana Perino
In this insightful book, Dana Perino, co-anchor of America’s Newsroom and co-host of The Five, compiles valuable career and life advice from her own experiences and those of her network. The book offers guidance on building a successful career and leading a meaningful life, making it a valuable resource for professionals at all stages.
6. The Pink Tsunami: Women’s Rise in Franchising by Alesia L. Visconti
Alesia L. Visconti, CEO & President of FranServe, Inc., explores the increasing presence and impact of women in the franchising industry. The book provides insights into how women are shaping the franchise space and offers guidance for those looking to enter or expand within this sector.
7. Lifting Up: The Transformative Power of Supportive Leadership by Jen Marr
It’s time to hit the reset button in leadership. Lifting Up: The Transformative Power of Supportive Leadership is not your average leadership framework; rather, it’s the essential human foundation that makes all leadership work. This book reveals how to strengthen relationships, navigate tough conversations, and create a culture where people can reach their potential through the relational support that brings trust, energy, and adaptability.
8. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins introduces a transformative mindset in The Let Them Theory, encouraging readers to let go of the need to control others’ actions and focus on their own responses. This approach aims to reduce stress and improve personal and professional relationships, offering a path to greater emotional well-being.
9. Out of the Tunnel: An Epic Tale of Battles, Breakthroughs, & New Beginnings by Marvin Peake
A raw, gripping, true-life saga of one man’s quest to overcome homelessness, abuse, and extreme poverty to rise to the heights of success. On his epic journey, Marvin Leake learned how to stare down suffering and banish pity and fear, despite dire circumstances. In the midst of tragedy, he rose and discovered life-changing truths about perseverance, self-awareness, and Oneness. Out of the Tunnel offers Marvin Peake’s distilled wisdom, life stories, proven solutions, and channeled passions while spotlighting insights and conversations with some of today’s wealthiest influencers and most spiritually aware people.
10. Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams
In this compelling memoir, Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook (now Meta), provides an insider’s perspective on the company’s internal culture and decision-making processes. The book critically examines the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced within one of the world’s most influential tech companies.
11. Matriarch By Tina Knowles
In this inspiring memoir, Tina Knowles—matriarch of the Knowles family—shares how she built a legacy rooted in entrepreneurship, creativity, and fierce motherhood. Part business blueprint, part personal testimony, Matriarch is a tribute to women who lead both at home and in the boardroom. It’s an empowering summer read for any woman redefining success on her own terms.
12. Before The Best Seller: Your Proven Path to Book Sales Without Wasting Time and Money by Alex Strathdee
Perfect for coaches, consultants, and aspiring authors, this book offers a streamlined method to launch a profitable book without falling into the usual money traps. Alex lays out a step-by-step strategy to get your message in front of the right readers and turn your book into a revenue engine.
13. Confessions of a Persuasion Hitman by Ian Andrew Stanley
Get ready for sharp wit and sharper insights. Ian Stanley dishes out the real rules of high-stakes sales in this entertaining, no-BS guide. Learn the unconventional persuasion tactics that helped him sell over $100M in products and services—without burnout or sleaze.
14. Voice of the Buyer Marketing by Kevin Donlin
Want to close more deals faster? Start using your buyers’ own words. This powerful marketing manual teaches you how to slash acquisition costs and increase conversions by aligning your messaging with your customers’ actual pain points. A hidden gem for copywriters, sales teams, and founders.
15. Go LIVE & Thrive by Olivia Chen
Live selling is the future—and Olivia Chen is handing you the roadmap. This 21-day guide helps you launch a livestream shopping business from scratch, with real-world tactics to start making money fast. If you’ve been eyeing TikTok Shop or Instagram Live as sales channels, this book is your launchpad.
16. Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates
In Source Code, readers get an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at the formative years of one of the most influential business leaders of all time, Bill Gates. With refreshing candor and wit, the author shares stories of personal failures, bold risks, and the relentless ambition that helped shape the tech giant’s rise. More than a business memoir, this is a revealing study in leadership, innovation, and the cost of success in the fast-paced world of software. Perfect for entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and anyone curious about what it really takes to build a tech empire from the ground up.
17. AI for Small Business: From Marketing and Sales to HR and Operations, How to Employ the Power of Artificial Intelligence for Small Business Success by Phil Pallen
AI for Small Business by Phil Pallen is your practical, no-fluff guide to unlocking the power of artificial intelligence to grow and streamline your business. Covering everything from marketing and sales to HR and operations, this book breaks down complex AI concepts into actionable strategies that any small business owner can use—no tech background required. Learn how to save time, cut costs, and boost productivity with the right AI tools. Whether you’re just getting started or scaling your business, this book offers real-world use cases, expert insights, and step-by-step tips to help you work smarter and stay competitive in the AI era.
As summer kicks into full swing, there’s no better time to invest in your personal and professional growth through reading. Whether you’re stretched out at the beach or sneaking in pages between client meetings, these books are curated to inspire new ideas, challenge old ways of thinking, and sharpen your leadership edge. Remember, the most successful entrepreneurs never stop learning. A powerful quote I live by is, “Readers are leaders.” So don’t just scroll—soak up the wisdom of those who’ve walked the path before you. From building great teams to decoding the mindset of tech giants, these summer reads offer more than stories—they deliver strategies. I hope you find one (or more!) titles that light a fire in your business journey this season. Keep growing, keep dreaming, and let this summer be your launchpad into a bigger, bolder chapter.
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