Brian Dean is the founder of Backlinko, one of the web's most authoritative SEO blogs. He's known for his in-depth guides on link building and content marketing strategies. His book selections demonstrate a strong interest in business scaling and foundational startup principles.
12 Books Recommended by Brian Dean
Ranked by popularity across all reading lists on this site
The 4-Hour Workweek
27 people recommendedThis book created thousands of entrepreneurs over the last 15 years⦠including me.
Also recommended by: Eric Jorgenson, Ev Williams, Marc Andreessen, Tim Draper, Aj Jacobs, Blake Mycoskie, Caterina Fake, Charles Poliquin, Daniel Pink, David Heinemeier Hansson, Derek Sivers, Eric Weinstein, Gary Keller, Jason Silva, Jodie Cook, Laura R Walker, Lewis Howes, Marc Goodman, Mark Bell, Maurice Ashley, Michael Hyatt, Mike Maples Jr, Mike Shinoda, Rolf Potts, Tristan Harris, Walter Isaacson
Zero to One
24 people recommendedBusiness classic that lives up to the hype. Completely reframes what a startup should do with their product and positioning.
Also recommended by: Elon Musk, Eric Jorgenson, Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Kishore Biyani, Marc Andreessen, Rupert Murdoch, Sam Altman, Andrew Ng, Ben Horowitz, Bryan Johnson, Chris Dixon, Eric Weinstein, Keith Rabois, Lee Stranahan, Luis Von Ahn, Matt Mullenweg, Max Levchin, Nassim Taleb, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Ryan Petersen, Tom Bilyeu, Derek Sivers
Crime and Punishment
10 people recommendedClassic for a reason: great story, great characters, great writing.
Also recommended by: Christopher Hitchens, Ernest Hemingway, Esther Perel, Jack Edwards, Jim Carrey, Jim Cramer, Jordan Peterson, Larry King, Pewdiepie
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
8 people recommendedTimeless advice from an OG.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Eric Jorgenson, Raj Shamani, Anthony Pompliano, Blake Randall, Shane Parrish, Tim Ferriss
For Whom the Bell Tolls
4 people recommendedTragic story by one of the best to ever do it.
Also recommended by: Christopher Hitchens, Jordan Peterson, Josh Waitzkin
Children of Time
3 people recommendedMentally ill AI and sentient spiders await a broken down starship. Need I say more?
Also recommended by: Ezra Klein, Pewdiepie
Replay
3 people recommendedOne of the few books that you think about between reading sessions.
Also recommended by: Joe Hill, Noah Kagan
The Spy and the Traitor
3 people recommendedIf you have any interest in spies and cold war espionage, youβll love this true story (especially the crazy ending).
Also recommended by: Bill Gates, Casey Neistat
Ready, Fire, Aim
2 people recommendedrecommended 2xOne of the few business books with actionable advice.
One of the few business books with actionable advice.
Also recommended by: Alex Hormozi
The Expert System’s Brother
recommended 2xCompelling blend of sci-fi and fantasy.
Compelling blend of sci-fi and fantasy.
Console Wars
recommended 2xThe extremely detailed inside story of how Sega almost dethroned Nintendo.
The extremely detailed inside story of how Sega almost dethroned Nintendo.
Ordinary Thunderstorms
recommended 2xModern day version of 'The Fugitive'.
Modern day version of 'The Fugitive'.