All articles by Theodore Kinni

Our annual review of the year’s best business books. See also Best Business Books 2014—in Pictures.

Richard Branson’s books demonstrate how an entrepreneur’s drive and verve can turn seemingly crazy ideas into reality.

Aligning Strategy and Sales is the best sales book of the year — and one that senior executives should read.

Modern Mercenary is a fascinating look at the free market for force and the companies that profit from it.

John Elkington and Jochen Zeitz’s new book proposes how to achieve the triple bottom line of planet, people, and profits.

Wharton marketing professor David Bell explores how the real world affects the success of internet companies.

IMD professor Mikolaj Jan Piskorski describes three concepts that can help companies craft more effective social strategies.

A new book argues that the dangers of risk aversion often outweigh the risk of making mistakes.

The couple share their secret for how to actually get work done the next time you gather your team together.

If you want to become a better deal-maker, start by examining who you are at the table.

Soccer, says Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, is a perfect laboratory for testing economic theory.

Innovation expert Scott D. Anthony has a toolkit for surviving the wreck-strewn entrepreneurial journey, from initial concept to reality.

Economist Don Thompson says a product’s value can rise if it’s accompanied by a compelling backstory, reputation, or buying experience.

Elizabeth Economy and Michael Levi argue that China’s demand for natural resources is unlikely to result in further price shocks.

Two decades after Jeremy Rifkin predicted that private sector jobs would disappear, his controversial view sounds far more likely, and far less ominous.

In The Son Also Rises, UC Davis economic historian Gregory Clark tracks surnames over hundreds of years to better understand social mobility.

The former BP policy development manager and U.N. business and human rights advisor on the nuances of promoting social responsibility and sustainability within companies.

Two new books suggest that how salespeople respond to “no” is a primary determinant in their success.

In The Craft Beer Revolution, Steve Hindy traces an industry disruption that gives beer drinkers reason to cheer.

In A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger says that asking “why, what if, and how” can help companies become more efficient and creative.

In Reinventing American Health Care, professor Ezekiel Emanuel predicts that the benefits of reform are still years away.

John Kotter and Rita Gunther McGrath both argue that change will inevitably overwhelm hierarchical management systems, but their solutions differ.

In The Hard Thing about Hard Things, VC Ben Horowitz offers a creative solution for resolving conflict among organizational silos.

In What Works for Women at Work, Joan C. Williams and Rachel Dempsey identify four, often unrecognized, patterns of discriminatory attitudes toward women.

In The Watchdog That Didn’t Bark, Dean Starkman rebukes the business press for missing the epic fraud that led to the Great Recession. 

A historian’s approach to strategic empathy can help you anticipate your rivals’ next moves.

After reading the International Handbook on the Economics of Mega Sporting Events, it’s hard to see how Russia will benefit from hosting the Winter Olympics.

The Columbia Business School professor says the era of sustainable competitive advantage is being replaced by an age of flexibility. Are you ready?

Consultant and author Tim Halloran thinks it’s time to inject some romance into brand marketing.

According to the authors of The Decoded Company, it’s time to know your employees better than your customers.