What books does Sheryl Sandberg recommend?
Sheryl Sandberg spent 14 years as Meta's COO and built Google's online sales business before that, and her book recommendations read like a syllabus for building and leading at scale. This page gathers 28 titles from her New York Times By the Book interview, endorsements and blurbs she has written, and her Facebook posts, weighted toward business, leadership, psychology, and memoir. Her top pick is Fred Kofman's Conscious Business, which she says had a profound effect on her career and life and whose lessons she thinks about almost every day. The list also features Adam Grant's Originals, which she calls one of the most important and captivating books she has ever read, alongside Anna Quindlen's A Short Guide to a Happy Life and Eric Ries's The Lean Startup. Talent, teams, resilience, and women's ambition recur, reflecting both her executive career and the Lean In movement she founded.
Last updated January 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Conscious Business
How to Build Value Through Values
byFred Kofman
2006325 Pages“Had a profound effect on my career and life. I think about his lessons almost every day.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Ray Dalio, Sheryl Sandberg, Richard Branson and 1 others
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
How Non-Conformists Move the World
byAdam Grant
2016336 Pages“One of the most important and captivating books I have ever read, full of surprising and powerful ideas.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
byAnna Quindlen
200064 Pages“I've read it before — and I will read it again — and just knowing it's at my bedside gives me comfort.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
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“Provides a great inside look at how the tech industry approaches building products and businesses.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
Now, Discover Your Strengths
The Revolutionary Gallup Program That Shows You How to Develop Your Unique Talents and Strengths
byMarcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton
2001260 Pages“Has been instrumental in how we think about developing talent at Facebook.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
byTina Fey
2011288 Pages“I absolutely loved [this book] and didn't want it to end.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Inside the Doomsday Machine
byMichael Lewis
2010320 PagesSource: NYT By the Book Interview
byMadeleine L'Engle
2017256 Pages“I wanted to be Meg Murry, the admittedly geeky heroine.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
byKim Scott
2017272 Pages“Will help you build, lead, and inspire teams to do the best work of their lives.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg, Sundar Pichai, Reid Hoffman and 1 others
Measure What Matters
How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
byJohn Doerr
2018320 Pages“Shows how any organization or team can aim high, move fast, and excel.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sam Altman, Sheryl Sandberg, Brian Chesky and 1 others
Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
byReid Hoffman, Chris Yeh
2018336 Pages“Shows how companies can build value for customers and shareholders in the digital age. A compelling inside view of how the new economy is being built and is transforming global business.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
The Sleep Revolution
Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time
byArianna Huffington
2017416 Pages“Shows that sleep is not just vital for our health, but also critical to helping us achieve our goals. Sometimes we need to sleep in to lean in!”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
byCaroline Weber
2007448 Pages“There are few books that I have enjoyed as much.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
The Innovators
How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
byWalter Isaacson
2014560 Pages“A fascinating history of the digital revolution, including the critical but often forgotten role women played from the beginning.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Facebook Post
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
byMichael Lewis
2009192 PagesSource: NYT By the Book Interview
The Third Wave
An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future
bySteve Case
2016272 Pages“In the Third Wave, Steve Case has drafted a compelling roadmap for the future – one that can help us make sense of the technological changes reshaping our economy and the world.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
byDiane von Furstenberg
2014256 Pages“Offers a behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of building a global business, creating an enduring brand, and finding true love.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
byJ.K. Rowling
1997223 PagesSource: NYT By the Book Interview
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein
byShel Silverstein
1974192 PagesSource: NYT By the Book Interview
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
Part of Nature, Part of Us
Modern American Poets
byHelen Vendler
1980390 Pages“My most cherished book.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: NYT By the Book Interview
byKlaus Schwab
2017192 Pages“Puts forth a thoughtful framework for leaders to meet the challenge of maximizing the benefits of the profound technological, social and economic transformation reshaping society.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
How Companies Win
Profiting from Demand-Driven Business Models No Matter What Business You're In
byRick Kash, David Calhoun
2010272 Pages“Offers real-world solutions that you can implement right now.”
— Sheryl Sandberg
Source: Official Endorsement / Blurb
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
Just the Funny Parts
… And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking Into the Hollywood Boys' Club
byNell Scovell
2018336 PagesSource: Wrote Foreword
Read by Sheryl Sandberg
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Sheryl Sandberg recommend?
Her 28 picks include Conscious Business by Fred Kofman, Originals by Adam Grant, A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen, The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, and Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton.
What is Sheryl Sandberg's most recommended book?
Her top pick is Conscious Business by Fred Kofman, which she says "had a profound effect on my career and life." She adds, "I think about his lessons almost every day."
Where do Sheryl Sandberg's book recommendations come from?
They are drawn from her New York Times By the Book interview, the many endorsements and blurbs she has written for other authors, forewords she has contributed, and her Facebook posts.
Has Sheryl Sandberg written any books?
Yes. She has authored three books listed here: the bestseller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, its companion Lean In for Graduates, and Option B, on resilience and grief.
What genres does Sheryl Sandberg read most?
Her recommendations favor business strategy and leadership and management, with strong psychology and biography and memoir threads. They span talent development, team building, resilience, and stories of women in business, echoing both her executive career and the Lean In movement.
All 28 Books Sheryl Sandberg Has Recommended
- Conscious Business · Fred Kofman
- Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World · Adam Grant
- A Short Guide to a Happy Life · Anna Quindlen
- The Lean Startup · Eric Ries
- Now, Discover Your Strengths · Marcus Buckingham
- Bossypants · Tina Fey
- The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine · Michael Lewis
- A Wrinkle in Time · Madeleine L'Engle
- Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity · Kim Scott
- Measure What Matters · John Doerr
- Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies · Reid Hoffman
- The Sleep Revolution · Arianna Huffington
- Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution · Caroline Weber
- The Innovators · Walter Isaacson
- Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood · Michael Lewis
- The Third Wave · Steve Case
- The Woman I Wanted to Be · Diane von Furstenberg
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · J.K. Rowling
- Where the Sidewalk Ends · Shel Silverstein
- Part of Nature, Part of Us · Helen Vendler
- The Fourth Industrial Revolution · Klaus Schwab
- How Companies Win · Rick Kash
- Just the Funny Parts · Nell Scovell
- Take Back Your Power · Deborah Liu
- Trillion Dollar Coach · Eric Schmidt
- Play Nice But Win · Michael Dell
- Dare to Lead · Brené Brown
- #POSITIVITY · Phil Hellmuth