Curated Reading List
Best Biography Books
The stories behind the world’s most extraordinary builders, founders, and visionaries.
8 biography books • Links are affiliate (details below)
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
by Walter Isaacson
“Franklin was an entrepreneur. He was basically an entrepreneur in many ways, starting from nothing.”View on Amazon
The Innovators
by Walter Isaacson
“Isaacson traces the complete history of the digital revolution. It shows how collaboration drives innovation.”View on Amazon
Shoe Dog
by Phil Knight
“I wrote this memoir about the early days of Nike because I believe the true story is worth telling. It was messy, risky, and deeply human.”View on Amazon
Napoleon
by Andrew Roberts
“Napoleon was the ultimate disruptor. He rewrote the rules of warfare and governance.”View on Amazon
Nikola Tesla: My Inventions
by Nikola Tesla
“Tesla was the ultimate inventor. His autobiography is a window into genius-level thinking.”View on Amazon
Bloomberg by Bloomberg
by Michael Bloomberg
“I wrote my story because I think entrepreneurs need honest accounts of what building a company is really like.”View on Amazon
The Power Broker
by Robert A. Caro
“Caro's biography of Robert Moses is the definitive study of how power works in a city. Required reading for anyone in politics.”View on Amazon
Softwar
by Matthew Symonds
“Symonds followed me for years to write this. It's the most accurate account of how Oracle was built.”View on Amazon
Why These Books?
This list is not a generic roundup scraped from the internet. Every book here was either recommended in a public interview, annual letter, or book club by a billionaire investor — or it comes from Glen Bradford's personal reading list, built over 15+ years of concentrated value investing. Whether you are just getting started or looking for the next book that changes how you see the world, this is the list.
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Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Book recommendations are sourced from publicly available interviews, annual letters, and book clubs. Attributions may be paraphrased or reflect secondhand reporting — we do our best but can't guarantee perfect accuracy. These attributions do not imply endorsement of this site by any individual listed. This page was compiled with AI assistance.
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