12 Best CFO Books
We analyzed 4+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 12 best cfo books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best CFO books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best cfo books" and study the top 4+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
12 Best CFO Books
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The 80/20 Principle and 92 Other Powerful Laws of Nature
The Science of Success
Also recommended by
3 people
Keith Rabois recommended this bookKeith Rabois
Keith Rabois recommended this book on a Medium blog post.
Keith Rabois's recommendation of this book
Dave Camarillo recommended this bookDave Camarillo
"[Tim Ferriss] put me on [to this book]." - Dave Camarillo
Dave Camarillo's recommendation of this book
Gary Keller recommended this bookGary Keller
"The hallmark in terms of productivity." - Gary Keller
Gary Keller's recommendation of this book
Reinventing the CFO
How Financial Managers Can Transform Their Roles And Add Greater Value
The New CFO Financial Leadership Manual
Principles
Life and Work
Also recommended by
25 people
Arianna Huffington recommended this bookArianna Huffington
"Beautifully written and filled with such wisdom." - Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington's recommendation of this book
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book
Bryan Johnson recommended this bookBryan Johnson
"[The author] open sourced Bridgewater’s methods in [this book] and the results were good evidence that collectives can operate at higher levels when they are open and honest about and can see past their cognitive flaws." - Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson's recommendation of this book
Diddy recommended this bookDiddy
"[Ray Dalio]'s a great guy and has a great book out you all need to get called Principles. It’s a major key!!" - Diddy
Diddy's recommendation of this book
Doug McMillon recommended this bookDoug McMillon
"Greg Penner, our chairman, asked me to read it." - Doug McMillon
Doug McMillon's recommendation of this book
Drew Houston recommended this bookDrew Houston
"Sketched really concise and good thoughts for [how to approach life]." - Drew Houston
Drew Houston's recommendation of this book +19
More recommendations
- Dustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.
- Gary Vaynerchuk
"The book's buzz and the reaction of the people has been overwhelming." - Gary Vaynerchuk
- Howard Marks
"I think the guiding quote of the book is [one] from Mark Twain, 'History does not repeat, but it does rhyme.'" - Howard Marks
- Jack Dorsey
"Helpful in showing people how to operate by clearly articulated and shared principles that lead to faster progress." - Jack Dorsey
- Kevin Systrom
"I was blown away. It’s both a guide to life, a guide to business, and also I think an insight into [the author] and someone who’s built an amazing business." - Kevin Systrom
- Marc Benioff
"A masterpiece - It's a must-read!" - Marc Benioff
- Mark Cuban
"The book I wish I had as a young entrepreneur." - Mark Cuban
- Michael Bloomberg
"Everyone with goals and dreams can learn from [the author]'s approach." - Michael Bloomberg
- Naval Ravikant
"As with most non-fiction, the meat was in the beginning." - Naval Ravikant
- Reed Hastings
"Had a profound positive impact on my leeadership style." - Reed Hastings
- Tim Ferriss
"I highly, highly recommend this book. It has already changed how I think about making decisions in my life and in my business." - Tim Ferriss
- Tony Robbins
"[Ray Dalio] tells you how he figured it all out – and about all the principles that guided him toward success in his life, business and finances." - Tony Robbins
- Austen Allred
"So good." - Austen Allred
- Patrick O'Shaughnessy
"Bridgewater’s infamous [book]." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy
- Tom Bilyeu
"The most powerful business book I've ever read." - Tom Bilyeu
- Lex Fridman
"A book I highly recommend." - Lex Fridman
- James Clear
"[One of] the 10 books with the most page-for-page wisdom." - James Clear
- Marty Cagan
"In my view, the most important business book of 2017." - Marty Cagan
- Ben Greenfield
Most Recommended Books reached out to Ben Greenfield directly.
- Dustin Moskovitz
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
Also recommended by
11 people
Jeff Bezos recommended this bookJeff Bezos
Part of "Jeff's Reading List."
Jeff Bezos's recommendation of this book
Dave Ramsey recommended this bookDave Ramsey
Recommended on Dave Ramsey's website.
Dave Ramsey's recommendation of this book
Jason Calacanis recommended this bookJason Calacanis
"The great management book." - Jason Calacanis
Jason Calacanis's recommendation of this book
Max Levchin recommended this bookMax Levchin
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?"
Max Levchin's recommendation of this book
Brian Armstrong recommended this bookBrian Armstrong
"The scientific method can be applied to business. This book draws powerful lessons from data." - Brian Armstrong
Brian Armstrong's recommendation of this book
Ev Williams recommended this bookEv Williams
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book +5
More recommendations
- Frank Blake
"As a business person, I love [this book]." - Frank Blake
- Tracy DiNunzio
"It’s too good. [...] Definitely a must read." - Tracy DiNunzio
- Daniel Ek
"A really interesting book." - Daniel Ek
- John Doerr
John Doerr recommended this book at the end of "Measure What Matters."
- Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt recommended this book on his website.
- Frank Blake
The Alchemy of Finance
Also recommended by
2 people
Garry Tan recommended this bookGarry Tan
"Be aware of reflexivity." - Garry Tan
Garry Tan's recommendation of this book
Paul Tudor Jones recommended this bookPaul Tudor Jones
"A timeless instructional guide of the marketplace." - Paul Tudor Jones
Paul Tudor Jones's recommendation of this book
Future Ready
How to Master Business Forecasting
Getting More
How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life
Guide to CFO Success
Leadership Strategies for Corporate Financial Professionals
The 80/20 CFO
How to Make Strategic Transformations in Your Company
The Lean CFO
Architect of the Lean Management System
This is Not a Fashion Story
Taking Chances, Breaking Rules, and Being a Boss in the Big City
Sources
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.


























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