2019 summer reading: 10 business books
A selection of books perfect for your commute — or the beach.
Why big-wave surfers are just like actuaries
In her new book, An Economist Walks Into a Brothel, Allison Schrager argues that we can learn a lot about risk management, moral hazard, and financial safety from the dudes who tackle 80-foot waves on fiberglass boards.
Finding your company’s cultural sweet spot
In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, psychology professor Michele Gelfand explains some of the differences between social groups, and the conflicts that erupt among them.
Leadership lessons from Game of Thrones
In Win or Die, Bruce Craven notes that paying attention to your values and persuasion style can help you avoid getting beheaded or stabbed to death.
The wisdom of The Old Wives’ Tale
Arnold Bennett’s 1908 novel about the fate of two sisters in Victorian England, The Old Wives’ Tale, has a great deal to teach us about the challenges women face in the business world.
The short life of enlightened leadership (and how to extend it)
In The Enlightened Capitalists, James O’Toole argues that most companies that try to do well by doing good can’t make it last. Their leaders need to think more carefully about their philosophy and governance.
Large businesses don’t have to be lousy innovators
In Creative Construction, Harvard Business School prof Gary Pisano offers senior leaders a three-part solution to the innovation challenge.
Can capitalism be fixed?
In his new book, The Future of Capitalism, Oxford economist Paul Collier lays out a path to restore the ethical foundations of the free-market system in the U.S. and Europe.
Bad meetings no more
In The Surprising Science of Meetings, UNC-Charlotte professor Steven Rogelberg offers an evidence-based guide to holding better meetings.
The case for general excellence
In his new book, Range, David Epstein argues that although specialization has its virtues, businesses need people with wide horizons and ranges of interests in order to succeed.
Diving into deep learning
In Search of Deeper Learning, their new book on what makes high schools work, education experts Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine offer vital lessons for business leaders as well.
