Read by Mark Manson, Ryan Holiday, Rich Roll and 9 others
What books does Iman Gadzhi recommend?
A high-school dropout who built an agency and education empire, Iman Gadzhi shares book recommendations aimed squarely at aspiring entrepreneurs. The British founder of IAG Media and Educate.io has organised 21 titles here, all sourced from a single YouTube video, "The 17 Books That Changed My Life," and structured around stages of business growth. Self-improvement leads, joined by psychology, business and strategy, economics, and philosophy. James Clear's Atomic Habits is a top pick; of the many habit books he has read, Gadzhi says "this is the one that is really just the most punchy." He is unusually personal about David Deida's The Way of the Superior Man, which he says "gave me permission to embrace my authentic self," and keeps Marcus Aurelius's Meditations by his bedside. The list pairs mindset classics with hard financial history.
Last updated March 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Atomic Habits
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
byJames Clear
2018320 Pages“I've read 15-20 habit books... this is the one that is really just the most punchy. It's not about who thinks of a concept first, it's about who can explain it the best. And that award goes to James Clear.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Iman Gadzhi
The Way of the Superior Man
A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire
byDavid Deida
2017224 Pages“Don't let the title put you off... I've given this book away probably 25 times. If you want to understand me and the way an entrepreneur thinks, this book is amazing. It gave me permission to embrace my authentic self.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Naval Ravikant, Arianna Huffington, Tobias Lütke and 12 others
Meditations
A New Translation
byMarcus Aurelius
2003256 Pages(1,240,000)
“I've had the same copy since 2015, this always stays by my bedside. I just read it again and again and again. For me, Marcus Aurelius is one of the greatest minds in history.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by LeBron James, Daniel Ek, Pharrell Williams and 8 others
The Alchemist
A Fable About Following Your Dream
byPaulo Coelho
2014208 Pages(3,580,036)
“This is the only fiction book on the list and sets the foundation for all other books. It emphasizes the importance of having the courage to follow one's purpose.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Grant Cardone, Dave Ramsey, Steve Harvey and 10 others
Think and Grow Rich
The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
byNapoleon Hill
2005320 Pages“A blueprint for achieving financial success and personal fulfillment. It emphasizes the power of mindset and goal setting.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Jay-Z, Ryan Holiday, Steven Bartlett and 4 others
byRobert Greene
1998480 Pages“This book teaches you Machiavellian thinking. Not everyone is out to get you, but you need to understand that there are people who think 6 steps ahead.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Bob Proctor, Kevin Trudeau, Robin Sharma and 1 others
Psycho-Cybernetics
Updated and Expanded
byMaxwell Maltz
2015336 Pages“This is the first book that introduced the archetype of the self-image as the bedrock for personal development. It argues positive change is within reach only to the extent that one's self-image embodies such.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Iman Gadzhi
Reality Transurfing
Steps I-V
byVadim Zeland
2004766 Pages“It's a terrifying prospect to read through but truly lifechanging.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
MONEY Master the Game
7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
byTony Robbins
2014688 Pages“One of the best books for understanding the financial system and how to make your money work for you. Essential reading for the $0 to $10k/month stage.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
The Personal MBA
Master the Art of Business
byJosh Kaufman
2020496 Pages“This book distills everything you need to know about business and really 99% of the things you'd learn from doing an MBA.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Sheryl Sandberg, Marc Andreessen, Andrew Ng and 1 others
The Lean Startup
How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
byEric Ries
2011336 Pages“Insights into building a successful startup through efficient and iterative development processes. Recommended for the $10k to $100k/month stage.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Naval Ravikant, Mark Manson, Tobias Lütke and 8 others
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
New and Expanded
byRobert Cialdini
