by Laura Lee Winger

Created on: September 16, 2009

Times change, and I'm sure that our lists and values will change with them. As this list stands, some of these books are quickly becoming outdated as academics are incorporating their then-groundbreaking concepts and strategies, so that young people now receive these ideas in their education. Nevertheless, there are a number of books that were important to business management when they came out, and will be important for some time to come.

"Influence" by Robert Cialdini - This book applies psychology to the workplace, Cialdini is considered the top authority on influence, and a number of his books, as well as his speeches, are useful in understanding the power and practice of persuasion.

"The Goal" by Eliyahu M. Goldratt - Like Cialdini, Goldratt frequently gives lectures and leads seminars on his topics of expertice, namely the Theory of Constraints. "The Goal" is unique in that it reads like a fiction novel, but instills some strong ideas in the areas of manufacturing processes and inventory control. The idea of a bottleneck can be applied to many fields outside of manufacturing, as well, including service industries. "The Goal" is often referred to any business and industrial engineering classes, and is a must-read for anyone in those fields.

"The General Managers" by John P. Kotter - This is one of those oldies but goldies. It answers the question, "What does my manager DO all day?" It is a great book for business professionals starting in their careers, as it gives them a frame of reference for handling their managers as well as tactics to work on in improving their own potentials as managers.

"Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi - Ferrazzi being a successful businessman himself, one could only assume he has some insight to share. This book is a little extreme at times, but is host to a lot of wonderful revelations and inspiring ideas in the realm of making networking work for you.

"The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson - "The Slight Edge" is not only a good business book, it's a good book for self-improvement. Olson shows how you can apply regular practices to your life and become more and more successful in every aspect of your life.

These books, and others like them, are, for the most part, general books about how to be successful in life and in business, and are definitely a good place to start when you need a new addition on your reading list!

Learn more about this author, Laura Lee Winger.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.