We are sometimes asked about what we consider the best books of interest to business leaders. In responding, the criteria we use are books that:
Give vivid first-hand accounts of how the author made choices;
Provide timeless models of analysis and insight;
Tell engaging stories that help the reader imagine situations and challenges they may someday encounter.
None of them prescribe solutions -- "Ten Surefire Ways to...." , etc. That's left to the reader's own imagination and intelligence. Here's our list of nominations, in no particular order: The Embezzler, Louis Auchincloss. A novel of high finance and the importance of choosing the people in whom we place our trust. My Years with General Motors, Alfred Sloan. Clearly articulated narration of the situations, choices and results of the building of a new type of organization. The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope. Published in 1875, this novel about money manias and the society that created them is just as fresh today. History of the Second World War (Six Volumes), Winston S. Churchill. Memorable first hand history, but its the memos and minutes in the back that provide the inspiration for anyone who has to explain themselves in writing. Securities Analysis, Benjamin Graham and David Dodd. Some say this crystal clear volume on fundamental analysis is showing its age. Anyone who believes that does so at their own peril. Confessions of an Advertising Man, David Ogilvy. The author was a businessman first, and an ad man second. No one, before or since, has written as well about the intimate connection between selling an idea and then building something worthwhile. Indecent Exposure: a True Story of Hollywood, David McLintick. True story of a CEO struggling to understand and work with his Board. Moreover, it's a genuine page-turner. The Essence of Decision, Graham Allison. Penetrating analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis from three different perspectives -- the rational actor, the organizational process, and government politics. A classic work on how people's behavior is shaped by the environment they work in. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069, Neil Howe and William Strauss. Nothing we deal with is more certain, or illuminating, as the study of demographics. This book, more than any other we've encountered, helps explain why people are the way they are based on when they were born. Competitive Strategy, Michael Porter. We all need frameworks to understand the world of competition and how the pieces fit together. Professor Porter's book is as intelligent a guide as you will find.