Despite the latest developments and efforts in supporting women in tech and business, us female go-getters still face adversities and hardships from time to time.

 

The difficulties awaiting us can discourage us from entering or staying in male-dominated industries, but we can always make use of a little inspiration from the women who have done it before us.    

 

So for all the female go-getters—whether you’re a woman wanting to work in tech or a female entrepreneur, we’ve rounded up 15 must-read books for women in tech and biz, written by female tech influencers and inspiring authors.

 

Go find your comfy spot on the sofa and get ready to soak up inspiration!

 

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Author: Sheryl Sandberg

Published: 2015

Goodreads Rating: 3.95

Amazon Rating: 4.6

 

First on our list is Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In—a practical book that’s present in most, if not all, lists of the best women-in-tech books. Lean In has ignited conversations about women and ambition all over the world, and the title has also been an instant catchphrase for empowering women.

 

In this book, Sandberg draws on her personal experiences and discusses how women are unintentionally hindering their own growth. Lean In also talks about ways and means on how women can help themselves achieve more in the workplace and in businesses.  

 

Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur

Author: Cara Alwill Leyba

Published: 2017

Goodreads Rating: 4

Amazon Rating: 4.4

 

For all the female entrepreneurs, professionals, and ‘side hustlers’, Girl Code can be the book for you. Cara Alwill Leyba steers away from the typical advice on how to create and run your business; instead, she blends personal stories, inspirational quotes and mantras with practical workbook sections to teach readers how to build confidence, ignore the haters, avoid jealousy, and use the power of connection in pursuing their entrepreneurial endeavours.

 

Written in a “girlfriend-to-girlfriend” style, Girl Code also promotes the importance of women supporting other women in their entrepreneurial goals.  

 

Female Innovators at Work: Women on Top of Tech

Author: Danielle Newnham

Published: 2016

Goodreads Rating: 4.6

Amazon Rating: 5

 

Female Innovators at Work: Women on Top of Tech features 20 inspiring interviews with successful female CEOs, founders, and inventors from tech organisations across different industries. Rich with the interviewees’ experiences, challenges and lessons learned throughout their journey, this is a good read for both aspiring and current entrepreneurs.

 

Interviewer Danielle Newnham, who is also a mobile startup and e-commerce entrepreneur herself, presents insights and pieces of advice shared with her in the interviews. This book is helpful for anyone interested in working in the tech industry.

 

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

Author: Jen Sincero

Published: 2016

Goodreads Rating: 4

Amazon Rating: 4.5

 

Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass puts together hilariously inspiring stories, sensible advice, and easy exercises into 27 bite-sized chapters. You Are a Badass often stands out in lists of books for female entrepreneurs because of its entertaining approach that’s incredibly effective in helping you understand why you are the way you are, love what you can’t change, and use “The Force” to truly be a “badass”.  

 

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth

Author: Jen Sincero

Published: 2018

Goodreads Rating: 4

Amazon Rating: 4.7

 

You Are a Badass at Making Money is a follow-up to Sincero’s 2016 book, and this time, it focuses on a heavy topic: money. Funny, fascinating, and practical, this book discusses how powerful our thoughts are and how our bank accounts actually mirror our beliefs about money.

 

Sincero packages her life-changing concepts and tips to bite-sized portions so you’ll be able to digest them easily, apply them into your life, and ultimately, change your beliefs and practices for the better.

 

Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive

Author: Dorie Clark

Published: October 2017

Goodreads Rating: 4.1

Amazon Rating: 4.2

 

Successful entrepreneur and author Dorie Clark outlines essential elements and actionable tactics for entrepreneurial success in Entrepreneurial You. This book is a hands-on guide containing insights and advice on how to build your brand, monetise your expertise, increase your income, and extend your online reach.

 

Clark also shares stories of all kinds of entrepreneurs—from coaches to podcasters, bloggers, and online marketers—on their journey and how they generated six- to seven-figure incomes.

 

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Author: Brené Brown

Published: December 2015

Goodreads Rating: 4.2

Amazon Rating: 4.6

 

In this powerful and inspiring book, Dr. Brené Brown tackles the issue of shame and vulnerability. Daring Greatly gets rid of the widely-accepted myth that vulnerability is a weakness and shows that when we turn away from being vulnerable—or from revealing our true selves—we distance ourselves from the experiences that give purpose and meaning to our lives.

 

After years of rigorous social research, Daring Greatly invites us, readers, to take courage in showing up and letting ourselves be seen, and shows that without vulnerability, there can be no real connection or growth.