2021592 Pages“The Bible of persuasion. If you want to sell anything, you need to read this.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Iman Gadzhi
byDavid Ogilvy
2012192 Pages“David Ogilvy is the father of advertising. This book is a must-read for anyone in the agency space.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Ali Abdaal, Cal Newport, Ramit Sethi and 1 others
The 4-Hour Workweek
Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
byTim Ferriss
2009448 Pages“Revolutionizes traditional notions of work and productivity. Advocates for lifestyle design.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Andrew Huberman, Ali Abdaal, Craig Groeschel and 4 others
Never Split the Difference
Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
byChris Voss, Tahl Raz
2016288 Pages“The best book on negotiation I've ever read. Crucial for closing deals.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Warren Buffett, Alex Hormozi, Chip Wilson and 11 others
byDale Carnegie
1936291 Pages“A timeless classic for building meaningful relationships and succeeding in personal and professional life.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
The Making of Behavioral Economics
byRichard H. Thaler
2015432 Pages“It's an introduction to behavioral economics. Recommended for the $100k to $1M/month stage.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Bill Ackman and 3 others
The Intelligent Investor
The Definitive Book on Value Investing
byBenjamin Graham
2006640 Pages“The definitive book on value investing. Essential for preserving wealth once you've made it.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Iman Gadzhi
The House of Morgan
An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
byRon Chernow
2010848 Pages“For the $1M to $10M/month stage. Understanding the history of banking dynasties is crucial at this level.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Robert Kiyosaki, Luke Belmar, Iman Gadzhi and 1 others
The Creature from Jekyll Island
A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
byG. Edward Griffin
1994608 Pages“A second look at the Federal Reserve. You need to understand how money is created.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
Read by Iman Gadzhi
Devil Take the Hindmost
A History of Financial Speculation
byEdward Chancellor
1999386 Pages“A history of financial speculation. Included as a bonus book in my top 17 list.”
— Iman Gadzhi
Source: YouTube: 'The 17 Books That Changed My Life'
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Iman Gadzhi recommend?
His 21 recommendations include Atomic Habits, The Way of the Superior Man, Meditations, The Alchemist, and Think and Grow Rich, mixing mindset and habit classics with business strategy and financial history.
What is Iman Gadzhi's favourite book?
James Clear's Atomic Habits is a top pick. Gadzhi says that after reading "15-20 habit books... this is the one that is really just the most punchy," praising Clear's ability to explain a concept best.
Where do Iman Gadzhi's book recommendations come from?
All are drawn from his YouTube video "The 17 Books That Changed My Life," in which he maps titles to business milestones from the first $10k a month up to the $10M-a-month stage.
Which books does Iman Gadzhi recommend for entrepreneurs?
He ties recommendations to growth stages: MONEY Master the Game and The Personal MBA early on, The Lean Startup and Influence next, then value-investing and financial-history works like The Intelligent Investor and The House of Morgan.
Does Iman Gadzhi recommend any philosophy or fiction?
Yes. He calls Marcus Aurelius "one of the greatest minds in history" and rereads Meditations constantly, and includes Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist as the list's sole fiction title on following one's purpose.
All 21 Books Iman Gadzhi Has Recommended
- Atomic Habits · James Clear
- The Way of the Superior Man · David Deida
- Meditations · Marcus Aurelius
- The Alchemist · Paulo Coelho
- Think and Grow Rich · Napoleon Hill
- The 48 Laws of Power · Robert Greene
- Psycho-Cybernetics · Maxwell Maltz
- Reality Transurfing · Vadim Zeland
- MONEY Master the Game · Tony Robbins
- The Personal MBA · Josh Kaufman
- The Lean Startup · Eric Ries
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion · Robert Cialdini
- Confessions of an Advertising Man · David Ogilvy
- The 4-Hour Workweek · Tim Ferriss
- Never Split the Difference · Chris Voss
- How to Win Friends and Influence People · Dale Carnegie
- Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics · Richard H. Thaler
- The Intelligent Investor · Benjamin Graham
- The House of Morgan · Ron Chernow
- The Creature from Jekyll Island · G. Edward Griffin
- Devil Take the Hindmost · Edward Chancellor