Top Career books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Career books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Career

Understanding the concepts of Career starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The probl…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Designing Your Life

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life is a book by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans that aims to help readers organize themselves through journaling and design thinking.

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The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know

Following the success of Lean In and Why Women Should Rule the World, the authors of the bestselling Womenomics provide an informative and practical guide to understanding the importance of confidence—and ...

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Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a non-fiction book written by Daniel Pink. The book was published in 2009 by Riverhead Hardcover. It argues that human motivation is largely intrinsic and that the aspects of this motivation can be divided into autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

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The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your su…

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The 4-Hour Workweek

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich is a self-help book by Timothy Ferriss, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Career Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Career, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

The Lean Startup

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses is a book by Eric Ries describing his proposed lean startup strategy for startup companies.

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Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One

What's next? is a question we all have to ask and answer more frequently in an economy where the average job tenure is only four years, roles change constantly even within that time, and smart, motivated people find themselves hitting professional plateaus. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action is a book by Simon Sinek.

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So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path. ...

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I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It

Isn't It Time You Followed Your Real Dreams? This extraordinary book is designed to help you achieve them. In it, Barbara Sher goes beyond the groundbreaking principles introduced in her phenomenal number one best seller, Wishcraft. ...

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey.Covey defines effectiveness as the balance of obtaining desirable results with caring for that which produces those results.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Specializations and Deeper Career Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Career is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication

What makes someone charismatic? Why do some people captivate a room, while others have trouble managing a small meeting? What makes some ideas spread, while other good ones fall by the wayside?
Cues - the tiny signals we send to others 24/7 through our body language, facial expressions, word choices and vocal inflection - have a massive impact on how we, and our ideas, come across. Our cues…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Career books

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!


Do you want to speed up your career or successfully transition to the leadership role? Do you need to define the product strategy or expand the operations? Let's work together! MY EXPERIENCE: I have 15 years of experience in Tech including 12 years in Google; a tenured leader with experience …

$150 / month


Hi, I'm Sariel 👋 ⭐ About Me: I hold a PhD in neuroscience and transitioned from academia to industry. I’ve driven innovation through research for sleep products at Bose and led human factors research at Apple. With 6 years of industry UX research experience and 13 years in research and …

$220 / month

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Hi, I’m Kelvin, a Lead Product Designer at Meta with over 10 years of experience crafting intuitive, impactful digital experiences. Throughout my career, I’ve led cross-functional teams across product strategy, UX/UI design, and systems thinking—helping to launch products at scale that reach millions of users. What drives me most is …

$240 / month


I'm John, an experienced engineering leader passionate about helping others grow in their careers and scale their impact. Over the past decade, I've led teams at companies like Instagram and Patreon, building products from early-stage MVPs to platforms used by millions of people. As a mentor, I offer guidance and …

$200 / month


Alex is an experienced professional with a track record of international consulting engagements in the UK, Switzerland, Germany and the US and holds a B.Sc. in Business Informatics and M.Sc. in International Business. He is a curious and driven personality with the innate ability to capture and release hidden potentials …

$220 / month

Only 5 Spot Left

I’m an experienced mentor with a unique career history, successfully navigating 15 distinct roles across various companies and industries—from basement startups to Fortune 500s—mastering the art of career change, life transitions, and "personal reinvention". ⭐️ My mentorship style: Through mentorship, I strive to help others move through pivotal moments of …

$60 / month

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  • "Naz is an amazing person and a wonderful mentor. She is supportive and knowledgeable with extensive practical experience. Having been a manager at Netflix, she also knows a ton about working with teams at scale. Highly recommended."

  • "Brandon has been supporting me with a software engineering job hunt and has provided amazing value with his industry knowledge, tips unique to my situation and support as I prepared for my interviews and applications."

  • "Sandrina helped me improve as an engineer. Looking back, I took a huge step, beyond my expectations."