The 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards, Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Of all the categories in the 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards, the books in Entrepreneurship & Small Business usually contain the most immediately actionable ideas and instruction. This year is no exception. Chris Guillebeau's The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future, released by Crown Business, is a perfect primer for those looking to break out and build a business of their own—right. now.

"If you have a group of interested people but nothing to sell,
you don't have a business. If you have something to sell but no one willing to buy it, you don't have a business. In both cases,
without a clear and easy way for customers to pay for what
you offer, you don't have a business. Put the three together, and congratulations—you're an entrepreneur."
The $100 Startup, page 18

This book is not about getting rich, and it's not about being on the "leading edge." And, as the author tells us in his opening "manifesto," it is not about doing less work, it's about doing better work. Chris Guillebeau's new book is simply a very well written guide to independence via entrepreneurship. He offers insights on how to break away from the conventional workforce, but he augments his guidance with very relatable anecdotes and case studies that entertain, excite, and educate. The $100 Startup does offer cases in which people have made quite a bit of money, but the goal of the book is always to teach readers how to be self-supporting. This is the everyman's guide to entrepreneurship.

To see more, check out our Entrepreneurship & Small Business shortlist.