The best business books

Who picked these books? Meet our 1,317 experts.

1,317 authors created a book list connected to business, and here are their favorite business books.
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Eyes Wide Open

By Isaac Lidsky,

Book cover of Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can't See Clearly

Traci Medford-Rosow Author Of Unblinded: One Man's Courageous Journey Through Darkness to Sight

From the list on people who have triumphed over extreme adversity.

Who am I?

When I was young, my mother became addicted to Valium. Following years of the inevitable traumas associated with living with addiction, my mother committed suicide six weeks before my wedding. I am an accidental writer, having chosen the law as my primary profession. On its face, my first book, Inflection Point: War and Sacrifice in Corporate America is a behind-the-scenes exploration of high-profile litigation in Big Pharma. However, it is really the story of my personal struggle to come to terms with my own feelings of loss and abandonment as a result of my mother’s passing. In writing this book, I not only healed, but found a second professional passion.

Traci's book list on people who have triumphed over extreme adversity

Discover why each book is one of Traci's favorite books.

Why did Traci love this book?

Lidsky suddenly became blind as an adult and had to rebuild his life from the ground up. Overcoming the physical, as well as the emotional, obstacles to suddenly losing his eyesight, Lidsky charts his journey from the top to the bottom and back to the top again. Since reading Lidsky’s story and co-authoring Coughlin’s book, I have found gratitude in small things, despite my own personal struggles. More than once, I have said to myself, “If they can keep going in the face of sudden blindness, so can I.”

By Isaac Lidsky,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Eyes Wide Open as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this New York Times bestseller, Isaac Lidsky draws on his experience of achieving immense success, joy, and fulfillment while losing his sight to a blinding disease to show us that it isn’t external circumstances, but how we perceive and respond to them, that governs our reality.

Fear has a tendency to give us tunnel vision—we fill the unknown with our worst imaginings and cling to what’s familiar. But when confronted with new challenges, we need to think more broadly and adapt. When Isaac Lidsky learned that he was beginning to go blind at age thirteen, eventually losing his sight…


Media Secrets

By Jess Todtfeld,

Book cover of Media Secrets: A Media Training Crash Course

Scott Lorenz Author Of Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book

From the list on how to market and promote a book.

Who am I?

I am a book publicist and President of Westwind Book Marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. I work with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it's their first book or their 15th book. I’ve handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers, and Adventurers. My clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, and Howard Stern. 

Scott's book list on how to market and promote a book

Discover why each book is one of Scott's favorite books.

Why did Scott love this book?

When I arrange for my clients to do a radio or podcast interview, some sell books, while others do not. Why is that?

In many cases it’s the little things said during an interview that make people want to buy that book. That’s why Media training is important, because what good is landing an interview if you can’t get the listener/viewer to take action and buy the book? If you take your interviews seriously then read this book. Besides learning tips and techniques you’ll gain confidence which is an important element of any interview. This book is for anyone who is planning on getting media coverage including: Authors, C-Suite Execs, Politicians, and Sports Figures. 

The author Jess Todtfeld worked as a national TV-News Producer at NBC, ABC and FOX News. He coached guests on how to look and sound good for years. Now he brings that experience to his…

By Jess Todtfeld,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Media Secrets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Strategies for Getting the 
Most From TV, Print, Radio, Internet & 
Social Media Opportunities. The most up to date media training book on the market. The idea of Media is more than just TV, Print, and Radio. Media now includes social media interviews, Skype, Periscope, Facebook Live, Blog interviews. It means Leveraging Traditional and Internet Media. All are important. Includes “Media Training Quick Start” Free Audio Download “Jess Todtfeld is a media training expert.” —The Washington Post


Competing on Analytics

By Thomas H. Davenport, Jeanne G. Harris,

Book cover of Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning

Jeremy Adamson Author Of Minding the Machines: Building and Leading Data Science and Analytics Teams

From the list on for data science and analytics leaders.

Who am I?

I am a leader in analytics and AI strategy, and have a broad range of experience in aviation, energy, financial services, and the public sector.  I have worked with several major organizations to help them establish a leadership position in data science and to unlock real business value using advanced analytics. 

Jeremy's book list on for data science and analytics leaders

Discover why each book is one of Jeremy's favorite books.

Why did Jeremy love this book?

This is a foundational book on analytics and data science as a business function and helped to shape the development of the practice. It provides a view of the discipline through a business lens and avoids deep technical examinations. Though much has changed in the 15 years since it was originally published, it is still essential reading for a leader in the field. No book since has captured as well the competitive differentiation that analytics provides.

