"The only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you.” – W. Somerset Maugham
Smart businesspeople are always learning and finding new information. It’s always a good idea to read a book that inspires you to think differently. In honor of National Book Lover's Day, we asked some of our consultants to tell us what books have influenced their business experience and why. Here’s a few of their favorites:
Drive by Danial Pink
“Dan distills decades of psychological research on motivation into a pragmatic guide for how to create productive and enjoyable working environments. Brilliant, funny, and useful.” — Katy Mess, Propeller Alumna
The Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler
“A detailing of how Semler’s Brazilian company Semco transformed from a traditional manufacturing conglomerate to a multi-faceted, lucrative, truly modern way of doing business by putting the vast amount of control of the organization in the hands of individual employees. There are great ideas such as open books, and decision rights assigned to those closest to the decision instead of leadership.” — Katy Mess, Propeller Alumna
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
“This book does a great job of showcasing how habits are formed and why they are so important at the individual, organizational, and societal level by providing relatable examples for each.” — Allison Torpey, Director
Creating A Learning Society by Joseph Stiglitz
"Most of us have experienced the joy of continuous learning and improvement. What this book does incredibly well is lay an analytic and economical foundation for supporting continued improvement across our society. Its lessons can be applied at the team, organization, or state level.” — Beau Platte, Consultant
The Polluters by Benjamin Ross & Steven Amter
“I enjoy it because it outlines the history of, and overlapping relationships between, corporate pollution, consumer goods, wartime innovations, regulatory agencies, politics, and government oversight agencies.” — Stephanie Stano, Propeller Alumna
Some other books on Propeller bookshelves include:
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
