Look, you can take yourself out of the office on vacation this summer...but you can’t really take the office out of you. You should definitely make sure to enjoy your time away from the daily grind, but even while you’re relaxing, there might be a way to stay sharp and maybe even have a brainstorm or two about the future of your business.
If a western or spy thriller is your thing for relaxing summer reading, then you do you. But if you’ve got the time to take in a book or two this season that might just illuminate your business future, then we might humbly suggest these 10 books that could help you approach your profession in a whole new way. You can even go pick up each of these books right now at Barnes & Noble.
Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans by Paul Van Doren
Few businesses are as counter-culture as Vans, and this autobiography charts the rise of one of America’s truly iconic footwear brands, as told by the guy who did it. Paul Van Doren guides readers through how a 16-year-old kid with no higher education or retail experience built a family canvas shoe business into one of the most recognized global brands on the planet.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
In the five years since its release, Shoe Dog has already become one of the instant business rags-to-riches classics. In this New York Times bestseller, Nike founder Phil Knight pulls back the curtain on one of the world’s most popular brands, for the first time revealing how the usually media-shy mogul behind the swoosh actually built the shoe titan from his humble days selling shoes from the trunk of his car back in 1963.
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh
Zappos started selling shoes in 1999, but before long, entrepreneur Tony Hsieh had expanded his vision, selling over $1 billion in merchandise annually in less than a decade. But Hsieh didn’t do it the usual way. This book explores how the son of Taiwanese immigrants used experiences starting a worm farm to running a pizza business to ultimately embrace a very different type of corporate culture: one that increased his happiness by increasing the happiness of those around him.
My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Indra Nooyi
The first woman of color and first immigrant to head up a Fortune 50 company, Indra Nooyi used amazingly honed strategic thinking to become CEO and transform Pepsi over her 12-year tenure. From her childhood in India to Yale, to her time at the helm of PepsiCo, this memoir offers a unique first-hand look at how Nooyi turned Pepsi toward healthier products and reinvented its environmental profile, all while battling big odds and big opposition.
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Mayer
One of the 2020 Financial Times’ Business Books of the Year, this first-hand account takes readers deep inside the belly of one of the most unexpected media juggernauts ever, Netflix. But this book doesn’t just use the recollection of co-founder Hastings, instead also relying on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees to paint a fascinating picture of the successes and failures that launched one of the world’s most innovative companies.
An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang
We’ve all seen The Social Network. Now, award-winning New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang weave the incredible behind-the-scenes story of the Facebook dynasty and its shocking fall from grace. Unraveling a web of complex politics, odd rivalries and alliances, and the always mercurial spectre of founder Mark Zuckerberg, this book posits the notion that Facebook’s missteps in recent years weren’t anomalies, but inevitabilities baked into the foundation of a fascinated, yet troubled company.
How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs by Guy Raz
Based on the popular NPR podcast, How I Built This digs into the amazing true stories at the heart of some of the world’s most impactful companies. As told by journalist and NPR host Guy Raz, this work shares tips from more than 200 of the world’s biggest entrepreneurs, outlining the priceless insights, painful stepbacks, and towering inspiration that ultimately helped them turn a dream into a business reality.
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
Business is rife with failure -- and Eric Ries makes the case that much of that failure is preventable. Here, Ries lays out his template for The Lean Startup, a new approach to entrepreneurship that relies on validated learning, rapid scientific experimentation, and business agility that allows a company to alter plans inch by inch, minute by minute, and avoid those inevitable failures.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Musk is one of the most controversial -- and most misunderstood -- men in the world. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the journey taken by this real-world Tony Stark. From his South African roots and flight to the United States through the technology vision of SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, and more, this book asks if Musk’s singular dedication to his science-fiction vision of the future can actually happen.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger
When you’re talking business titans, outgoing Disney CEO Robert Iger is an unquestioned first-ballot Hall of Famer. A no. 1 New York Times bestseller and named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, this memoir offers a first-hand account of Iger’s incredible 15-year run at the Disney helm, including the acquisitions of Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel that have cemented its place as the premier entertainment company in the world. From the principles that guide his leadership to the factors that shape his decisions, this is a probing look into what makes Iger Iger.
You can pick up these 10 titles and more when you swing by Barnes & Noble today.
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