By Thomas H. Davenport, Jeanne G. Harris,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Competing on Analytics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

You have more information at hand about your business environment than ever before. But are you using it to "out-think" your rivals? If not, you may be missing out on a potent competitive tool. In Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris argue that the frontier for using data to make decisions has shifted dramatically. Certain high-performing enterprises are now building their competitive strategies around data-driven insights that in turn generate impressive business results. Their secret weapon? Analytics: sophisticated quantitative and statistical analysis and predictive modeling. Exemplars of analytics are using new…


Book cover of The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto

Liah Greenfeld Author Of The Spirit of Capitalism: Nationalism and Economic Growth

From the list on the relationship between capitalism and nationalism.

Who am I?

The Spirit of Capitalism: Nationalism and Economic Growth is the second volume of my nationalism trilogy. When I published the first volume, Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity, the accepted view on the subject of nationalism was that it is a product of economic development, specifically, of industrialization and capitalism. On the basis of historical evidence, I proved that its emergence had nothing to do with these economic phenomena: in fact, it preceded both. Reviews of Nationalism, noting that, for this reason, economic developments could not have caused nationalism, raised the question what relationship, then, did exist between nationalism and the economy, and this led me to investigate it. 

Liah's book list on the relationship between capitalism and nationalism

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Why did Liah love this book?

This book, originally published in 1960, is the classical statement of the still dominant position in economic history, which assumes that economic growth is natural and which I have proven wrong.

I recommend it to anyone interested in the current (unchanging for decades) state of the discipline as an essential model of what I was arguing against.

By W W Rostow,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

2017 Reprint of 1960 First Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. In the text Professor Rostow gives an account of economic growth based on a dynamic theory of production and interpreted in terms of actual societies.  Five basic stages of economic growth are distinguished with detailed discussions of each stage including illustrative examples.  Rostow also applies the concept of stages of growth to an examination of the problems of military aggression and the nuclear arms race.  The final chapter includes a comparison of his non-communist manifesto with Marxist theory.   Remains a classic text…


The Game of Life and How to Play It

By Florence Scovel Shinn, Joel Fotinos (contributor),

Book cover of The Game of Life and How to Play It: The Complete Original Edition

Kelly Weaver Author Of Living Your Own Aloha: 5 Steps to Manifesting Your Dreams

From the list on manifesting and attracting your dreams and desires.

Who am I?

I am and always will be a teacher. For the past 25 years, I dedicated my life to inspiring students to achieve their goals and manifest their dreams. I finally decided to take my own advice and listen to the calling that has been ringing louder and louder over the years. I used my gifts to become a certified Law of Attraction coach, reiki practitioner, and Tarot reader. While I may have left the academic classroom, I was called to the world classroom. As an author, speaker, coach, and healer, I awaken the manifestation superpower that exists in all of us.

Kelly's book list on manifesting and attracting your dreams and desires

Discover why each book is one of Kelly's favorite books.

Why did Kelly love this book?

This is the OG of all law of attraction books. Many of Shinn’s principles have been used by modern authors who don’t give her credit where credit is due. “Your word is your wand” is one of the many expressions that I have highlighted in this book. When I need motivation or a reminder that I am a deliberate creator, I will pick up this book and re-read one of the many inspirational stories. Shinn’s teachings helped me release limiting beliefs and reprogram my subconscious mind, so I can manifest anything I desire.

By Florence Scovel Shinn, Joel Fotinos (contributor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Game of Life and How to Play It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Explore the wisdom of a New Thought classic and master the game of life!

In this classic bestseller, Florence Scovel Shinn helped to define the personal success genre. Written in the new thought tradition, her message is simple yet transformative—we receive back what we put into the world through our actions, energy, and attitudes. Negativity and pessimism are returned in kind, but by switching the script in favor of positive attitudes and affirmations, we are able to manifest success and joy in everything we do.

Life, Shinn tells us, is not a battle of us against the world, but rather…


No One Succeeds Alone

By Robert Reffkin,

Book cover of No One Succeeds Alone: Learn Everything You Can from Everyone You Can

Grant Muller Author Of Top of Heart: How a new approach to business saved my life, and could save yours too

From the list on business that won’t bore you to death.

Who am I?

