Ten Books For MBA Aspirants To Read in 2020
As we herald a new decade i.e. 2020, the year of the rat, we want to bring to our readers a list of ten books that we believe provide a meaningful look into the world of business – each for a different reason. This list contains something for the entrepreneur, the intrapreneur, the economist, the women’s rights advocate, the finance enthusiast as well as the innovator. In coming up with this list, since we were restricted by a number, we had to begrudgingly miss notable books such as Good to Great, Zero to One, Outliers and The Art of War. Read on for Crack The MBA’s recommendation of books to read as a prospective MBA applicant, interested in the world of business.
Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson)
Steve Jobs’s life was nothing short of riveting. The co-founder of Apple turned the fortunes of the brand, making it one of the most successful companies in the world today. Apple currently has a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. Walter Isaacson’s definitive biography gives an insight into the man who single-handedly revolutionized modern technology – from computers and phones to movies and music.
Freakonomics (Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner)
What do you get when you take an economist and a podcast and radio host and get them to write a book? The answer is Freakonomics, a book which goes beyond the regular to ask questions which are rarely talked about (such as ‘Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?’ or ‘What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?’. Written by economist Steven Levitt and podcast and radio host Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics takes a data-oriented approach to all the questions addressed in the book, and answers them with skillful storytelling and wry insight.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (Sheryl Sandberg)
Written by Harvard Business School alumna and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, ‘Lean In’ has become a cultural phenomenon when it comes to literature on female leadership and advocacy. Tackling the issue of inequality at workplaces against women, Sandberg draws upon her experience working at leading global corporations like Google and Facebook, and outlines the ways women can empower themselves by making small changes in their lives.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (Ashlee Vance)
A leading visionary of our time, Elon Musk is changing the world for the better with his ventures SpaceX and Tesla. With audacious goals such as making earth sustainable through electric vehicles and inhabiting another planet, Mars, Elon Musk is an iconic business figure who serves as an inspiration to many. Ashlee Vance’s book takes a look at the man who’s constantly on the cusp of new innovations through his keen sense of entrepreneurship and a drive to make the world a better place for future generations.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE (Phil Knight)
Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight, a Stanford GSB alum, shares the story of how he started and made it into one of the most recognizable and profitable sportswear brands in the works in his memoir. From borrowing $50 from his father to starting the company to making $30 billion from sales, Knight’s journey provides an excellent learning opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Liar’s Poker (Michael Lewis)
Michael Lewis’s own experiences working at one of Wall Street’s most respected investment firms ended up as the inspiration behind the book, ‘Liar’s Poker’. Lewis gives the readers a behind the scenes look at the trading firms on Wall Street, which was defined by greed and the high stakes of gambling fortunes.
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon (Brad Stone)
Brad Stone takes the readers on an insightful journey on Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and how he’s turned it into one of the most successful companies in the world. Bezos’ relentless pursuit of entering new markets has made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation, and the book succinctly manages to give an in-depth account of life at Amazon.
Too Big To Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves (Andrew Ross Sorkin)
Too Big To Fail is an incredible moment-by-moment account of the financial meltdown of 2008 and the collapse of the Lehman Brothers. Written by Andrew Ross Sorkin, the book tells the story of people in finance and politics and their run-ins with success, greed and failure, which ultimately lead to the collapse of the global economy.
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach To Success (Adam Grant)
Adam Grant’s book, Give and Take, shines a light on the factors that drive success and focuses on how interaction styles can impact the same. Grant, who’s a lecturer at The Wharton School, uses stories from different people to drive his point, and highlights the importance of networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation and leadership skills have on reaching success.
Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built (Duncan Clark)
Alibaba was started by Jack Ma, an English teacher, in a small apartment in China, and soon went on to become the go-to place for Chinese customers for all their consumer needs, and later the world’s biggest retailer and e-commerce company. Written by Duncan Clark, the book gives the reader some invaluable insight into the growth of Alibaba into one of the biggest companies in the world, and future ambitions.
