Venture capitalist, PayPal co-founder, and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel along with Blake Masters pens out a condensed and updated version of a highly popular set of online notes taken by Blake Masters for the class on startups taught by Thiel at Stanford University in 2012.

“What important truth do few people agree with you on?” Answering this deceptively tricky question is the key to any future of progress—and to building a great business. That’s how the Book starts off, asking simple & deep questions, offering simple yet refreshing guidelines and urges you to think beyond incrementalism.

This is not an average business book, it’s a set of commandments for those who wish to create and build something new. It’s something that’s a classic and needs to be treasured and read and again and again like notes from your favorite class when you were a student.

Yet, while Thiel touches on how to build a successful business, many may find the notes too abstract to offer much to the next Upstart. If you are looking for a Bible for start-ups, then you could be disappointed. What you get is Thiel’s world view on various subjects from business, robots and mankind’s future, and how to influence them rather than doing nothing by believing that the future is random and uncertain and hazy. He has strong views on most things – even how you should dress (don’t wear suits esp. when attempting to make a sale !). He is a contrarian and is not afraid of challenging traditional world views.

Thiel talks of creating game-changing companies, going from ZERO to ONE —from nothing to something, instead of going from something to a slightly better something. Advocating for monopolies, he says businesses succeed better when they focus on un-served market and need and they differentiate rather than compete. Direct competition drains value as companies fight in the market to destroy each other.

From economics, to philosophy to politics and entertainment, Thiel uses various examples to make his key points around technology, network effects, economies of scale and branding. He is almost Darwin-like in explaining business growth or the lack of it. You will also find useful tips on building company culture, compensation and more.

ZERO to ONE is a fast read and can be finished off in a day or in a week, depending on how much time you devote. There’s something in it for anyone looking to do something new – a new job, a new product launch, investing in or starting a new company. Do not forget to read it after sometime again while you are in the midst of that something new that you started. You will find something new, that you didn’t when you read it the first time!