I’ve been in love with business books since I was a child and I’m also a big fan of great story telling. I didn’t realize until recently that you can have both in one book! Discovering this genre of business books that inspire and delight while passing along new and useful insights was a wonderful surprise for me that I like to share with others. These gripping stories have opened up a whole new world for me and allowed me to learn and apply their lessons much more quickly. It’s simply more fun and easier to remember new wisdom when it’s carried forward in gripping stories.   

Grant's book list on business that won’t bore you to death

Discover why each book is one of Grant's favorite books.

Why did Grant love this book?

Robert Reffkin is a Fortune 500 CEO and he’s filled this book with strategies for creating a magnificent career or business.

He tells about his life story and the moments that have shaped him with an accessible tone that draws you in from the start. You want to see the guy succeed and you become his cheerleader on the journey. In that process, you come to learn exactly why no one succeeds alone! You will close the book at the end with useful tools you can use right away to improve your network and grow your sales.

By Robert Reffkin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked No One Succeeds Alone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The inspirational story of Compass CEO Robert Reffkin, whose mother, mentors, and search for belonging taught him valuable lessons that anyone with a dream can put into action today to improve their own quality of life

No one expected a dreadlocked fifteen-year-old who cared more about his DJ business than his homework to grow up to become one of the youngest-ever White House fellows, create multiple nonprofits, and found a multibillion-dollar company. But Robert Reffkin - raised by an Israeli immigrant single mother, disowned by his maternal grandparents for being Black, and abandoned by his father - has always defied…


Book cover of A Preface to Economic Democracy

David Ellerman Author Of Neo-Abolitionism: Abolishing Human Rentals in Favor of Workplace Democracy

From the list on a fair and just private property market economy.

Who am I?

Ever since my graduate student days in philosophy and economics, I have slowly come to understand more and more the case for workplace democracy based on normative principles (i.e., the inalienability, property, and democratic principles), not just the obvious consequentialist or pragmatic arguments based on increased productivity (people working jointly for themselves), less worker alienation, and eliminating the divide down the middle of most enterprises between employers and employees. In addition to two decades of teaching university economics, I have co-founded several consulting companies dedicated to implementing these principles in practice, the Industrial Cooperative Association in Massachusetts (now the ICA Group) and the Institute for Economic Democracy in Slovenia, where I have retired.

David's book list on a fair and just private property market economy

Discover why each book is one of David's favorite books.

Why did David love this book?

This book is the follow-up to Robert Dahl’s influential Preface to Democratic Theory—published in 1956. The newer Preface to Economic Democracy applied democratic theory to the workplace. Dahl, as the Sterling Professor of Political Science at Yale, was arguably the foremost democratic theorist of his time, so it is important that he applied the democratic theory arguments to the organizations where most people spend much of the waking time. I am particularly thankful for knowing him and when he set out to describe his vision of economic democracy (p. 91), he had a footnote reading, “In clarifying my ideas on this question I have profited greatly from a number of unpublished papers by David Ellerman, cited in the bibliography....”

By Robert Alan Dahl,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Preface to Economic Democracy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tocqueville pessimistically predicted that liberty and equality would be incompatible ideas. Robert Dahl, author of the classic A Preface to Democratic Theory, explores this alleged conflict, particularly in modern American society where differences in ownership and control of corporate enterprises create inequalities in resources among Americans that in turn generate inequality among them as citizens.

Arguing that Americans have misconceived the relation between democracy, private property, and the economic order, the author contends that we can achieve a society of real democracy and political equality without sacrificing liberty by extending democratic principles into the economic order. Although enterprise control by…


21st Century Capitalism

By Robert L Heilbroner,

Book cover of 21st Century Capitalism

Mohamed Rabie Author Of The Global Debt Crisis and Its Socioeconomic Implications: Creating Conditions for a Sustainable, Peaceful, and Just World

From the list on serving humanity and revealing misleading secrets.

Who am I?

I am a retired professor, was raised in a refugee camp, one of a family of 9 living in one tent. studied in Palestine, Egypt, Germany, and America, have Ph.D. in economics; scholarships financed my education journey. I lived a life no human has lived or can live, because some of the times I lived had come and gone and cannot come back again. I taught at 11 universities on 4 continents, published 60 books in Arabic and English: books on economics, politics, culture, history, conflict resolution, philosophy, racism, novels, and poetry. True intellectuals cannot stay in one area because issues that shape mankind's history and man’s destiny are interconnected. 

Mohamed's book list on serving humanity and revealing misleading secrets

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Why did Mohamed love this book?

