"Provides an insightful analysis of the impact of technology on industries and organizations, and a convincing argument for why thinking outside the box is so critical."

THE ECONOMICS OF COMPUTERS by William Sharpe

"The first book I read that seriously examined the problem of economic modeling of computer and information systems. Greatly influenced managerial thinking about computers and information management."

INFORMATION RULES by Al Varian and Carl Shapiro

"A fascinating contemporary book on the economics of information, that presents insights into the role of information and digital products in the networked economy."

THE CONNECTION MACHINE by Daniel Hillis

"It popularized massively parallel computing, neural networks and associative computing, and suggested new possibilities for artificial intelligence in terms of its use in practical systems."

REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION by Michael Hammer and James A. Champy

"The concept of BPR was largely popularized through this book. While quite wordy and anecdotal, it still was extremely insightful and bold in its position and content."

IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman

"This relatively simple and informal book still took a fascinating look into America's leading firms and provided some extremely insightful conclusions about the role a form of leadership that was needed in the late 80's and 90's, when American companies were grappling with extensive global competition combined with major internal challenges."

THE WAR IN EUROPE by William L. Shirer

"My favorite account of a fascinating part of World War II,and the strategic and tactical decisions that were instrumental in the war's outcome."

THE MONEY GAME by Adam Smith

"[This] is the most engaging book I've read about the stock market."

A RANDOM WALK DOWN WALL STREET by Bruton Malkiel

"A more serious and somewhat sobering book about the stock market."

ZERO COUPON by Paul Erdmann

"A finance thriller that is plausible and exciting."

THE WEALTHY WORLD by John C. Edmunds

"[This book] does a better job than The Lexus and the Olive Tree of of showing how financial accumulation is really happening."

LIARS' POKER by Michael Lewis

"An engaging read that depicts the rape-and-plunder mentality of Wall Street traders."

THE EVOLUTION OF COOPERATION by Robert Axelrod

"This brilliant book summarizes Axelrod's pathbreaking research on why cooperation emerges in "repeated games." Because business is comprised of repeated transactions, these insights are highly applicable to the business world."

2020 VISION by Stan Davis and Bill Davidson

"More than any other book, this book expresses clearly the vision that information is becoming the key to business. It opened my eyes."

CHIMPANZEE POLITICS by Frans de Waal

"A lot of human interaction is more deeply rooted than we think. It is fascinating to see how power works in the chimpanzee world. There are many lessons for the human world."

OUT OF THE CRISIS by W. Edwards Deming

"This book summarizes the Deming approach to quality. A classic that was once revolutionary but is now mainstream. It is important to note, though, that it is chiefly applicable to the manufacturing world. The service/information world works differently."

AT HOME IN THE UNIVERSE by Stuart Kauffman

"There is a lot of popular science nonsense published, but this is a popular science book written by a brilliant thinker who is a sure future Nobel Prize winner. This is the best introduction to self-organization -- a concept that will become increasingly important in business."

ALL THE TROUBLE IN THE WORLD by P.J. O'Rourke

"He's more conservative than I am, but his incisive social/political/business commentaries are both hilarious and convincing."

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF NEGOTIATION by Howard Raiffa

"Practical, research-based tips on how to negotiate effectively. I am a good negotiator because of this book."

AMERICAN AURORA by Richard Rosenfeld

"Based on painstaking historical research, this book explodes our conceptions of America's founding fathers (and especially George Washington). We quickly learn that the consensus picture of the world may be completely wrong. The groups in power shape our perceptions of what is true."

GENERATIONS by Wiiliam Strauss and Neil Howe

"So far the predictions in this book are right on target. It espouses a cyclical theory of how generation cohorts take on particular personalities. Marketers will find this book both fascinating and useful."

TOWARD THE END OF TIME by John Updike

"This apocalyptic futuristic novel by master novelist Updike shows how massive change coexists with the past. Fun for business readers, who will enjoy FedEx taking over the world, and nanotechnology run amok."

VALUES OF THE GAME by Bill Bradley

"This former U.S. Senator, basketball star, and presidential hopeful explores how values on the court are portrayed in life off the court, and vice versa. Basketball as a metaphor for such life values as courage, discipline, resilience, respect, and of course, teamwork, makes for highly insightful reading."

