Thank You for My Service by Mat Best

Thank You for My Service by Mat Best--224 pages

The author is a retired Army Ranger who served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who became a social media sensation among the military community. His objective was to use humor to help military personnel, like himself, who were having trouble adjusting to civilian life after serving. The book is outrageously funny and crude in the same manner as Deadpool. After stumbling a bit, Best has found his calling and become a successful entrepreneur.

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau -- 268 pages

This is a collection of stories as well as guidelines for starting a small business from nothing. I found it very inspiring and informative.

Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind by Biz Stone

Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind by Biz Stone - 240 pages

Read the entire book in one sitting.  It's a fascinating look into both the development of Twitter (with a side trip into the early days of Google) and the development of Stone's personal philosophy.  This book is a testament to the power of ideas and the importance of taking initiative.

Bend, Not Break, by Ping Fu

Bend, Not Break, by Ping Fu, 288 pages

Ping Fu's memoir spans from her life in China to her professional career as a naturalized American.  All I knew of Ping Fu was that she is a fairly successful entrepreneur with a computer software company.  What I did not realize was that growing up in China, she was a victim of the Cultural Revolution.  Furthermore, she was exiled from her birth country for writing an article that exposed the national secret of female infanticide.  She then moved to America, where even though she did not know what fractions were and had literally no money, she became a computer science major, started her own 3D imaging software company, and is widely recognized as an immigrant success story.  It's a pretty interesting read, even if the businesswoman-angle doesn't sound appealing.