This book was published after communism collapsed. Heilbroner doubted America’s intention to reform the market system, he saw a new society emerging that does not believe in the promise of progress. Heilbroner saw the communist collapse as giving corporations the opportunity to control the economy and reshape society. As I wrote in my books, the communist system was politics’ last attempt to control economics, therefore, the collapse of communism allowed large corporations and banks to control the political process, corrupt politics, and politicians, and control global wealth. The latest report by Oxfam says that since 2020, the richest 1% of the world’s population took 63% or $26 trillion of the global wealth, leaving %37 or $16 trillion for 99% of the world’s population. 

By Robert L Heilbroner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 21st Century Capitalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"It is my hope that some grasp of what the twenty-first century holds in store for capitalism may enable us to avoid at least some of the pain we might otherwise have to endure," writes the eminent economist Robert Heilbroner in this important book on the world's economic future.


Although communism lies shattered almost everywhere it once existed, no single form of capitalism has emerged worldwide. Which of the varieties of capitalism will be hardy enough to survive into the next century? Will the private sector make way for government to redress the failures of the market system? Does the…


Book cover of The Making of the English Working Class

Kenneth L. Campbell Author Of The History of Britain and Ireland: Prehistory to Today

From the list on British and Irish history with a wide range of topics.

Who am I?

I have a Ph.D. in British history and have taught a variety of courses on the topic for the past 40 years. Since first visiting Scotland on a study tour in 1981, I have been to Britain and Ireland both multiple times and have spent extended periods of time there. From Shakespeare to the Beatles, from the Norman Conquest to the Second World War, from Roman Britain to Brexit, I have found each period of British and Irish history endlessly fascinating and sharing my passion with students and readers has been one of the great joys of my life. 

Kenneth's book list on British and Irish history with a wide range of topics

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Why did Kenneth love this book?

Having first read this 1963 classic of English historiography in graduate school, Thompson’s masterpiece gets better every time I re-read it.

Although primarily considered a work of social history, I love the way Thompson interweaves political, cultural, intellectual, religious, and social history throughout the text. This book focuses on the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and shows the resilience of conservative ideas during a period shaped by the Industrial, American, and French Revolutions, as well as the Napoleonic Wars and their aftermath.

In an age when many books go out of date within a decade or two, this classic will likely endure and be read 200 years from now for the insights it provides into working-class culture during one of the outwardly bleakest periods of labor history. 

By E.P. Thompson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Making of the English Working Class as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fifty years since first publication, E. P. Thompson's revolutionary account of working-class culture and ideals is published in Penguin Modern Classics, with a new introduction by historian Michael Kenny

This classic and imaginative account of working-class society in its formative years, 1780 to 1832, revolutionized our understanding of English social history. E. P. Thompson shows how the working class took part in its own making and re-creates the whole-life experience of people who suffered loss of status and freedom, who underwent degradation, and who yet created a cultured and political consciousness of great vitality.

Reviews:

'A dazzling vindication of the…


Invisible Women

By Caroline Criado Perez,

Book cover of Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Neil Thompson Author Of The Social Worker's Practice Manual

From the list on promoting social justice.

Who am I?

My father died when I was a young child, and so my uncle became the nearest I had to a father figure. He was a trade unionist and strongly committed to social justice. I was so enamoured by the compassion he showed towards socially disadvantaged people and the struggles they encounter through no fault of their own that I became an advocate for social justice from an early age. That passion for fairness and inclusion has stayed with me throughout my career and therefore figures strongly in my writings and, over the years, in my teaching, training, and consultancy work.

Neil's book list on promoting social justice

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Why did Neil love this book?

This book is a real eye opener. Example after example of hidden gender bias is provided. The author does a very convincing job of showing how data used to make decisions is generally male-centric, with resultant disadvantages for women.

Anyone who believes that feminism has done its job and equality between the sexes is now a reality needs to read this book to see how far off the mark they are. Clearly written and persuasively argued, the book highlights the complexities involved and recognizes that the way bias works is subtle and woven into the social fabric, rather than simply the result of personal prejudice or bigotry.

One of the best books on social justice that I have ever come across. 

By Caroline Criado Perez,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Invisible Women as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the 2019 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award
Winner of the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize

Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives.

Celebrated feminist advocate…


Exploding

By Stan Cornyn, Paul Scanlon,

Book cover of Exploding: The Highs, Hits, Hype, Heroes, and Hustlers of the Warner Music Group

David Menconi Author Of Oh, Didn't They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music

From the list on non-fiction about the music industry.

Who am I?

