Glossy by Marisa Meltzer
If you read only one book to understand Emily Weiss, this is it. Journalist Marisa Meltzer’s 2023 exposé is the definitive, and currently only, biographical account of Weiss and the company she built. Sourced from extensive interviews with former Glossier
employees, investors, and Weiss herself, the book traces her journey from a determined teen interning for major fashion labels to her appearance as the “superintern” on the reality show The Hills. Meltzer chronicles the rise of Weiss’s influential blog, Into The Gloss, which laid the groundwork for Glossier by building a community first and a product second. "Glossy" provides a deeply reported look at the ambition, strategy, and controversy behind the brand, from its peak $1.9 billion valuation to Weiss eventually stepping down as CEO. It’s a must-read chronicle of a modern business icon and the “girlboss” era she came to represent.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
To understand the world of high-stakes, high-growth startups that Glossier was a part of, you need to understand the pressures and pitfalls of Silicon Valley culture. "Bad Blood" is the shocking true story of Theranos, another company led by a charismatic founder that promised to change the world. While Emily Weiss built a real, beloved brand and Elizabeth Holmes built a house of cards, reading "Bad Blood" provides essential context for the venture capital ecosystem Weiss had to navigate. According to a list of books on Weiss's own bookshelf reported in "Glossy," "Bad Blood" was among them, suggesting its lessons on founder mythology, ambition, and the line between vision and fraud were on her mind. It offers a gripping, cautionary tale about the very environment that fueled Glossier’s ascent.
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
This classic business book is another title reportedly on Weiss's bookshelf, and its inclusion is telling. Christensen’s seminal work explains how market-leading companies can fail by doing everything “right”—listening to their customers and investing in proven products—while missing the disruptive innovations that change the game entirely. Glossier was a textbook disruptor. At a time when legacy beauty brands dominated department stores, Weiss launched a direct-to-consumer company that spoke to millennials like a friend and sold them a “no-makeup makeup” aesthetic. Reading "The Innovator's Dilemma" helps you see the theory behind Weiss’s practice and understand the strategic genius of leveraging a blog community to upend the entire cosmetics industry.
Transformed by Birth by Britta Bushnell, Ph.D.
This choice offers a rare glimpse into Weiss’s personal world and mindset outside of business. In a 2022 interview on Into The Gloss, Weiss herself recommended this book, calling it a must-read for expecting parents. The book focuses on birth as a rite of passage and a transformative personal journey. Weiss’s praise for it reveals a side of her that is deeply interested in personal growth, preparation, and understanding profound life changes. While it has nothing to do with venture capital or marketing, reading a book she personally credits with guiding her through motherhood provides a more holistic picture of a public figure who is famously guarded and focused on controlling her own narrative. It shows a different kind of preparation and ambition—one focused on personal, not just professional, transformation.