 

Women in Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories

Author: Tarah Wheeler

Published: 2017

Goodreads Rating: 4

Amazon Rating: 4.7

 

Women in Tech is a book written by actual ladies in tech and compiled by Tarah Wheeler. This is a tech-oriented career guide alternating career tips with inspiring stories of successful women in tech—from startup CEOs to successful tech professionals.

 

Some of the topics covered in Women in Tech include salary negotiation, the best format for tech resumes, tips on how to ace tech interviews, how to start your own company, and more. Women 2.0 founder Angie Chang, Giant Spacekat founder Brianna Wu, and TED speaker and cybersecurity expert Keren Elazari are only some of the notable contributors in this book.

 

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

Author: Kim Scott

Published: March 2017

Goodreads Rating: 4.2

Amazon Rating: 4.3

 

Kim Scott offers Radical Candor to all the “bosses and those who manage bosses” as she tackles the secret to being a good boss. There are two crucial steps that every manager should take: Care Personally while you Challenge Directly. One without the other will be unhealthy for the team.  

 

Radical Candor is an insightful guide that can help you, as a leader, fulfil your three key responsibilities: create a culture of feedback, build a cohesive team, and achieve satisfying results.

 

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time

Author: Ariana Huffington

Published: March 2017

Goodreads Rating: 3.4

Amazon Rating: 3.8

 

The Sleep Revolution is different from all the books in this list—and in a good way. In this fast-paced, perpetually-stressed, and sleep-deprived world, Huffington shifts the focus back to the importance of a good night’s sleep. The Sleep Revolution aims to demolish our cultural mindset that a night of good, complete sleep is time wasted, and shows that a lack of sleep not only compromises our health but also damages our personal and work lives.

 

With research-backed discussions and recommendations from leading scientists, Huffington offers solutions on how we can achieve better and more restorative sleep that can power us up to transform our lives.   

 

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars

Author: Nathalia Holt

Published: 2017

Goodreads Rating: 3.8

Amazon Rating: 4.5

 

Produced after extensive research and interviews, Holt’s Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the story of the female “human computers” who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California during the 1940s and 50s. These group of brilliant young women computed rocket trajectories with only pencils, paper, and their mathematical prowess—which has transformed rocket design and, later on, made the exploration of the solar system possible.

 

In this well-researched book, Holt puts the spotlight on the roles women play in science—what they’ve done in the past, and what greater things they can do in the future.  

 

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from Over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

Author: Grace Bonney

Published: 2016

4.1

Amazon Rating: 5

 

In the Company of Women is a great read if you want to get inspiration from real-life stories. Bonney compiles the profiles of over 100 influential women from all ages, races, backgrounds, and industries into one encouraging book. The interviews are full of inspirational and practical advice, detailed keys to success, plus genuine photos of the women in their workspace.

 

From media titans, ceramicists, hoteliers, tattoo artists, comedians, to architects, In the Company of Women is a beautiful collection of women who pursued their passions and dreams despite the odds.

 

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Author: Twyla Tharp

Published: 2005

Goodreads Rating: 3.9

Amazon Rating: 4.3

 

We all have those moments where we feel like we’re stuck in a rut, or like we can’t produce anything good. Twyla Tharp addresses the issue of creativity in her book The Creative Habit and points out that everyone, and not just the artists, experiences this dilemma.

 

Tharp offers systematic, inspiring, and encouraging guide readers can follow and integrate into their own creative processes to help them reach their fullest creative potential.     

Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

Author: Ruth Reichl

Published: 2010

Goodreads Rating: 4

Amazon Rating: 4.3

 

Not a self-help book, but Reichl’s well-crafted memoir Tender at the Bone points readers back to the most important ingredient in entrepreneurship—passion. People often relate entrepreneurship with the drive for financial success that they forget about passion, but Reichl proves that professional success can come from love and affection for your craft.

 

While it’s a witty and compelling chronicle of Reichl’s coming-of-age, it’s also an inspiring story of how a culinary aficionado’s love for food and discovering her own taste led her to become one of the most well-known food writers in America.

 

Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family

Author: Anne-Marie Slaughter

Published: 2015

Goodreads Rating: 3.9  4.5

 

After Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” appeared and went viral, she has become a leading voice in work-life balance discussions as well as in debates on women’s changing roles in the workplace.

 

In Unfinished Business, Slaughter addresses the issue of true gender equality, both in the workplace and at home. Backed with extensive research and written in a warm, down-to-earth tone, Slaughter debunks all the “half-truths” young women are told about “having it all”. The book is also filled with wise and funny anecdotes, effectively making her one of the most trusted and admired voices on the issue.  

 

 

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