I spent 34 years writing for daily papers, most of them at the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’ve also freelanced for numerous magazines, primarily about music, while hosting a podcast and writing the occasional book. Through it all I’ve had a particular fascination for the music business and its peculiar ways, especially record companies. The industry’s darker side was the subject of my first book way back in 2000, the novel Off The Record, which was a notebook dump of thinly fictionalized war stories I’d accumulated over the years. The record business is the subject of my latest book, too, although it’s a much more positive story.

David's book list on non-fiction about the music industry

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Why did David love this book?

Commander Cody made that album for Warner Brothers Records during the time when the U.S. record business was grossing over a billion dollars a year.

During those heady days, no label group better exemplified the positive side of the industry than Warner, which stood as proof that you really could have profits with honor. From Frank Sinatra to Madonna, Warner put out music that generated sales and critical acclaim in equal measure.

Stan Cornyn was an executive at Warner for 34 years, overseeing countless publicity campaigns, and this delicious memoir evokes the industry’s glory days in the prestige penthouse. If Rounder was the cream of the independent-label crop, Warner was top of the major-label heap.

By Stan Cornyn, Paul Scanlon,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

That's how Vanity Fair described the record business turmoil of the 1990s, which moved the Warner Music Group -- the world's number one record company -- from the entertainment pages to the front pages. Suddenly, decades of riotous fun and booming business went splat. Top music executives got evicted from their offices, some escorted by company guards. Why? The answers are in Exploding -- the most insightful and delightful book about the record business ever written.

In the rock explosion of the Sixties and Seventies, Warner Bros., Atlantic, and Elektra Records dominated the business as the Warner Music Group. But…


Book cover of QBQ! The Question Behind The Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life

Michael J. Marquardt and Bob Tiede Author Of Leading with Questions: How Leaders Discover Powerful Answers by Knowing How and What to Ask

From the list on asking questions that will change you and the world.

Who are we?

Michael Marquardt is Professor Emeritus of Human and Organizational Learning at George Washington University, where he directed the Global Certificate and Executive Leadership Programs. He's a Co-founder and first President of the World Institute for Action Learning. Dr. Marquardt has authored 27 books and his publications has sold over a million copies. Bob Tiede is on the U.S. Leadership Development Team at Cru, an interdenominational Christian parachurch organization. His blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com is in its 11th year and followed by Leaders in over 190 countries. Bob is the author of Great Leaders ASK Questions, Little Book of Big Leading With Questions Quotes, and 262 Questions Paul the Apostle of Christ Asked.

Michael's book list on asking questions that will change you and the world

Discover why each book is one of Michael's favorite books.

Why did Michael love this book?

Too often, too many of us, ask “Victim Questions” like “When are they going to train me?” or “When are they going to tell us what’s going on?”

Instead of asking “Victim Questions” John teaches us to ask  “QBQs” (The Question Behind the Question).  For example, “What could I do to get trained?” or “How could I find out what is going on?  Asking QBQ’s has consistently moved me from being stuck to having a way forward! 

By John G. Miller,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked QBQ! The Question Behind The Question as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

No one can successfully achieve goals and new objectives, provide outstanding service, engage in exceptional teamwork, make change in their community or lead other people without personal accountability.

After decades of working with organisations and individuals, John G. Miller knows that the troubles that plague them cannot be solved by pointing fingers and blaming others. Rather, the real solutions are found when each of us recognizes the value of our own accountability. In this book, Miller explains how negative, ill-focused questions like "Who dropped the ball?" harm rather than help. Conversely, when we begin to ask better questions - QBQs,…


The Ten Faces of Innovation

By Jonathan Littman, Tom Kelley,

Book cover of The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Beating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization

Rupert Scofield Author Of Default to Bold:  Anatomy of a Turnaround

From the list on learning how to survive as an entrepreneur.

Who am I?

Rupert Scofield is the President & CEO of a global financial services empire spanning 20 countries of Latin America, Africa, Eurasia and the Middle East, serving millions of the world’s poorest families, especially women. Scofield has spent the better part of his life dodging revolutions, earthquakes and assassins in the Third World, and once ran for his life from a mob in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Rupert's book list on learning how to survive as an entrepreneur

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Why did Rupert love this book?

