Diary of a CEO Book Recommendations — Every Book Mentioned on the Podcast
Looking for Diary of a CEO book recommendations? Over 500+ episodes, Steven Bartlett and his guests have recommended hundreds of books on business, psychology, health, relationships, and personal growth. We've compiled the most-recommended and most-impactful books mentioned on the podcast into one definitive reading list — organized by category so you can find exactly what you need.
This list focuses on books that were specifically recommended by guests or Steven himself — not just casually mentioned. We've included who recommended each book and a brief summary of why it matters. We update this list as new episodes air.
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Want the book, not just the quote?
If one of these titles jumped out at you, these are the fastest picks to grab first. They're already part of the DOAC reading canon, so you can go deeper without hunting each one down individually.
- Get Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Get The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
- Get Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Get The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life
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Categories
- Business & Entrepreneurship (14 books)
- Psychology & Mindset (10 books)
- Health & Nutrition (8 books)
- Relationships & Communication (6 books)
- Money & Investing (7 books)
- Steven Bartlett's Personal Top 10
Business & Entrepreneurship
The most-recommended category on the podcast. These are the books that DOAC guests credit with shaping how they build companies.
$100M Offers
The most-referenced business book in DOAC history. Hormozi's framework for creating "Grand Slam Offers" that make price irrelevant has become standard reading for entrepreneurs. The core idea: increase perceived value by stacking bonuses, guarantees, and urgency rather than lowering your price.
Recommended by: Alex Hormozi, Steven Bartlett, and referenced by multiple other guests
The Lean Startup
The foundational text on building companies through validated learning. Build-measure-learn feedback loops, minimum viable products, and pivot-or-persevere decisions. Multiple DOAC guests have called it the single most important book for first-time founders.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, Daniel Priestley, multiple startup founders
Zero to One
Thiel's contrarian thesis: the best businesses create something entirely new rather than competing in existing markets. "Competition is for losers" — monopoly is the goal. Essential reading for anyone thinking about market positioning.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett
Good to Great
Collins' research into what separates good companies from great ones. The Hedgehog Concept, Level 5 Leadership, and "getting the right people on the bus" are frameworks that come up repeatedly in DOAC conversations about scaling.
Recommended by: Simon Sinek, multiple CEO guests
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
The most honest book about the reality of running a company. Horowitz covers the things no one else writes about: firing friends, managing your own psychology, and leading when you have no idea what to do. Steven has called this one of the books that most prepared him for being a CEO.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett
Start With Why
Sinek's framework for inspirational leadership: great companies start with purpose, not product. The Golden Circle model (Why → How → What) has become a standard framework for brand positioning. Sinek expanded on these ideas extensively in his DOAC appearance.
Recommended by: Simon Sinek (guest), Steven Bartlett
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight's memoir of building Nike from a $50 loan into a global empire. Raw, honest, and surprisingly literary. Multiple DOAC guests have called it the best business memoir ever written — and it comes up in nearly every conversation about founder resilience.
Recommended by: Sara Blakely, Gary Vaynerchuk, Steven Bartlett
Built to Sell
How to create a business that can run without you — essential reading for entrepreneurs who want to build sellable equity rather than a glorified job. The core framework: specialize, systematize, and remove yourself from delivery.
Recommended by: Daniel Priestley
The E-Myth Revisited
Why most small businesses don't work and what to do about it. Gerber's distinction between working "in" your business vs. "on" your business remains the most important mental model for entrepreneurs who feel trapped by their own companies.
Recommended by: Rob Moore, multiple entrepreneur guests
Key Person of Influence
Priestley's five-step framework for becoming the go-to expert in your industry: perfect your pitch, publish, productize, profile, and partnerships. He broke this down in detail during his DOAC episode.
Recommended by: Daniel Priestley (guest)
Rework
The anti-hustle-culture business book. Fried and Hansson argue for smaller teams, fewer meetings, less funding, and more focus. A refreshing counterpoint to the "grow at all costs" mentality prevalent in startup culture.
Recommended by: Tim Ferriss
Blitzscaling
How to grow a startup at breakneck speed. Hoffman's framework for prioritizing speed over efficiency in uncertain environments. Most useful for tech entrepreneurs and those in winner-take-all markets.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett
Crushing It!
Gary Vee's playbook for building a personal brand and business through social media. Includes case studies of people who used content to build seven-figure businesses across every platform. He expanded on these strategies during his DOAC appearance.
Recommended by: Gary Vaynerchuk (guest)
The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life
Steven's own book, distilling 500+ conversations into 33 principles. Covers everything from "you must out-fail the competition" to the importance of building systems rather than setting goals. A synthesis of the podcast's best ideas.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett (author)
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Subscribe Free →Psychology & Mindset
DOAC's psychology episodes are among the most popular, and these are the books guests recommend most often for understanding human behavior and optimizing your mental game.
