By Saurav Pandey | March 17, 2025
Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple, was not only a tech innovator but also a lifelong learner who drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, including literature.
Image: Canva
Among the many books he admired, five stand out as essential reads for leaders, each offering unique insights into creativity, resilience, mindfulness, and strategic thinking. Here’s a look at these five books and why Jobs thought they were invaluable.
Image: Canva
The book chronicles the life of Yogananda, an Indian yogi and guru, and explores themes of self-realization, meditation, and the pursuit of enlightenment. Jobs was deeply influenced by its teachings on intuition, inner peace, and the interconnectedness of all things.
Image: Canva
A literary masterpiece, Moby-Dick is more than just a tale of a man’s obsession with a whale. Jobs saw it as a metaphor for the relentless pursuit of ambitious goals, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Image: Canva
This iconic book on mindfulness and spirituality was a cornerstone of the 1960s counterculture movement. Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert) shares his journey from Harvard psychologist to spiritual seeker, offering practical advice on living in the present moment.
Image: Canva
Written by the former CEO of Intel, this book is a practical guide to navigating strategic inflection points—moments of dramatic change that can make or break a company.
Image: Canva
This introduction to Zen Buddhism emphasizes the importance of approaching life with a “beginner’s mind”—a mindset of openness, curiosity, and humility.
Image: Canva
Steve Jobs believed that leadership was as much about inner growth as it was about external success.
Image: Canva
Whether through the spiritual insights of Autobiography of a Yogi, the strategic wisdom of Only the Paranoid Survive, or the mindfulness teachings of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, these works offer timeless lessons for anyone looking to lead with vision, creativity, and integrity.
Image: Canva