TYRANNY OF THE BOTTOM LINE by Ralph Estes

"The author explores the dynamics underlying how corporations make good people do bad things. His analysis shows how the original purpose of the corporation has become perverted through unbalanced focus on the bottom-line mentality."

HEALTHY COMPANY: EIGHT STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP PEOPLE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND PROFITS by Robert H. Rosen & Lisa Berger

"Although now dated, this book is full of good examples of companies that have benefited by treating employees with dignity and respect. It provides fascinating cases of how doing good for employees means doing good for the company as well."

THE AMERICAN MOSAIC by Anthony Patrick Carnevale and Susan Carol Stone

"This is the definitive guide to the history and nature of diversity in the American workplace. Although some of the statistics are now out of date, this book provides the most compelling analysis of how the American workplace became the racial and ethnic mosaic it is today."

IN THE AGE OF THE SMART MACHINE by Shoshana Zuboff

"This book is a classic, and one of the few works describing social and interpersonal responses to technology in the workplace. Interestingly, many of the author's prognostications have proven to be correct."

NERDS 2.0.1. by Stephen Segaller

"This book accompanies the PBS series on the birth of the Internet. It is a humbling look at how just a few people (not including Al Gore) revolutionized the world."

KIND OF BLUE: MAKING OF THE MILES DAVIS MASTERPIECE by Ashley Kahn & Jimmy Cobb

"This book chronicles the making of a classic jazz album. Not only does it provide insight into the creative process, but also the social norms and business practices in the recording industry in the 1950s."

BLUR: THE SPEED OF CHANGE IN THE CONNECTED ECONOMY by Stan Davis & Christopher Meyer

"Much has been written and said about how quickly technology has changed the world. However, this book does the best job of chronicling the maddening pace of the connected economy."

THE EXCUSE FACTORY: HOW EMPLOYMENT LAW IS PARALYZING THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE by Walter K. Olson

"The American legal system has created a situation in which many employers are reluctant to fire bad employees. This book's tales of how this dynamic has come about and how it is wreaking havoc in the economy are enough to make readers scream for common sense to prevail."

REPUTATION by Charles J. Fombrun

"This book provides compelling evidence of the value associated with a positive corporate reputation--a belief that long has been claimed, but only recently has been examined scientifically."

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NELSON MANDELA by Nelson Mandela

"This is an inspiring story about leadership in the most difficult of circumstances. Nelson Mandela led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa from a prison cell. He had a long-term view, persisted against all odds, had a support system of colleagues and knew how to build coalitions, negotiated a settlement, and then, when he won and became President of South Africa, he forgave his enemies."

THE PRINCE by Nicolo Machiavelli

"I recommend this for its insight into the dynamics of power. In addition to the technical side of business and the financial fundamentals taught in MBA programs, it is important to understand the forces that drive people in organizations. Decision-making is not always rational; it is sometimes, maybe even often, affected by executive egos and power struggles. Its enduring insights are relevant to the crisis in modern corporations today, because of the Enron collapse and subsequent revelations about financial missteps in other companies."

EXECUTION: THE DISCIPLINE OF GETTING THINGS DONE by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

"The actions that translate good strategies into great results."

GOOD TO GREAT: WHY SOME COMPANIES MAKE THE LEAP...AND OTHERS DON'T by Jim Collins

"How effective leaders combine personal humility with firm determination to move average performers into great producers."

CLICKS AND MORTAR: PASSION DRIVEN GROWTH IN AN INTERNET DRIVEN WORLD by David S. Pottruck and Terry Pearce

"How the now CEO of Charles Schwab lead the company into the internet age and beyond."

DUTY FIRST: WEST POINT AND THE MAKING OF AMERICAN LEADERS by Ed Ruggero

"How cadets going through the U.S. Military Academy learn to lead, with lessons for all who seek to develop their own leadership."

ENDURANCE by Alfred Lansing

"An amazing but true action-adventure story, with powerful, often subtle lessons about leadership."

WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy

"One of the great books, worth reading and rereading for a multitude of reasons, among which are Tolstoy's vivid and unforgettable portraits of men and women who change the world, on both the grand stage of life and in subtle, everyday ways."