Atomic Habits
The most-recommended self-improvement book across all DOAC episodes. Clear's framework — make habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying — is referenced by guests across business, health, and personal development. If you read one mindset book, make it this one.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, James Clear (guest), 10+ other guests
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Kahneman's Nobel Prize-winning research on cognitive biases and decision-making. Understanding System 1 (fast, intuitive) vs. System 2 (slow, analytical) thinking is foundational for entrepreneurs who need to make better decisions under uncertainty.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, multiple psychology guests
The Power of Now
Tolle's guide to present-moment awareness. Multiple DOAC guests — particularly those discussing mental health and burnout — credit this book with fundamentally changing their relationship to stress and anxiety.
Recommended by: Multiple wellness guests
Man's Search for Meaning
Frankl's account of surviving the Holocaust and finding meaning in suffering. The core thesis — that we can't control what happens to us, but we can choose our response — is the most-quoted idea in DOAC's discussions about resilience.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, Simon Sinek
The Body Keeps the Score
The definitive book on how trauma affects the body and mind. Comes up frequently in DOAC's mental health episodes. Van der Kolk's research on how unprocessed trauma manifests as physical symptoms is eye-opening for anyone dealing with stress or anxiety.
Recommended by: Multiple psychology and health guests
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Dweck's research on fixed vs. growth mindset. The idea that believing your abilities can improve through effort leads to dramatically better outcomes in business, relationships, and health. A foundational reference in DOAC's entrepreneurship episodes.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, multiple guests
12 Rules for Life
Peterson's practical philosophy for living with meaning and responsibility. His DOAC episode was one of the most-watched, and this book's emphasis on personal accountability resonates with the podcast's entrepreneurial audience.
Recommended by: Jordan Peterson (guest)
The Chimp Paradox
Peters' model for understanding the emotional brain ("the chimp") vs. the rational brain ("the human"). Originally written for elite athletes, it's become a favourite among DOAC's high-performance guests for managing emotions under pressure.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, sports and performance guests
Attached
The science of adult attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, secure) and how they affect relationships. Referenced frequently in DOAC's relationship and psychology episodes.
Recommended by: Multiple relationship and psychology guests
Can't Hurt Me
Goggins' memoir of extreme self-discipline and mental toughness. His approach — "callousing the mind" through voluntary discomfort — divides opinion, but multiple DOAC guests credit it as a turning point in their mindset.
Recommended by: Multiple performance and mindset guests
Health & Nutrition
DOAC's health episodes have become some of the most popular on the platform. These are the books recommended by the doctors, nutritionists, and scientists who've appeared on the show.
Why We Sleep
Walker's research on why sleep is the foundation of health, performance, and longevity. His DOAC episode was one of the most-listened-to health episodes ever, and this book's central argument — that sleep is more important than diet or exercise — has changed how millions think about their health.
Recommended by: Matthew Walker (guest), Steven Bartlett
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
Attia's comprehensive guide to living longer and healthier. Covers exercise, nutrition, sleep, and emotional health through the lens of "Medicine 3.0" — proactive health optimization rather than reactive disease treatment.
Recommended by: Multiple health and longevity guests
Glucose Revolution
Inchausp—'s practical guide to managing blood sugar spikes through simple food ordering hacks. Her DOAC episode went viral, and the book's advice — eat fibre first, add vinegar, move after meals — is among the most immediately actionable health advice discussed on the podcast.
Recommended by: Jessie Inchausp— (guest)
Ultra-Processed People
Van Tulleken's investigation into how ultra-processed food is designed to be addictive and is driving the obesity crisis. His DOAC episode was a watershed moment for the show's audience, and the book provides the full scientific case.
Recommended by: Chris van Tulleken (guest)
Breath
Nestor's investigation into the lost art of breathing. The research on nasal breathing, CO2 tolerance, and how modern humans breathe incorrectly was a revelation for many DOAC listeners.
Recommended by: James Nestor (guest)
The 4-Hour Body
Ferriss' self-experimentation guide covering rapid fat loss, muscle gain, sleep optimization, and more. His "minimum effective dose" approach to health resonates with time-pressed entrepreneurs.
Recommended by: Tim Ferriss (guest)
Fiber Fueled
Dr. B's guide to gut health through dietary fiber diversity. The gut microbiome is a recurring topic on DOAC, and this book is the most frequently recommended resource for improving gut health through food.
Recommended by: Gut health guests
Lifespan
Sinclair's research into the biology of aging and interventions that might slow it. Covers NAD+, sirtuins, fasting, and other longevity interventions discussed in DOAC's health episodes.
Recommended by: Longevity and health guests
Relationships & Communication
Some of the most emotionally powerful DOAC episodes focus on relationships. These are the books guests recommend for better communication, deeper connections, and healthier partnerships.
The 5 Love Languages
Chapman's framework for understanding how different people express and receive love (words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality time, physical touch). Referenced in nearly every DOAC relationship episode.
Recommended by: Multiple relationship guests
No More Mr Nice Guy
Glover's guide for men who suppress their own needs to please others. Comes up frequently in DOAC's conversations about masculinity, people-pleasing, and setting boundaries.