This is the follow up to The Art of Innovation which describes the strategies of the world-famous design firm, IDEO, which has dissected the process of innovation and, in this book, identified the types of “personas” a CEO should attract in order to tackle big, difficult problems with novel, creative approaches.  I could definitely relate to the first persona described, The Anthropologist, who spends an inordinate amount of time with the clients, listening and observing, in order to understand what they really desire and what has prevented them thus far from achieving or obtaining it.  I also found The Cross-Pollinator interesting, which argued that you should sometimes involve people from other sectors or countries which may at first glance seem irrelevant to the job at hand but, if given the chance to be “heard”, could lead to a solution.  The author makes the case for another eight personas, who may…

By Jonathan Littman, Tom Kelley,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A brilliant guide to fostering creativity and business innovation, The Ten Faces of Innovation shows how any individual can become an experienced architect, storyteller, caregiver or cross-pollinator...just four of the ten characters that can be adopted in different situations to create a broader range of solutions to business problems. At the start of the creative process you might be the 'anthropologist', going into the field to see how customers use and respond to products; later you might be the 'hurdler', who overcomes obstacles on the way to the finished product. The book explains with examples from business how adopting these…


Team of Teams

By Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman

Book cover of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

Jeffrey Engle Author Of All the War They Want: Special Operations Techniques for Winning in Cyber Warfare, Business, and Life

From the list on introducing military tactics into your leadership.

Who am I?

As a veteran of the United States Army Special Operations Command, my time in the army will always guide my actions. When I began my career in cybersecurity and later took on the role of President and Chair of Conquest Cyber, I looked to my military experience for guidance. The lessons I learned from leaders were much like those I’ve learned through these books, and they are lessons that will benefit any leader, business owner, or founder. 

Jeffrey's book list on introducing military tactics into your leadership

Discover why each book is one of Jeffrey's favorite books.

Why did Jeffrey love this book?

I’m a proud fighter against the conventional. Bigger is not necessarily better; Compliance is not enough. General McChrystal spends much of his book sharing in this mindset. His experience leading the Joint Special Operation Task Force in their efforts to take down Al Qaeda is inspiring, but for those less military-minded leaders, he shares other examples of where small and agile teams have found success in a hospital ER to NASA. It’s bold, fun to read, and fast-paced. Team of Teams is worth the read for leaders at any stage of their career. 

By Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Team of Teams as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), General Stanley McChrystal discarded a century of management wisdom and pivoted from a pursuit of mechanical efficiency to organic adaptability.

In this book, he shows how any organization can make the same transition to act like a team of teams - where small groups combine the freedom to experiment with a relentless drive to share their experience.

Drawing on a wealth of evidence from his military career and sources as diverse as hospital emergency rooms and NASA's space program, McChrystal frames the existential challenge facing today's organizations, and presents a compelling, effective…


A Tract on Monetary Reform

By John Maynard Keynes,

Book cover of A Tract on Monetary Reform

Larry Allen Author Of The ABC-Clio World History Companion to Capitalism

From the list on seeing world history thru the lens of economics.

Who am I?

I grew up listening to my grandfathers tell stories about the Great Depression (1930s). My cousins would want me to go out and play, but I wanted to stay indoors and listen to the stories. The Depression proved my grandfathers were not the best cotton farmers, but they were good storytellers, and I ended up an economics professor. Along the way, I ran across a thought from renowned British philosopher Francis Bacon: “Histories make men wise, poets, witty, mathematics, subtle;” Modern economics has gone in for subtlety, and maybe is a little too careless of wisdom. This thought sent me delving deeper into economic history, and I ended up writing five books in economics history. 

Larry's book list on seeing world history thru the lens of economics

Discover why each book is one of Larry's favorite books.

Why did Larry love this book?

This book is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in economics, overshadowed by Keynes’ more path-breaking General Theory, but oozing with wisdom on every page. Here Keynes transcends the bounds of economics. In his words: “It is one of the objects of this book to urge that the best way to cure this mortal disease of individualism is to provide there shall never exist any confident expectation either that prices are generally going to fall or that they are going to rise; and also that there shall be no serious risk that a movement, if it does occur, will be a big one.” Of course, inflation is the subject here. Its writing style alone elevates it above the commonplace. In this book, the reader finds the balance of practical judgment found in the best economists. 

By John Maynard Keynes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Tract on Monetary Reform as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book, is devoted to the need for stable currency as the essential foundation of a healthy world economy. Describing the various effects of unstable currency on investors, business people, and wage earners, Keynes recommends the implementation of policies that aim at achieving stability of the commodity value of the dollar rather than the gold value. Keynes's brilliant, clear analysis of the world monetary situation at the beginning of the twentieth century, with his many suggestions and his masterful elucidation of economic principles, stands as a vital primer for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of basic economics and…


Book cover of Arthur Young's Travels in France: During the Years 1787, 1788, 1789

Stephen Clarke Author Of The Spy Who Inspired Me

From the list on why the French deny their own history.

