Read by Tim Ferriss, Charlie Munger, Sam Altman and 22 others
What books does Simon Sinek recommend?
Trust, purpose, and how people are moved are the questions Simon Sinek built a career around, and his book recommendations circle those same human concerns. These 15 titles come from his official website and reading lists, his A Bit of Optimism podcast, forewords and endorsements he has written, and direct social-media posts. Psychology and human behavior dominate, threaded with leadership, self-improvement, and a surprising streak of fiction. The book he elevates above all others is Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, which he calls "the book I say every human being should read." He is just as effusive about James Carse's Finite and Infinite Games, telling Carse it "so profoundly influenced my view and changed my view of the world" that it shaped his own book The Infinite Game. Sinek has also authored four bestsellers of his own.
Last updated March 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Man's Search for Meaning
An Introduction to Logotherapy
byViktor E. Frankl
2006165 Pages“The book I say every human being should read.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Simon Sinek official website and direct interview quotes
Finite and Infinite Games
A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility
byJames P. Carse
1986180 Pages“I read your book Finite and Infinite Games many many years ago and it so profoundly influenced my view and changed my view of the world.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: A Bit of Optimism Podcast / The Infinite Game Acknowledgments
Quiet
The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
bySusan Cain
2012368 Pages“One of my favorite non-fiction books of all time.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Simon Sinek official reading list
Read by Simon Sinek
Turn the Ship Around!
A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
byL. David Marquet
2013272 Pages“I'm a huge fan of his & learn A LOT from him. Marquet presents his ideas in a superbly practical way — perfect for implementing.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Official social media and interview mentions
Read by Simon Sinek
Everybody Matters
The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family
byBob Chapman, Raj Sisodia
2015272 Pages“Though a lot of leaders talk about this stuff, in Everybody Matters you'll see what happens when you actually do it.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Foreword written by Simon Sinek
Read by Simon Sinek
Everything Is Figureoutable
How One Simple Belief Can Help Us Overcome Anything
byMarie Forleo
2019304 Pages“A must-read for anyone who wants to face their fears, fulfill their dreams, and find a better way forward.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Official book endorsement blurb
Give and Take
A Revolutionary Approach to Success
byAdam Grant
2013305 Pages“Gotta say, I'm pretty flattered every time someone asks me if I've read Adam Grant's book Give and Take. Good guy. Good book.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Direct Twitter recommendation
Read by Simon Sinek
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
The Secret Life of Dictionaries
byKory Stamper
2017320 Pages“I love words and the English language. I love finding out where words come from and, in this case, why the dictionary is the way it is.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: NDTV Profit Interview / Simon Sinek Books for Inspiration
Read by Simon Sinek
How to Make a Plant Love You
Cultivate Green Space in Your Home and Heart
bySummer Rayne Oakes
2019208 Pages“Who knew that by learning how to take care of plants better, we could learn to take care of each other better.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: NDTV Profit Interview
Read by Charlie Munger, Jamie Dimon, Daniel Ek and 6 others
Guns, Germs, and Steel
The Fates of Human Societies
byJared Diamond
1997480 Pages“I'm a fan of books that challenge our assumptions, and Diamond offers us a new and remarkably simple way of looking at our world.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: Simon Sinek official reading list
Read by Simon Sinek
Trust First
A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances
byBruce Deel, Sara Grace
2019240 Pages“He is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met and it was an honour to be able to publish his book.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: NDTV Profit Interview / Optimism Press publisher
Read by Simon Sinek
A Man Called Ove
A Novel
byFredrik Backman
2014337 Pages“I actually bought two of his novels Anxious People and A Man Called Ove.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: A Bit of Optimism Podcast
Read by Simon Sinek
Anxious People
A Novel
byFredrik Backman
2020352 Pages(1,025,000)
“I actually bought two of his novels Anxious People and A Man Called Ove.”
— Simon Sinek
Source: A Bit of Optimism Podcast
Read by Simon Sinek
The Naked Brain
How the Emerging Neurosociety is Changing How We Live, Work, and Love
byRichard Restak
2006272 PagesSource: Cited extensively in 'Start With Why'
Read by LeBron James, Chip Wilson, Kobe Bryant and 2 others
The Tipping Point
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
byMalcolm Gladwell
2000301 PagesSource: Cited in 'Start With Why' and official reading lists
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Simon Sinek recommend?
His 15 recommendations include Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse, Quiet by Susan Cain, Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet, and Give and Take by Adam Grant.
What is Simon Sinek's most recommended book?
Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, which he calls "the book I say every human being should read." He also credits James Carse's Finite and Infinite Games with profoundly changing his view of the world and inspiring his own book The Infinite Game.
Where do Simon Sinek's book recommendations come from?
They come from his official website and reading lists, his A Bit of Optimism podcast, an NDTV Profit interview, forewords and endorsement blurbs he has written, and direct recommendations on Twitter and other social media.
Has Simon Sinek written any books?
Yes, four. He is the author of Start with Why (2009), Leaders Eat Last (2014), Find Your Why (2017), and The Infinite Game (2019), the last inspired directly by James Carse's Finite and Infinite Games.
Does Simon Sinek recommend any fiction?
Yes. He mentions buying two Fredrik Backman novels, Anxious People and A Man Called Ove, and his non-fiction picks range widely, from Susan Cain's Quiet, "one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time," to Kory Stamper's Word by Word about dictionaries.
All 15 Books Simon Sinek Has Recommended
- Man's Search for Meaning · Viktor E. Frankl
- Finite and Infinite Games · James P. Carse
- Quiet · Susan Cain
- Turn the Ship Around! · L. David Marquet
- Everybody Matters · Bob Chapman
- Everything Is Figureoutable · Marie Forleo
- Give and Take · Adam Grant
- Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries · Kory Stamper
- How to Make a Plant Love You · Summer Rayne Oakes
- Guns, Germs, and Steel · Jared Diamond
- Trust First · Bruce Deel
- A Man Called Ove · Fredrik Backman
- Anxious People · Fredrik Backman
- The Naked Brain · Richard Restak
- The Tipping Point · Malcolm Gladwell