Must-Read Business Books

Michael Gerber
Michael Gerber explores the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how common assumptions, expectations and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a business.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: Are you an entrepreneur, manager or a technician? Gerber's book is about finding out and creating systems that leverage the strengths of each personality.

Tom Hopkins
Tom Hopkins earned himself over one million dollars in his first three years as a salesman - he sets down the key secrets of his success. His methods emphasize the need to escape from a fear of failure. His techniques, both positive and practical, have all been tried and tested on the firing line of sales work. He reveals how selling can become not just a job but a way of life that leads to greater success, satisfaction and happiness.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: Every business person should know how to sell. Here are original ideas on getting attention, demonstrating value and gaining commitment.

Timothy Ferriss
Timothy Ferriss has spent more than five years learning the secrets of the 'New Rich', a fast-growing subculture that has abandoned the 'deferred-life plan' and instead mastered the new currencies - time and mobility - to create a new way of living. Don’t wait for your retirement, enjoy luxury now! Whether your dream is to escape the rat race, experience first class world travel, earn a monthly five-figure income with no management, or just live more and work less, this book is the blueprint.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: Imagine what you could do if you weren't afraid. This creative book inspires you to ask if there is a better way, and to push yourself to find it.

James Clavell
Shogun is an epic saga of Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and his integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan. A fictionalised account of the first Englishman to set foot upon Japanese shores, Clavell writes an entertaining and incisive, yet stunningly dramatic re-creation of a very different world. Shogun charts Blackthorne's rise from reviled foreigner to the heights of trusted advisor and Samurai, enduring language and cultural differences along the way. All as civil war looms over the fragile country.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: Leadership comes in many forms, and this classic novel goes deep into the thinking and power calculations of its many complex characters. Insightful and entertaining.

Nicholas Lore
If you're at a cross-roads in your career - this is the book for you. It’s as good as having a personal coach, at a fraction of the cost! Nicholas Lore provides exercises, which allow each reader to “know thyself”. Full of encouragement and honesty, Lore’s refreshing change of approach has you taking advantage of your weaknesses rather than ignoring them, or making unrealistic promises to improve in the future. Motivational and inspirational – be prepared to get results!

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: This wonderful career management book's exercises, questions and wisdom teach you how to adjust your career direction whenever it needs re-calibration.

John Keegan
The Mask of Command is about generals: who they are, what they do and how they affect the world we live in. Most studies of generalship have focused on individual character and behaviour. While these are not neglected in this remarkable book, John Keegan’s central argument is that, like warfare itself, generalship is a cultural enterprise, providing a key to understanding a particular era or place, as much as it is an exercise in power or military skill.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: True leadership shines when the stakes are high. This analysis of military generalship illustrates the magnetism of those who deliver poise and results under pressure.

Simon Singh
A fascinating exploration of the ultimate question: how was our universe created? Singh believes geniuses like Einstein are not the only people able to grasp the physics that govern the universe. We all can. Singh explains what the Big Bang theory actually is and why cosmologists believe it is an accurate description of the origins of the universe. He then delves into the fascinating story of the scientists who fought against the established idea of an eternal and unchanging universe.

Why you should have it on your bookshelf: An inspirational account of how some of history's greatest minds deciphered where we all came from. A great distraction from your petty, earthly concerns!