Understanding Michael Porter
by Joan Magretta
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I though I understood Porter’s work, but never have I seen it presented so clearly and cleanly as in this book. Mandatory reading for anyone involved in strategy.
Books
Counsels and Maxims
by Arthur Schopenhauer
⭐⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆
Fascinating book containing Schopenhauer’s condensed advice for surviving in the world. The worldview presented here is deeply pessimistic. If that’s not your thing, filtering the wisom out of this book may take some additional effort.
The Book of Five Rings
by Miyamoto Musashi
⭐⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆
Classic book on swordsmanship that is often read for its parallels to business strategy. It’s interesting in its own right and there’s a fair bit of martial wisdom that could be applied in a broader setting.
The Book of Secrets
by Deepak Chopra
⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Favorite book of a good friend of mine, but it didn’t really do it for me. It’s all over the place, and there’s a whole lot of pseudo-science. There are couple of interesting passages, but I can’t recommend the book as a whole.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Patrick Lencioni
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lencioni examines the five levels on which a team can fall apart, and explains how to establish the opposite: a team with high trust, that engages in constructive conflict, commits to decisions, holds each other accountable, and is focused on results. Honestly, this one explains every broken team I’ve ever been a part of.
Business Adventures
by John Brooks
⭐⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆
Recommended by both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett as the best business book they’ve read. The chapters in this book are like little case studies, highlighting various aspects of the business world. I thought some were interesting, while others were more descriptive than insightful.
On Writing
by Stephen King
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⋆
Great read with some of the most concise advice for writing I’ve ever seen. Focused on writing fiction, but a lot translates very well to non-fiction too.
The Ride of a Lifetime
by Robert Iger
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⋆
Bob Iger tells the story of his ascent to the position of Disney CEO, including the acquisition of Pixar, Star Wars and 21st Century Fox
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
by Robert Kiyosaki
⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Popular book on money management with a handful of decent insights. I’m fairly certain you could find those points in other books that aren’t as willingly deceptive (for one, rich dad is completely fictional) and self-congratulatory.
Awareness
by Anthony De Mello
⭐⭐⭐ ⋆ ⋆
Very interesting meditation on what it means, and what it takes, to be aware. I thought this was relatively down to earth as far as mindfulness books go, and a nice starting point for anyone interested in the concept.