The best business and personal development audiobooks for beginners: where to start
If you've never finished a business and personal development audiobook, start with one that already won. Every title below took the Audie Award in the business and personal development category — broadly loved, superbly narrated, the audiobook industry's own pick for the best business and personal development production of its year. They are the safest first credits: hard to switch off, and hard to regret. The most recent winner is The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher (2026).
| Audiobook | Author | Narrator(s) | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Next Conversation | Jefferson Fisher | Jefferson Fisher | Audie Business and Personal Development (2026) |
| Come Together | Emily Nagoski | Emily Nagoski | Audie Business and Personal Development (2025) |
| The Light We Carry | Michelle Obama | Michelle Obama | Audie Business and Personal Development (2024) |
| Tough | Terry Crews | Terry Crews | Audie Business and Personal Development (2023) |
| Machiavelli for Women | Stacey Vanek Smith | Stacey Vanek Smith | Audie Business and Personal Development (2022) |
| The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life | Edith Eva Eger | Tovah Feldshuh | Audie Business and Personal Development (2021) |
| So You Want to Start a Podcast? | Kristen Meinzer | Kristen Meinzer | Audie Business and Personal Development (2020) |
| How to Be Heard | Julian Treasure | Julian Treasure | Audie Business and Personal Development (2019) |
| Peak Performance | Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness | Christopher Lane | Audie Business and Personal Development (2018) |
| Humans Need Not Apply | Jerry Kaplan | John Pruden | Audie Business and Personal Development (2017) |
| Wake Up Happy | Michael Strahan & Veronica Chambers | Michael Strahan | Audie Business and Personal Development (2016) |
| A More Beautiful Question | Warren Berger | Michael Quinlan | Audie Business and Personal Development (2015) |
| Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army | Robert Watson & Ben Brown | Bob Souer | Audie Business and Personal Development (2014) |
| Spy the Lie | Philip Houston et al. | Fred Berman | Audie Business and Personal Development (2013) |
| The Barefoot Executive | Carrie Wilkerson | Carrie Wilkerson | Audie Business and Personal Development (2012) |
| The Intelligent Entrepreneur | Bill Murphy Jr. | L. J. Ganser, Fred Berman | Audie Business and Personal Development (2011) |
| Rain: What a Paperboy Learned About Business | Jeffrey J. Fox | Jeffrey J. Fox | Audie Business and Personal Development (2010) |
| The Little Red Book of Selling | Jeffrey Gitomer | Jeffrey Gitomer | Audie Business and Personal Development (2009) |
| Words That Work | Frank Luntz | Frank Luntz, L. J. Ganser | Audie Business and Personal Development (2008) |
| The Long Tail | Chris Anderson | Christopher Nissley | Audie Business and Personal Development (2007) |
| Good to Great | Jim Collins | Jim Collins | Audie Business and Personal Development (2006) |
| Death by Meeting | Patrick Lencioni | Jack Arthur | Audie Business and Personal Development (2005) |
| If You Don't Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails | Barbara Corcoran & Bruce Littlefield | Barbara Corcoran | Audie Business and Personal Development (2004) |
| The Art of Profitability | Adrian Slywotzky | Scott Mosenson, Jack Ong | Audie Business and Personal Development (2003) |
| Rich Kid, Smart Kid | Robert T. Kiyosaki | Jim Ward | Audie Business and Personal Development (2002) |
| Rich Dad, Poor Dad | Robert T. Kiyosaki & Sharon L. Lechter | Steve Hoye | Audie Business and Personal Development (2001) |
| Beer Blast | Philip Van Munching | Philip Van Munching | Audie Business and Personal Development (2000) |
| Entrepreneur November 1998 | Lesonsky et al. | Burchard et al | Audie Business and Personal Development (1999) |
| Pour Your Heart Into It | Howard Schultz | Eric Conger | Audie Business and Personal Development (1998) |
| The Art of War | Sun Tzu | Ron Silver, B. D. Wong | Audie Business and Personal Development (1997) |
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Frequently asked questions
Which business and personal development audiobook should I start with?
Start with a recent Audie Business and Personal Development winner such as "The Next Conversation" by Jefferson Fisher (2026). Award winners are the safest first listens because they are judged on narration as much as story, so the performance carries you through.
Are these good for someone new to audiobooks?
Yes. Every audiobook here won the Audie Award, the audiobook industry's own award — they are broadly loved and exceptionally well narrated, which is exactly what makes a first audiobook easy to finish.
How do I listen for free?
A free 30-day Audible Premium Plus trial includes one credit. You can use it on any business and personal development audiobook on this page and keep it permanently, even if you cancel before the trial ends.
More business and personal development guides: every Audie-winning business and personal development audiobook · all listening guides · best audiobooks by award.