Top Innovation 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 Innovation books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Innovation

Understanding the concepts of Innovation 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.

The innovator's dilemma

The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, first published in 1997, is the best-known work of the Harvard professor and businessman Clayton Christensen. It expands on the concept of disruptive technologies, a term he coined in a 1995 article "Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave".

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The myths of innovation

How do we know if a hot new technology will succeed or fail? Most of us, even experts, get it wrong all the time. We depend more than we realize on wishful thinking and romanticized ideas of history. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and Entrepreneurship deals with 'what, when and why'; with policies and decisions; opportunities and risks,structures and strategies; staffing, compensation and rewards. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future is a 2014 book by the American entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel co-written with Blake Masters.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm

There isn't a business that doesn't want to be more creative in its thinking, products and processes. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building Breakthroughs

Innovation principles to bring about meaningful and sustainable growth in your organization Using a list of more than 2,000 successful innovations, including Cirque du Soleil, early IBM mainframes, the ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Innovation Reading

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

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

A fascinating deep dive on innovation from the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Unexpected LifeThe printing press, the pencil, the flush toilet, the battery--these are all great ideas. But where do they come from? What kind of environment breeds them? What sparks the flash of brilliance? ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy is a book published in 2005 written by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors at INSEAD, and the name of the marketing theory detailed on the book.

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 Innovation 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!


Mohamed Elrfaey — Technology Leader, Innovator, and Mentor With over 18 years of experience in software development, technology management, and entrepreneurship, I specialize in building high-performance teams that deliver cutting-edge solutions and amplify ROI. My expertise spans e-commerce, cloud computing, machine learning, security, and financial markets. At Amazon Canada, I …

$200 / month

Only 4 Spot Left

I’m a Product Director at Expedia Group with 15+ years of global experience across travel, healthcare, and telecom—leading teams, solving customer problems, and building high-impact products. I’ve worked with top brands like Expedia, Amazon, Bupa, and more across the USA, Australia, and the Middle East. My strengths lie in identifying …

$180 / month

Only 4 Spot Left

Hello everyone! 🤗 With a solid background as a Digital Marketing Manager and holding an MBA in Business Analytics, I've devoted over seven years to assisting a variety of startups in harnessing the power of data for strategic decision-making and significant business value delivery. Renowned for my leadership abilities, I …

$100 / month

Only 1 Spot Left

Entrepreneur, founder, pitcher, mentor and healthtech innovator. As a biomedical engineer with a keen business mindset, I bring a dynamic blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial vision to the world of startups. My journey includes a pivotal role in successfully co-founding Clynx Health, where we have developed a Medical Device …

$110 / month

Only 3 Spot Left

I have mentored many UX Designers and Researchers over the years, from students just starting out, to Principals and Directors who are wondering how to get to the next level in their careers. Mentoring is one of my favorite things to do on this earth and I am looking forward …

$200 / month

Only 5 Spot Left

Hey, I’m Stephen, a product leader, coach, and lifelong builder. I’ve spent 13+ years leading products through every startup stage - from finding product-market fit to scaling to eight-figure revenue and a successful exit. I’ve been a 3× VP of Product, launched 0→1 products, and built high-performing teams and PM …

$240 / month

Browse all Innovation mentors

Still not convinced? Don't just take our word for it

We've already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they've left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.

Find a Innovation mentor
  • "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."