Use the time you have to be productive and learn how to make money from the experts by reading the best business books out there.

With most governments mandating 4- to 8-week quarantines due to the coronavirus, plenty of us are working from home and finding ourselves with a lot more free time than usual. Now, you could spend the days lounging about in sweatpants, binging Netflix and scrolling through social media (and nobody would blame you!)—or you can take the time to better yourself as a business professional.

And what better way to learn how to become a pro than from those who have experienced it first-hand? We gathered countless recommendations from all different sources, and these seven books were recommended more than any others:

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
   Sometimes referred to as the “Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature,” Think and Grow Rich (1937) has been critically acclaimed for nearly a century. Hill formulates his philosophy—the Law of Success—through the stories of the likes of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and many other successful entrepreneurs. Not only does the book share the secrets of how these people built their fortunes, but it tells you how you can use the same principles to build your own.
2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
   If you create a post in any forum titled, “Recommend me books that will help me make money,” there is no doubt that at least one person will recommend Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Kiyosaki emphasizes the importance of financial literacy and independence by a variety of methods (primarily investing). The book is based Kiyosaki’s life and reflects on his “rich dad”—his friend’s father who amassed his wealth through investing and entrepreneurship—and his “poor dad”—his own father who worked hard every day but never reached financial security—to demonstrate the lessons he learned from both.
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
   Several governmental figures, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, asked for Covey’s help in implementing these principles into their positions. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is. First published in 1989, the content of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is explained effectively by the title. However, to give you more insight, Covey breaks down the habits into three categories: the first three habits are geared toward achieving independence; the second three habits aim to achieve interdependence; the seventh and final habit works to maintain the other two goals.
4. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
   The Amazon page provides two definitions of “E-myth” or “Entrepreneur Myth”: 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work. Michael E. Gerber, a small business consultant, wrote The E-Myth to disprove the myths about starting your own business and teach budding entrepreneurs how to help their businesses thrive.
5. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
   Everybody knows the name Warren Buffett—and if you don’t, you better do your research. Legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett never wrote a memoir himself or allowed anybody else to do so, but he approached Alice Schroeder to write this biography that details his life he never before shared. Take a peek into the life of Warren Buffett and learn how he climbed the ladder to success.
6. The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley
   Stanley wrote The Millionaire Mind as a follow-up to The Millionaire Next Door (also a good read!), in which he and William D. Danko analyze why more millionaires happen to be clustered in middle-class, blue-collar neighborhoods rather than upper-class, white-collar neighborhoods. The Millionaire Mind studies America’s elite, both their beliefs and behaviors and how they got to be millionaires. If you think that you cannot achieve great wealth because you were not born into it, think again—and read this book to find out why.
7. 7L: The Seven Levels of Communication: Go From Relationships to Referrals by Michael J. Maher
   Slightly different from all the aforementioned books, 7L details the story of Rick Masters, a real estate agent suffering the widespread effects of a downturned economy. He meets a mortgage professional who has built an extremely successful business without any advertising or personal promotion, and he begins to learn from her. He changes the way he interacts with his clients and becomes more people-oriented. It is through this story that Maher explains how he became the “Most Referred Real Estate Professional” in America—by both changing his business model and his outlook on life.

There are countless other books that deserve to be on this list as well, but these seven are ones for which people constantly advocate. Many people claim these stories have changed their lives, both professionally and personally. So kick back, relax, and crack open one of these books to start growing as a business professional today.

And if you have any other book recommendations like these, we would love to hear them!