The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli. By tracing the whereabouts of her $6 T-shirt from a West Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory to trade negotiations in Washington, D.C., to a used clothing market in Africa, Rivoli helps unravel the politics and human side of the globalization debate, say critics.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini's debut novel is billed as both political chronicle and deeply personal tale. It's the story of Amir, an Afghan immigrant to the U.S. who is plagued by guilt for betraying his best friend back home. When his friend is killed by the Taliban, Amir returns to his homeland, a country now in turmoil, to search for his friend's surviving son and make up for his past mistakes.
Tempered Radicals: How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work by Debra E. Meyerson. Meyerson reveals how "everyday leaders," not necessarily those at the top of an organization, help create family-friendly and socially responsible workplaces. She offers innovative examples that should help students get a bird's-eye view of leadership.
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs. By providing horrifying portraits of what life is like in the Third World, including one sketch of a Malawi village whose young people of working age have been completely wiped out by AIDS, Sachs calls readers to action. He presents his plan, which is based on 25 years of advising world leaders and international institutions, for eliminating poverty.
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clay Christensen. 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.
When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital Management by Roger Lowenstein. What appears to be a decisive error managing volatility of a portfolio of financial assets is reveled to be human factors in causing a breakdown of a management system under pressure. It could happen anywhere?
Industrial Organization: A Strategic Approach by Jeffrey Church and Roger Ware. In the past two decades there has been an explosion of high quality analysis of the organization of industries - the number and size of firms, rate of growth of firms, chronological change and the resulting competitiveness of markets. Find out what the experts know by reading this book. (For example, Chapter 16, Strategic Behavior: switching costs, vertical separation, tying, managerial incentives).
Modern Competitive Analysis by Sharon Oster. The application of strategy to obtain competitive advantage is carried to the higher level of sophistication in this Third Edition of a book widely used in strategy courses in the top twenty business schools. There is much subtlety in the understatement of winning strategies so that this book has to be read very closely.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing. An amazing but true action-adventure story, with powerful, often subtle lessons about leadership.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela. 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. An interesting 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.
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