10 Inspiring Books from Wildly Successful Women

Whether your sights are set on growing an empire or opening a small shop, these women empowerment books explore topics like motivation, creativity, fear, role models, confidence, ethics, strategy, work-life balance, and the roles these topics have played in the authors' journeys.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

Entertainment industry powerhouse Shonda Rhimes wears many hats — producer, screenwriter, creator, and author — and she wears all of them exceptionally well. The creator of pioneering hit television shows "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" reveals how she learned to reach past her introversion and panic attacks to say yes to things that frightened her, and how doing so helped propel her to new heights.

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran

If you've ever admired the steely business acumen displayed by investor and businesswoman Barbara Corcoran on "Shark Tank," then Corcoran's book outlines her stratospheric rise from waiting tables at a diner to selling her real-estate empire for $66 million.

Body and Soul: Profits with Principles, the Amazing Success Story of Anita Roddick & The Body Shop by Anita Roddick

With more than 3,000 The Body Shop stores in 66 countries, founder Anita Roddick has made her philosophy of commerce with a conscience a profitable one. In "Body and Soul: Profits with Principles, the Amazing Success Story of Anita Roddick & The Body Shop," she describes how she started on her path to success when she opened her first shop in 1976, selling cosmetics created using only natural ingredients.

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

When it comes to empowering books for females, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" is one of the most successful and best known, with more than 4 million copies sold. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg encourages women in business to understand the ways they hold themselves back and to learn to challenge themselves, negotiate, and take risks to achieve their goals.

The 10 Laws of Enduring Success by Catherine Whitney and Maria Bartiromo

Writer Catherine Whitney and journalist and host Maria Bartiromo teamed up on "The 10 Laws of Enduring Success," which explores the meaning of success through interviews with successful people, ranging from Bill Gates to Goldie Hawn.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

It would be fair to call McArthur Genius Grant winner, author, researcher, and psychologist Angela Duckworth a modern-day renaissance woman. From her interviews with other high achievers, Duckworth explores — among topics such as interest, practice, and effort — how the way you deal with failure impacts your success.

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington

Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, a lesson she learned after she collapsed from exhaustion and broke her cheekbone after pushing herself too hard. The book underscores the power of mindfulness, self-care, compassion, and giving to avoid burnout and to thrive.

Strategize to Win by Carla A. Harris

Morgan Stanley vice-chairman and managing director Carla A. Harris uses her own experiences to show the importance of essential leadership skills and how to make crucial changes to spur success.

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from Over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney

Grace Bonney's wildly popular Design Sponge blog has 75,000 daily readers, and her Instagram account has attracted more than 920,000 followers. Bonney's book is a wellspring of advice for following your passion, as she did, with stories from exceptional, enterprising women, ranging from tattoo artists to media dynamos.

The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance — What Women Should Know by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay

In this book, American television journalist Claire Shipman and English journalist Katty Kay share ways for women to gain and build confidence by taking ownership of their achievements and credentials. Backed by scientific research, Shipman and Kay explore how successful women leave self-doubt behind to achieve their dreams.

Which entrepreneurship books written by women have made the biggest impact on your professional life? Share them with us on Facebook.