Who am I?

I have lived almost all my adult life in France, and have spent that whole time wondering what makes the French so French. One of the answers is their attitude to their own history. The French have got a lot of upheaval to process: at least five revolutions since 1789, and two World Wars fought on their soil, including a Nazi occupation that they still haven’t digested. I didn’t start writing about the French until I’d been living in France for about 10 years – I didn’t want to write like a tourist, and it took me that long to unweave the first strands of their DNA. I’ve never stopped writing about them since, half a dozen Merde novels and as many non-fiction books later.

Stephen's book list on why the French deny their own history

Discover why each book is one of Stephen's favorite books.

Why did Stephen love this book?

Young was an English agriculturalist who took time out from farming to analyse life and developments in the countryside. He toured Britain, then Ireland, and finally France. Here, he lucked in. He wandered the fields, lanes, and city streets of France as the Revolution was brewing and then erupting. Although not an aristo himself, he frequented nobility and royalty, and was amazed at the blissful indifference of the idle rich about what was going on around them. He saw the extreme poverty of the peasants, who were being worked and starved to death by their absentee landlords. He witnessed the actual events of the Revolution and had to talk himself out of getting lynched as a potential aristo spy. It’s a book to browse rather than consume whole, and contains whole pages about crop yields and diseases, but at times it is the most measured first-hand view of the Revolution…

By Arthur Young,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Arthur Young's Travels in France as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Arthur Young (1741-1820) was an English writer on agriculture, economics and social statistics. At the age of seventeen, he published a pamphlet On the War in North America, and in 1761 went to London and started a periodical, entitled The Universal Museum. He also wrote four novels, and Reflections on the Present State of Affairs at Home and Abroad in 1759. Young produced around 25 books and pamphlets on agriculture and 15 books on political economy, as well as many articles. He was famous for the views he expressed, as an agricultural improver, political economist and social observer. Amongst his…


The Four Tendencies

By Gretchen Rubin,

Book cover of The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)

Mel Jolly Author Of Becoming Future You

From the list on becoming a better you in the new year.

Who am I?

In 2014 I finally came to the realization that I had become the most negative person I knew. I couldn't stand being that whiney, unhappy person anymore. So even though I didn't know how I was going to do it, I made a no-turning-back decision to kill off Negative Past Mel and become Positive Future Mel. The first step in my how was a book that taught me how to create a morning routine. That book saved me and set me on a path of personal growth and development and helped me take my first steps forward to becoming a version of Future Mel I actually enjoy being!

Mel's book list on becoming a better you in the new year

Discover why each book is one of Mel's favorite books.

Why did Mel love this book?

As far as books that help you understand yourself go, this one is at the top of my list! I never understood why I was so resistant to the pressure of others, why accountability buddies didn’t work for me (even though they worked so well for other people), and why my husband was always so insistent about following the rules! Understanding that my superpower is asking great questions is what ultimately led me to coaching and writing my own book. I promise knowing more about how you respond to expectations will help you in so many ways.

By Gretchen Rubin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

OBLIGER? REBEL? QUESTIONER? UPHOLDER? Which one are you?

Everyone falls into 1 of 4 personality types and knowing yours could make you happier and more successful. During her investigation to understand human nature, explored most recently in her bestselling Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin realised that by asking the seemingly dry question 'How do I respond to expectations?' we gain life changing self-knowledge.

She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behaviour, so using this framework allows us to…


Book cover of This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate

J.M. Donellan Author Of Killing Adonis

From the list on reminding us why we should eat the rich.

Who am I?

We live in a bizarre era of Elon Musk stans who seem certain that if you work hard you’ll be rewarded not only with ‘fuck you’ money, but ‘fuck everyone’ money. I think any writer worth their salt should at some point tackle the issues of their age in their writing. In our era racism, sexism, climate change, and a range of other social justice issues are all exacerbated through the improper distribution of wealth. You could give a man a fish, and he might eat for a day. Or you could eviscerate the rich, share their wealth, and throw the whole world a parade! 

J.M.'s book list on reminding us why we should eat the rich

Discover why each book is one of J.M.'s favorite books.

Why did J.M. love this book?

