Interested in refreshing an area of your business knowledge this summer? We asked experts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business to share some of their favorite books to add to your summer reading list. From habits of mind to data visualization, the books they’ve selected are both insightful and entertaining.
“Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t,” by Simon Sinek
Recommended by Kate Atchley, Executive Director of Executive MBA Programs
“Working with executives over the years, there are a couple core themes that bubble to the surface. Specifically, people ask me how they can build a positive culture and influence and inspire their employees, but not burnout in the process. Simon Sinek touches upon some of the answers in his book, including the role of a leader, managing imbalance and establishing and maintaining a great culture in an organization.”
“I Need More Clients: Digital Marketing Strategies that Grow your Business,” by Jason Ciment
Recommended by Amy Cathey, Executive Director of Business Development for Graduate and Executive Education Programs
“Some of the most common questions I get from students are: ‘How can I use my marketing dollars more effectively? And how can I reach potential customers in a world where traditional advertising sources like TV and radio don’t work?’ This book is a quick read and a very applied overview of digital marketing that can help those who are interested in growing their customer base understand more about how to do it.”
“Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing–Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth,” by Renee Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim
Recommended by Russell Crook, First Tennessee Foundation Professor of Management
“The book can be ‘hokey’ at times, it but does a nice job of helping managers understand the competitive playing field and then take steps to move away from cutthroat competition. A key point of the book is finding ‘non-customers,’ and then pinpointing ways to turn them into customers.”
“How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities,” by John Cassidy
Recommended by Phillip Daves, associate professor of finance and Voigt Scholar
“Every educated adult needs to read this book because it is accessible, yet comprehensive. The title does not do the book justice and might even be counterproductive in this day of abject dismissal of anything that doesn’t fit with one’s political affiliation. Right-wing partisans will assume it is an anti-free markets creed, but it isn’t that at all. Left-wing partisans will assume it is all about market crashes, but it isn’t that either. The book is a superb compendium of research. It lays out things that markets do extremely well – and why only markets can perform that function – as well as things that markets have difficulty doing well. It explains why and offers possible solutions. If I could, I would make it required reading of every student with whom I come in contact.”
“Financial Management: Theory and Practice,” by Eugene Brigham and Michael C. Ehrhardt
Recommended by Mike Ehrhardt, professor emeritus of finance and Executive MBA for Healthcare Leadership faculty member
This book, which is designed to help students make good financial decisions, is material designed for an introductory MBA course. It seeks to present finance in a relevant and interesting manner, as well as to motivate students. Co-author Ehrhardt says that he is “up to his ears” revising the book’s 16th edition this summer.
“Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,” by Daniel Goleman
Recommended by Mary Holcomb, Gerald T. Niedert Professor of Supply Chain Management
“Two guest speakers, who are both vice presidents of supply chain at their respective companies, recommended this book to my students. I read it in 2005, and it’s on my ‘read again’ loop every few years! How many of us know someone whose career didn’t achieve its potential because he or she didn’t understand how to handle the difficulties, setbacks and other pressures that every career faces? Don’t be that person! This book provides some great insights into how to better identify and control your emotions, as well as understanding the emotions of others.”
“If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?” by Alan Alda
Recommended by Michael McIntyre, director of the Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership
“Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on ‘M*A*S*H,’ uses many of the lessons he learned in acting to teach people how to communicate more effectively.”
“The Inevitable,” by Kevin Kelly
Recommended by Ted Stank, Harry J. & Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence and professor of supply chain management
This book forecasts 12 technological forces that will shape the next 30 years. Kelly predicts these forces will alter the way we work, learn and communicate. Stank describes the book as, “essential for an advance understanding of business and society in Industry 4.0.”
“The Tipping Point,” by Malcolm Gladwell, and “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman
Recommended by James Wansley, professor emeritus and director of the Aerospace & Defense MBA Program
“The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell examines the mysteries of sociological changes embedded in everyday life. Gladwell seeks to explain how cultural phenomena spread in patterns similar to those of an epidemic, and how seemingly small events can have outsize consequences. “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman is a summary of research conducted over decades. It describes two patterns with which the brain forms thoughts, one quickly and one slowly.
“Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals,” by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and “Weekend Language: Presenting with More Stories and Less PowerPoint,” by Andy Craig and Dave Yewman
Recommended by Martha Weeks, lecturer and communications coach
“Almost every book or article today about communication mentions storytelling. We all know that stories provide powerful ways to connect with others. How do you incorporate stories into business situations? How can you construct stories around data? How can you become a better storyteller? These two books offer concrete suggestions and examples to help improve your ability to tell stories with data and to build stories into your business presentations.”
