I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Mark Schaefer the other day. We talked about a lot of stuff. Including his time at Claremont College with the legend Peter Drucker as a professor. More on that below where I recommend one of Peter's classic books.
We also spoke about his soon to be released book called "Known" - and he offered me a copy to review before it is released. Look for my review by early next week.
I reviewed a few other books, including: The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan, Open Leadership by Charlene Lee, Change Intelligence by Barbara A. Trautlein, PhD, and Likeonomics by Rohit Bhargava.
He also go me thinking about some of the best business books that have influenced me over the years.
The books listed below have helped shape the way I think about business and they still do. If these are your favorites too I commend you. If not, feel free to share your favorites in the comments or here.
A Few of my Favorite Reads
Jungle Rules by John Imlay
This was before my time in the software industry, but it sure seems like it was a fun time for all. Some of the antics and tactics employed are classic.
This book can be hard to find. It’s sometimes listed as out of print. If you can’t find a copy send me a note – I’ll share mine and we can pass it around.
Sacred Cows make the Best Burgers by Robert Kriegel
My favorite line from this book is “Don’t Pave the Cow Paths” which as an engineer and as someone involved in the ECM and BPM industries for 20+ years it resonates very nicely.
If you haven't heard that phrase ... think about it. How often have you heard "but that's the way we've always done it" ... that's a cop-out.
The Circle of Innovation by Tom Peters
Tom has a lot of books and content out there and I had a hard time picking just one. To me the best thing from Tom is seeing him present live. I have been fortunate enough to see him twice. He brings it! No matter what you might think about his content he delivers it with a passion and forces you to think.
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
I have also been fortunate enough to see Geoffrey present live. I was working for FileNet (now owned by IBM) and this was just about the time “Crossing the Chasm” was coming out. He was a relative unknown. He gave a great presentation and continues to deliver with his follow-on books – Inside the Tornado, The Gorilla Game, Dealing with Darwin, et al.
The Essential Drucker by Peter F. Drucker
Again, I was fortunate enough to get to see Peter Drucker do a live Q&A. He was in his 80’s yet still on top of his game. His insights from 30+ years ago are still being applied today and have arguably helped form the foundation for many successful companies and industries.
What about the New Stuff?
You may notice that all of these are “older” books. This is not to imply that some of the newer books that have come out in the last few years are bad. It’s just that these books have held their place in my head and on my bookshelf as “reference” books for many years.
What are your Favorite Business Books and Why?
Care to share? I created a list here. Feel free to add your favorites.
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