I read Klein’s No Logo as a teenager and it formed a very deep impression on me, I’ve been a follower of her work ever since. I’m constantly confused and fascinated by people who claim that the climate crisis will be solved by ‘market solutions’ despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary, much of which is skillfully unpacked here. Important and enlightening. 

By Naomi Klein,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked This Changes Everything as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Naomi Klein, author of the #1 international bestsellers, The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, returns with This Changes Everything, a must-read on how the climate crisis needs to spur transformational political change

Forget everything you think you know about global warming. It's not about carbon - it's about capitalism. The good news is that we can seize this existential crisis to transform our failed economic system and build something radically better.

In her most provocative book yet, Naomi Klein, author of the global bestsellers The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, tackles the most profound threat humanity has ever faced: the…


Critical Chain

By Eliyahu M Goldratt,

Book cover of Critical Chain: A Business Novel

Uwe Techt Author Of Projects That Flow

From the list on speed for multiple projects.

Who am I?

Business development and projects have fascinated me since my studies and my first experiences in companies. Time and again, I think I have understood what it's really all about... and shortly thereafter, completely new insights emerge that challenge previously perceived assumptions and thus enable leaps in performance. This is sometimes exhausting, but I wouldn't want to miss this path of development! Today I help management teams to improve their business results quickly and sustainably by guiding them to question assumptions, find new perspectives and thereby enable performance leaps.

Uwe's book list on speed for multiple projects

Discover why each book is one of Uwe's favorite books.

Why did Uwe love this book?

When I read this book, it was like an epiphany. Suddenly, I understood what—beyond all the doctrines and pub talkactually slows down projects and thus impairs the economic performance of companies. It is our own management mechanisms and beliefs about how we think we can get a grip on projects. Shortly after reading this novel, we were able to perform nothing short of miracles in a technology company I was working for at the time: Halving project times, doubling productivity. You have to have witnessed that to really believe it... Read this book!

By Eliyahu M Goldratt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Critical Chain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This fast-paced business novel does for project management what The Goal and It's Not Luck have done for production and marketing. Goldratt's novels have traditionally slain sacred cows and delivered new ways of looking at processes which seem like common sense once you read them. Critical Chain is no exception. In perhaps Eli's most readable book yet, two of the established principles of project management, the engineering estimate and project milestones, are found wanting and dismissed, and other established principles are up for scrutiny - as Goldratt once more applies his Theory of Constraints. The approach is radical, yet clear,…


Beyond Winning

By Robert H. Mnookin, Andrew S Tulumello, Scott R Peppet

Book cover of Beyond Winning: Negotiating to Create Value in Deals and Disputes

Kate Vitasek Author Of Getting to We: Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships

From the list on negotiating great strategic business relationships.

Who am I?

I am an international authority for my award-winning research on the Vested® business model for highly collaborative relationships. I began my research in 2003 researching what makes the difference in successful strategic business deals. My day job is being the lead faculty and researcher for the University of Tennessee’s Certified Deal Architect program and my passion is in helping organizations and individuals learn the art, science, and practice of crafting highly collaborative win-win strategic business relationships. My work has led to seven books and three Harvard Business Review articles and I’ve shared my advice on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, and Fox Business News.

Kate's book list on negotiating great strategic business relationships

Discover why each book is one of Kate's favorite books.

Why did Kate love this book?

While this book is written for lawyers, it is a must-read for anyone who is a professional negotiator. I love how this book stresses that traditional hard-bargaining negotiation tactics can lead to run. The book artfully makes the case that a lawyer should serve the client's interests rather than merely papering the deal or making sure the contract will win in court. I especially like the emphasis on the need to shift from conflict to collaboration and how Mnookin and his co-authors focus on not just negotiating the deal – but how to make a deal sustainable so it avoids a Pyrrhic victory. I was also glad to see the chapter on professional ethics – something many negotiators often overlook in their quest to get the best deal. 

By Robert H. Mnookin, Andrew S Tulumello, Scott R Peppet

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beyond Winning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Conflict is inevitable, in both deals and disputes. Yet when clients call in the lawyers to haggle over who gets how much of the pie, traditional hard-bargaining tactics can lead to ruin. Too often, deals blow up, cases don't settle, relationships fall apart, justice is delayed. Beyond Winning charts a way out of our current crisis of confidence in the legal system. It offers a fresh look at negotiation, aimed at helping lawyers turn disputes into deals, and deals into better deals, through practical, tough-minded problem-solving techniques.

In this step-by-step guide to conflict resolution, the authors describe the many obstacles…