I love reading business books. So many of the ideas that have shaped who I am today came from non-fiction books, many of which were business related. They’re an incredibly valuable tool.
My entry into the world of business reading began close to two years ago when I was faced with a long (for me) commute to my new job. Having recently resolved to be unceasingly productive, I wanted to make my time spent driving worthwhile. Audiobooks were the answer. I went to the local library, found the business section of their audiobook selection and had soon listened to almost every program. Eventually, I was reading one business book while listening to another in the car – the rest is history.
The five books below are my favorites. Why five? Because it’s easier to digest than ten. They’re not all bestsellers and might seem like strange choices, but these books provided the most useful information for my particular station in life, maybe they can for you too.
Click on each book’s picture for more information.
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
Keith Ferrazzi is a networking master. His ideas might seem a little over-the-top, but there’s still much to be gained from his insight. Reading this book opened my eyes to a new level of networking prowess that I hadn’t previously considered.
Do you know the feeling you get when you come to realize you’ve been performing way below the bar after comparing your efforts to someone else’s? That’s how I felt after reading Never Eat Alone. It’s an amazing overview of what networking can be.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is another book about relationships that you’ve probably heard of. Read it and reread it! 
Published in 1936, this book is a business classic. It has even been expanded into full courses on creating and maintaining relationships. In essence, the behaviors outlined in this book are exactly how we’d all act if society hadn’t conditioned us to be self-centered jerks.
Be kind, love your fellow man. If you can’t figure out how then read Carnegie’s book.
Automatic Wealth for Grads/Automatic Wealth by Michael Masterson
Ok, I cheated – two books here. The subject matter overlaps quite a bit but I couldn’t pick just one. Read either book, or both, you’ll get the same information either way.
Masterson’s books give a great general overview of entrepreneurship and money management. They’re a fantastic starting point from which to dive into other business topics and guided my curiosity to a number of investing and real estate related ideas. The success principals outlined here are more realistic than some other business books (*cough* Four Hour Work Week *cough*) and can help one create some genuinely achievable goals.
Although these gems were never bestsellers, they stand out in my mind as two of the best book choices I’ve made in a long time.
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
If you’re a marketer, read this book. The studies on human behavior outlined here provide some amazing insight into the way people think about money and purchases. This is one I plan to reread because the concepts are useful in a number of business situations; they’re worth committing to memory.
Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton
I may appreciate this book more than some because I can relate to the author’s situation. Still, it’s an amazing first-hand look at one person’s experience as a student in one of the country’s top business schools. If you aspire to one day walk among the future leaders of Big Business, this is a great book that may reveal some eye-opening truths.
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