Recommended by: Multiple male psychology guests
Hold Me Tight
Johnson's emotionally focused therapy (EFT) approach to improving romantic relationships. The book's framework for understanding the "demon dialogues" that destroy relationships is referenced in DOAC's deeper relationship episodes.
Recommended by: Relationship therapy guests
Nonviolent Communication
Rosenberg's framework for communicating needs without blame or criticism. Useful for both personal relationships and business negotiations — several entrepreneur guests have credited it with transforming how they manage teams.
Recommended by: Multiple guests
Mating in Captivity
Perel's exploration of desire and domesticity in long-term relationships. Her DOAC episode was one of the most popular relationship episodes, and the book challenges conventional wisdom about maintaining passion in committed partnerships.
Recommended by: Esther Perel (guest)
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The original relationship and communication book, still relevant 90 years later. Carnegie's principles — show genuine interest, remember names, make others feel important — are referenced across business and personal development episodes.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, Gary Vaynerchuk
Money & Investing
Financial literacy is a recurring theme on DOAC. These books represent the most-recommended resources for building wealth and understanding money.
The Psychology of Money
Housel's thesis that financial success is more about behavior than knowledge. His 20 short lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness have made this the most-recommended money book on DOAC. The key insight: wealth is what you don't spend.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, multiple finance guests
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Kiyosaki's foundational book on financial literacy, assets vs. liabilities, and passive income. While some of the specific advice is dated, the mental model shift — from earning a salary to building assets — remains the starting point for many entrepreneurs' financial education.
Recommended by: Multiple entrepreneur guests
The Intelligent Investor
Graham's value investing classic, recommended for entrepreneurs who want to understand markets and build long-term wealth outside their business. Warren Buffett calls it "the best investing book ever written."
Recommended by: Finance and investing guests
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Sethi's practical system for automating your finances — bank accounts, investing, and spending — so you can focus on earning more rather than cutting lattes. His DOAC episode focused on the psychology of money guilt and "invisible scripts" around wealth.
Recommended by: Ramit Sethi (guest)
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
A compilation of Naval's wisdom on wealth creation and happiness. His distinction between "specific knowledge" (skills that can't be trained) and general knowledge is one of the most influential ideas discussed on DOAC for career and business strategy.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett, multiple entrepreneur guests
$100M Leads
Hormozi's follow-up to $100M Offers, focused specifically on customer acquisition. The four lead generation methods (warm outreach, cold outreach, content, paid ads) provide a complete framework for any business trying to grow.
Recommended by: Alex Hormozi (guest)
Die With Zero
Perkins' contrarian argument that saving too much is as dangerous as saving too little. His framework for optimizing life experiences rather than net worth challenges the default "accumulate forever" mindset common among entrepreneurs.
Recommended by: Steven Bartlett
Steven Bartlett's Personal Top 10
Across various episodes, Steven has shared his personal reading recommendations. These are the books he references most frequently and credits with shaping his thinking.
- Shoe Dog by Phil Knight — "The best business memoir ever written"
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz — "The most honest book about being a CEO"
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman — "Changed how I make decisions"
- Atomic Habits by James Clear — "I re-read it every year"
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl — "Puts everything in perspective"
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — "The only money book most people need"
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel — "Made me think about competition differently"
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek — "Shaped how I build brands"
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker — "The book that changed my health"
- The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters — "Helped me manage my emotions as a CEO"
Never Miss a Book Recommendation
We track every book mentioned on The Diary of a CEO and include the best ones in our free weekly newsletter. Join thousands of readers who use DOAC to build their reading list.
Subscribe Free →How to Use This Reading List
With 50+ books on this list, the worst thing you can do is try to read them all. Here's our recommended approach:
- Pick your category. What's your biggest challenge right now — business growth, mindset, health, relationships, or money? Start there.
- Read the "top pick" first. We've marked the most impactful book in each category. These are the ones with the highest actionable-insight-per-page ratio.
- One book per month. Read it, take notes, implement one key idea before moving on. Applied reading beats speed reading every time.
- Listen to the matching episode. Most of these books have a corresponding DOAC episode. Read the book first, then listen to the episode — you'll get 10x more value from both.
For weekly book recommendations and episode breakdowns, subscribe to the free newsletter at diaryofceo.online. We read the books and listen to the episodes so you get the key insights in 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book does Steven Bartlett recommend most?
Atomic Habits by James Clear and Shoe Dog by Phil Knight are the two books Steven references most frequently across episodes. For business specifically, he recommends The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.
Has Steven Bartlett written a book?
Yes — Steven has written two books: Happy Sexy Millionaire (2021) and The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life (2023). Both were Sunday Times bestsellers.
Where can I find Diary of a CEO episode summaries?
We publish detailed episode summaries, key takeaways, and book recommendations at diaryofceo.online. Subscribe to the free newsletter to receive them weekly.
Do I need to read all these books?
No. Pick 3-5 books that address your current priorities and read them deeply. It's better to fully absorb and implement the ideas from 5 great books than to skim 50.