Tom Golisano is the founder and CEO of Paychex, which went from a shoestring operation to a $3.8 billion company with more than 15,000 employees. His book's 184 pages are filled with lessons for new entrepreneurs, based on what Golisano learned the hard way, and with rollicking tales of his first entrepreneurial ventures. It's a quick read that sounds more like a conversation with a very wise mentor.
By all accounts, DaVinci was a genius. But along with the Mona Lisa and Vitruvian Man, he also had a long trail of inventions that never panned out and ideas that never went anywhere. This book delves into the polymath's fascinating processes, his successes and frustrations, and holds lessons for innovators everywhere. Don't miss the last chapter, when Isaacson summarizes the key things that entrepreneurs can learn from Leonardo.