Read Like a CEO

Just as Nike’s swoosh symbol is one of the most recognizable icons of excellence around the world, this memoir from the shoe company’s founder, Phil Knight, has quickly become one of the most-lauded, must-read business books of all time. Warren Buffett, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, and many, many other leaders recommend it, including Ryan Holiday, who wrote in 2016, “As a general rule, most new memoirs are mediocre and most business memoirs are even worse. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight is an exception to that rule in every way and as a result, was one of my favorite books of the year and favorite business books ever. … Ostensibly the memoir of the founder of Nike, it’s really the story of a lost kid trying to find meaning in his life and it ends with him creating a multi-billion dollar company that changes sports forever.”

Both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett agree that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in business. Writing up his favorite books of 2014 on GatesNotes, Gates had this to say about John Brooks’ classic: “Shortly after we met, Warren Buffett loaned me this collection of New Yorker business articles from the 1950s and 1960s. I loved them as much as he did. Brooks’s insights about business have aged beautifully, and they are as true today as ever. I still go back to this book from time to time ... ‘Business Adventures’ is a neglected classic, and it’s still my favorite business book ever.”

Former CEO of America Barack Obama called Yuval Noah Harari’s seminal work one of his “essential reads” in a 2016 Wired article. “Sapiens” merges science with history to give a thorough saga of the human species. Beginning with the appearance of modern cognition, Harari traces the evolution of humanity to challenge commonly held beliefs about our biology, our history, and ourselves.

CEOs from Reed Hastings (Netflix) to Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square) to Arianna Huffington (Thrive Global) rave about billionaire investor Ray Dalio’s book. Turn your leadership potential into reality with these proven tools for decision-making, conquering challenges, and building strong teams from “the Steve Jobs of investing.” Dalio’s innovative advice is far from what you’d learn in conventional business guides.