Best 15 Business Books of All Time

Feb. 05 BC Insider 5 comments

I received an email today of such high business value that I immediately asked for permission to share it with you.

The email was from Keith Cunningham, a world-class business leader and founder of Keys to the Vault, a Business School for Entrepreneurs.

He kindly agreed that I could. Here it is:

Dear Tony,

Over the last 25 years, I have read two to three books per week and I am repeatedly asked for my recommendations for the top 10 business books I have ever read. This is a little like asking a mother about her favorite children. Every book I have read has added to the foundation of who I am and what I know.

Having decided to undertake this task, I found that paring the list down to 10 was impossible. Below are the top 15 business books I have ever read (and no, they are not ranked from best to worst, although the first one is the best). Add them to your library and read all 15 in 2013. Your business will thank you.

When you know better, you do better!

Enjoy,

KJC

P.S. I have probably left your favorite off the list. If so, send me your recommendations and I will happily add them to my growing pile of things I need to learn!

Keith’s List of Best 15 Business Books

The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor – By Howard Marks, 2011

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done – By Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, and Charles Burck, 2002

Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors – By Michael E. Porter, 1998

Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance – By Michael E. Porter, 1998

How to Manage in Times of Crisis (And How to Avoid a Crisis in the First Place) – By Ichak Adizes, 2009

Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else – By Geoffrey Colvin, 2010

Managing for Results – By Peter F. Drucker, 1993

Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment – By George Burr Leonard, 1992

The Halo Effect…and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers – By Philip M. Rosenzweig, 2009

Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal – By Oren Klaff, 2011

Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition) – By Robert B. Cialdini, 2008

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable – By Patrick Lencioni, 2002

Leadership is an Art – By Max DePree, 2004

The Warren Buffett Way (Second Edition), By Robert G. Hagstrom, Kenneth L. Fisher, and Bill Miller, 2005

The Knowing – Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action – By Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton, 2000

The best two books I ever wrote are: The Ultimate Blueprint for an Insanely Successful Business and Keys to the Vault: Lessons from the Pros on Raising Money and Igniting Your Business!

For more on Keith Cunningham

Keith’s School:

Keys to the Vault
A Business School for Entrepreneurs