The best books of 2024

This list is part of the best books of 2024.

Join 1,588 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

James Espey ❤️ loved this book because...

The book inspires people to move mountains, to reach unimaginable goals. Phil Knight's lessons are inspiring and applicable to many parts of life. He had the tenacity and courage to never give up in focusing on his brand NIKE and of course today it is world famous.

At a very early stage he understood that turnover is for vanity, profit for sanity, but only cash is reality and he understands well that many good potential businesses fail because they run out of cash. I have no doubt that reading his book will inspire you.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Teach
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Phil Knight,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Shoe Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like ... It's an amazing tale' Bill Gates

'The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller' Warren Buffett

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of The Marketing Imagination

James Espey ❤️ loved this book because...

I was motivated some 60 years ago to switch from accounting into marketing after reading an article by Theodore Levitt in The Harvard Business Review entitled "Marketing Myopia" which essentially detailed accounts of how to maximise the product life cycle and achieve the delicate balance between innovation and imitation. I went to meet him some years ago because to me he was the "guru of marketing" and I have now read The Marketing Imagination a number of times. It inspires one to recognise that the only real boss in business is the customer who votes with his or her feet and our job in the global village we live in is to respond to constantly changing customer needs if one is to stay ahead of the competition. Marketing has given me a great life. Thank you Ted Levitt.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Originality 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Theodore Levitt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Marketing Imagination as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Since its publication in 1983, The Marketing Imagination has been widely praised as the classic, all-inclusive "Levitt on Marketing." Now Theodore Levitt -- renowned as the Harvard Business School's "guru of marketing" -- has newly expanded his original work to recap the developing globalization debate and to respond to his critics. He has also added his famed McKinsey Award-winning essay "Marketing Myopia," and included detailed accounts of how to maximize the product life cycle and achieve the delicate balance between innovation and imitation. As before, this new edition of The Marketing Imagination shows Levitt at his best -- sharp, knowledgeable,…


My 3rd favorite read in 2024

Book cover of Rhodes And His Banker: Empire, Wealth And The Coming Of Union

James Espey 👍 liked this book because...

Having been born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and educated in Cape Town South Africa but now living in London, I have been fascinated by history in Africa.

Rhodes was a flawed genius who made a fortune through the diamond industry but had political ambitions which led to trouble and wars at times. The book is essentially about the relationship with Rhodes and his banker, which was a remarkable story in itself, but more important for me, it filled in a great deal of gaps about the true history of what happened during Rhodes's life.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Character(s) 🥈 Teach
  • Writing style

    👍 Liked it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Richard Steyn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rhodes And His Banker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Rhodes and his Banker is an account of the remarkable friendship between a larger-than-life historical figure and a modest, unassuming banker, both of whom were personally involved in all the major political and financial developments in Southern Africa during the closing decades of the 19th century.
The financial institution that brought diamond and gold magnate Cecil John Rhodes and Sir Lewis Michell together – the Standard Bank – was at the heart of the country's rapid transformation from an agricultural backwater to an industrial powerhouse thanks to the discovery of diamonds and gold. The book chronicles the activities and growth…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

365 Quotes to Accelerate your Career and Find Balance in Life

By James Espey, Cris Black (illustrator),

Book cover of 365 Quotes to Accelerate your Career and Find Balance in Life

What is my book about?

In today’s world we are all bombed with too much information. This book is the opposite—succinct quotes and illustrations to help the readers avoid mistakes and accelerate their careers. 

It is based on 60 years of proven success in business and one reviewer called it  “ The MBA from the University of Life.” It is aimed at people usually under 40—but not exclusively—seeking to build a good career in business.

Book cover of Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Book cover of The Marketing Imagination
Book cover of Rhodes And His Banker: Empire, Wealth And The Coming Of Union

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