16 Essential Books for Social Entrepreneurs: Transform Ideas into Impact

Published December 8, 2023 · Updated July 7, 2024

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Looking for the ultimate toolkit to revolutionize the world and your bookshelf? Discover the best books for social entrepreneurs! Short answer: “Innovative, inspiring, and game-changing—these reads redefine entrepreneurship!” Ready to embark on a literary journey that transforms ideas into impact?

Here’s a curated list of 15 exceptional books that delve into the world of social entrepreneurship, offering wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice for those aspiring to create meaningful change while running successful ventures.

1. Creating a World Without Poverty

“Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism” by Muhammad Yunus: In this seminal work, Yunus, a Nobel laureate, delves into the concept of social business, offering a revolutionary perspective on capitalism.

He advocates for businesses designed to address social issues, explaining how this model can be a catalyst for eradicating poverty globally. Drawing from his extensive experience in microfinance, Yunus outlines practical steps and case studies, envisioning a future where profit motives align harmoniously with social welfare.

2. Start Something That Matters

“Start Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie: Mycoskie’s narrative is an inspirational call-to-action for aspiring entrepreneurs. Through the story of TOMS Shoes, he illustrates how a simple idea can transform into a global movement.

Beyond recounting his personal journey, Mycoskie provides insights into building a purpose-driven business, emphasizing the importance of combining passion with action to effect meaningful change in the world.

3. The Promise of a Pencil

“The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change” by Adam Braun: Braun’s memoir details his transition from a corporate path to founding Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building schools around the world.

Through engaging storytelling, Braun shares pivotal moments and lessons, encouraging readers to embrace their potential for impact, regardless of their starting point. His experiences underscore the power of perseverance, optimism, and community in driving social change.

4. Lean Impact

“Lean Impact: How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good” by Ann Mei Chang: Chang adapts the lean startup methodology to the social impact sector, advocating for a more agile and data-driven approach to tackling social challenges.

Drawing from diverse case studies, she offers actionable strategies for maximizing impact, emphasizing the importance of iteration, feedback, and scalability in creating sustainable solutions.

5. The Blue Sweater

“The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World” by Jacqueline Novogratz: Novogratz weaves a compelling narrative, intertwining her experiences with her work in impact investing and social entrepreneurship.

Through vivid storytelling, she emphasizes the world’s interconnectedness and the potential for individuals to drive positive change. The book urges readers to reconsider their roles in addressing global poverty and inequality.

“The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook: Pressure Test, Plan, Launch and Scale Your Social Enterprise” by Ian C. MacMillan and James D. Thompson: A comprehensive guide for budding social entrepreneurs, this playbook walks readers through every stage of building a successful social enterprise.

With detailed frameworks and real-world examples, it offers practical advice on testing ideas, crafting business plans, and navigating the complexities of scaling impact-driven ventures.

6. Scaling Up Excellence

“Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao: Sutton and Rao explore the challenges of maintaining excellence while expanding an organization. They present case studies and actionable principles, highlighting the strategies employed by successful companies and nonprofits to scale without compromising quality.

“The Art of Social Enterprise: Business as if People Mattered” by Carl Frankel and Allen Bromberger: This book delves into the human-centric approach to social entrepreneurship, stressing the significance of empathy and community engagement.

It offers practical wisdom for aspiring social entrepreneurs, focusing on fostering meaningful relationships and creating sustainable impact.

8. Forces for Good

“Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits” by Leslie R. Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant: Crutchfield and Grant analyze successful nonprofit organizations, identifying six key practices that drive their high impact.

They provide actionable insights into strategy, leadership, and collaboration, enabling readers to apply these practices to their own ventures.

9. The Power of Unreasonable People

“The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World” by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan: This book showcases the transformative power of “unreasonable” ideas and individuals in creating innovative solutions for pressing global issues.

Elkington and Hartigan highlight stories of social entrepreneurs who challenge conventions and reshape markets for the greater good, inspiring readers to think outside the box.

10. Good to Great

“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t” by Jim Collins: Although not specifically focused on social entrepreneurship, Collins’ research on what propels companies from good to great holds relevance for impact-driven ventures.

By analyzing companies’ transformative journeys, Collins identifies key principles, including disciplined leadership, confronting brutal facts, and focusing on what an organization can be the best at, providing valuable insights for social entrepreneurs aiming for lasting impact.

11. The Lean Startup

“The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Eric Ries: Ries’ influential work outlines a methodology for startups, emphasizing iterative development and customer feedback.

While primarily geared towards commercial ventures, its principles are adaptable for social enterprises, encouraging a mindset of rapid experimentation and learning to maximize impact.

12. The Business of Good

“The Business of Good: Social Entrepreneurship and the New Bottom Line” by Jason Haber: Haber explores the evolution of social entrepreneurship and its integration into the business landscape.

By analyzing case studies and industry shifts, he highlights how a paradigm shift toward a new bottom line, emphasizing social and environmental impact alongside profit, is reshaping modern entrepreneurship.

“Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Impact Investors” by Marc J. Epstein and Kristi Yuthas: Epstein and Yuthas provide a comprehensive guide for organizations aiming to measure and enhance their social impact.

This book offers practical tools and frameworks for nonprofits, companies, and impact investors striving for meaningful change, from defining metrics to implementing improvement strategies.

14. “Sustainability at Work” by Marilyn Waite

“Sustainability at Work” by Marilyn Waite provides a comprehensive resource for professionals seeking to integrate sustainability into their organizations. The book offers practical insights and tools for creating environmentally and socially responsible workplaces. Waite emphasizes the importance of sustainability in today’s business landscape and provides guidance on implementing sustainable practices.

15. “Lean Impact” by Ann Mei Chang

“Lean Impact” by Ann Mei Chang applies the principles of lean startup methodology to the world of social entrepreneurship. Chang offers a roadmap for building and scaling social ventures efficiently and effectively. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, iteration, and measurement in achieving meaningful social impact.

“Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know” is a comprehensive introduction to social entrepreneurship. David Bornstein and Susan Davis provide an overview of key concepts, challenges, and opportunities in this growing movement.

This book serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the fundamentals of this movement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Social entrepreneurs can be categorized into four types:

Innovators,
Replicators,
Advocates,
and Ambassadors.

Innovators create novel solutions, Replicators replicate successful models, Advocates drive policy change, and Ambassadors promote social entrepreneurship globally.

Which book should I read to be an entrepreneur?

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Eric Ries’s “The Lean Startup” is highly recommended. It provides valuable insights on building and scaling startups efficiently, emphasizing adaptability and customer-centric approaches.

Muhammad Yunus is widely considered one of the most successful social entrepreneurs. As the founder of Grameen Bank, he pioneered microfinance, empowering millions of individuals with small loans to start businesses and escape poverty.

To become a successful social entrepreneur, start by identifying a social issue you are passionate about. Develop a clear mission, collaborate with stakeholders, and leverage innovative solutions. Stay adaptable, resilient, and committed to creating positive change.

Cagri Sarigoz( Founder )

I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.

With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.

At BizStack, I aim to cut through the digital noise to provide clear, actionable advice.

And more than all else, I’m a father to a (always) little girl and a husband.

Contact me at [email protected] for assistance.