The 10 Most Influential Business Books Ever Written

The business world is a complex one, governed by its own set of rules and intangibles. Through the experience of others, we can learn to navigate this minefield to our advantage. Below are the 10 most influential business books ever written.

Business Adventures — John Brooks

This book is a business classic which is thoughtfully written by longtime financial journalist to the New Yorker, John Brooks. It is an insightful and fascinating look into corporate and financial life in the US and is a favourite of no less than Bill Gates. The book looks into 12 major financial events, one per chapter. There is no moralising or giving advice. The author cleverly and entertainingly describes 12 business events, leaving readers to consider their connections, their parallels, and relevance to today, the importance of character and the question of morality in business.

The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham

The Intelligent Investor was first published in 1949 and is a widely acclaimed book on value investing and considered as the stock market bible. Graham’s concept of “value investing”, which essentially shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies, is still considered indispensable advice. The revised edition contains a commentary by a noted financial journalist which helps incorporate the realities of today’s financial markets and gives readers a more thorough understanding of how to apply Graham’s principles.

How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie

This is one of the most important self-improvement books ever written. Although published in 1936, it has sold over 15 million copies, and is still considered as a must-read for those who want to learn how to effectively deal with people at home, in business, with friends and in any situation. It’s a book about personal and professional development and the skills it teaches are invaluable for navigating the passages of work and life.

The Art of War — Sun Tzu

The Art of War is an ancient military treatise, written over two thousand years ago, devoted to military strategy and tactics. On the face of it, it doesn’t appear to have any connection to business, however, this is a book that requires reflection. Ancient terms and placement of hierarchy can be applied to modern situations and people, in other words, family, bosses, employees and so on. This book can serve as a guide to gain an advantage over opponents in the boardroom and in life.

Emotional Intelligence — Daniel Goleman

The sub-title of this book is: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and this explains the concept behind the book and the valuable message that it conveys. We are all aware that a high IQ is not always conducive to success in life, whether personal or professional. This book attempts to explain the importance of the 5 crucial skills of emotional intelligence in forging strong, positive connections and determining our success in work, relationships and ultimately, our well-being.

Think and Grow Rich — Napoleon Hill

This is one of the best-selling books of all time and its contents remain relevant even today. The author espouses the power of personal beliefs and the role they play in achieving personal success. Think and Grow Rich provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a “philosophy of achievement” to be applied to achieve success in all spheres of life. This personal development and self-improvement book asserts that desire, faith and persistence can propel one to great heights.

Lean In — Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is the CEO of Facebook and the author certainly has all the credentials for passing on her knowledge to help women achieve success in their professional lives. The full title of the book is Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead and it talks about the challenges facing women in the corporate world in trying to get ahead in the face of gender bias and sexism. She also discusses the challenges of managing work/life balance and being a working mother. This is a valuable book for all career women.

Too Big to Fail — Andrew Ross Sorkin

The author, a respected financial reporter, delivers the definitive blow-by-blow account of the greatest financial crisis in recent times that wreaked immeasurable economic damage around the globe. He recounts the shocking story of how powerful men and women in the worlds of finance and politics, motivated by ego, greed, fear and self-preservation, decided the fate of the world’s economy.

The Lean Start-Up — Eric Ries

It’s well known that most start-ups fail, what is less known is that some of these failures are preventable. The Lean Start-Up is an innovative approach that changes the way companies are built and new products are launched. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful start-ups in a climate where companies need to innovate more than ever to succeed.

Barbarians at the Gate — Bryan Burrough, John Helyar

This best-seller is the classic and unputdownable account of the financial failure of NJR Nabisco. It tells the gripping story of how a first-class piece of investigative journalism exposed the greed and double-dealings of the famed deal. In an era of financial bail-outs and spectacular business crashes, it still stands as a valuable cautionary tale and one from which many lessons can be learnt.

Anyone seeking to get ahead in the business world should definitely seek out one or more of the above books in order to gain valuable insight and knowledge from the failures and successes of others. Visit any Agenda Bookshops and get your copies now.