Every year, the Financial Times and McKinsey put together a list for the Business Book Awards. Now on its eleventh year, the duo has announced their 15 semi-finalists.
While only one of the 15 books can take the ultimate prize, the mere fact that they’re on this list makes them worth your time.
These books come from the top journalists, economists, academics, and entrepreneurs around the world.
To help you determine which of these books are a must read for you, and which are a pass, we’ve put together a useful summary of the content of each piece.
- Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
You may know Musk better as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
Dedicated to preventing the human race from destroying itself prematurely, Elon Musk is one of the most well-regarded modern innovators. Taking on his life story, Ashlee Vance, a journalist for Bloomberg Business has created an amazing tale out of Musk’s life.
If you want to enjoy an inspiring tale of someone who took a dream and made it a reality, you absolutely have to check out Elon Musk.
- Hall of Mirrors by Barry Eichengreen
Any good financial and businessperson should have an understanding of the history that has brought us to where we are today.
Two eras you need to understand intimately are the Great Depression and the Great Recession.
Thankfully, author Barry Eichengreen has written a seminal history of both periods with Hall of Mirrors.
An economist at the University of California Berkeley who worked at the International Monetary Fund, Eichengreen has a lot to teach you about financial history in its darkest times.
- Restart by Mihir Sharma
In 1991, India had to respond to a massive economic crisis with various widespread, significant economic reforms.
After the reforms had been put in place, poverty rates fell, literacy rose, and the economy improved in many other ways that helped the people of India. However, the time did have repercussions, which is the primary focus of Sharma’s book.
- Losing the Signal by Jacquire McNish and Sean Silcoff
A collaboration between two reporters, Losing the Signal covers the incredible fall of Blackberry in the business world.
Although they may seem out of date now, Blackberry was a powerhouse in the business cell phone market for many years.
If you are ready to relive the glory days of Blackberry and learn more about why it was such a hit in the in the first place, McNish and Silcoff’s book will have you hooked.
- Leadership BS by Jeffrey Pfeffer
Written by Stanford Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeiffer, by relying on hard data, and logic, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares less about the typical mantras the leadership industry often comes up with, and more about making a real difference as leaders during their careers.
- Black Horse Ride by Ivan Fallon
The Former CEO of Independent News & Media UK, Ivan Fallon has created an amazing tale of the real story of the Lloyds Banking Group and their involvement in the 2008 financial crisis.
If you want to read a well-researched book about an important financial event of our time, and some of the biggest players involved, you cannot afford to skip Black Horse Ride.
- Digital Gold by Nathaniel Popper
New York Times reporter, Nathanial Popper, claims to have found the real face behind Bitcoin the infamous crypto-currency.
In Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money, Popper examines the history of Bitcoin, ultimately claiming that the controversial currency is anything but a mere fad.
- Superforecasting by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner
Author and Wharton Professor, Dan Gardener, brings to light the few people who somehow predict the future accurately, in a consistent fashion.
If you are looking for an intriguing account of people who have an extraordinary ability to predict the future with a degree of accuracy 60% greater than average, Superforecasting is a must read.
- How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt
The death of physical music media purchases has been told time and time again, but somehow author Stephen Witt manages to breath life into the tale through a unique perspective.
Focusing on the rock star personalities who helped accelerate the death via piracy and profit, Witt spins an epic out of the well-told tale.
Covering people involved from around the globe, How Music Got Free has enough valuable information and insane stories to keep you entertained.
- Phishing for Phools by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller
The authors provide insights on how free markets harm us.
This book looks at how sellers use manipulation and deception, to exploit our weaknesses.
- Rise of the Robots by Martin Ford
Ready to read an awesome non-fiction story that is just as engaging as any sci-fi epic you will read this year?
If so, you absolutely must read Martin Ford’s Rise of the Robots.
Discussing the various financial, economic and social impacts robots will be sure to have over the coming years, Ford’s book is both exciting and terrifying.
If you are looking for an intelligent look at the future of robotics, AI, and more, you will like this one.
- Unfinished Business by Anne-Marie Slaughter
Annie-Marie Slaughter became the first female director of US policy planning under the command of Hilary Clinton.
In the years that followed she had difficulty balancing work and family life in a way that made her feel truly satisfied.
Her account of that time, and the questions that arose about making men and women equals in the work place that came to her afterward, are analyzed in her new book Unfinished Business.
- Misbehaving by Richard Thaler
An economist at the University of Chicago’s Booth School, Thaler is often called “the Father of behavioral economics.”
In his new book, Misbehaving, Thaler examines how the unexpected actions in economics, driven by human nature, affect the economic landscape as a whole.
Finding that people’s decisions rarely have much to do with logic, and much more to do with impulses, Misbehaving is extremely revealing.
- Climate Shock by Gernot Wagner and Martin Weitzman
A collaboration between Harvard Professor Martin Weitzman and Environmental Defense Fund lead economist Gernot Wagner, Climate Shock explains the economic consequences of the current climate crisis.
Ultimately, the book proposes that a “geoengineering tax” may eventually be necessary on top of a carbon tax.
No matter where you may stand on climate change, this book is a good read.
- The Powerhouse by Steve LeVine
Guiding readers through the secret war happening between various eco-friendly battery developers, LeVine helps you understand one of the important industrial wars happening in our world today.
If you want to understand why these batteries are so important, and what they help to make a reality in the future, The Powerhouse is a great read.
Some fantastic recommendations in this list but I was surprised not to see Leo Hamblin’s ‘Attitude Reflects Leadership’ included.
That book is not getting anywhere near the amount of attention it deserves. I don’t think I have ever read a more insightful and fascinating take on leadership than what Hamblin presents in this book. I fully expect to see it topping every list such as this for years to come. You simply have to check this book out of you haven’t already.
https://www.leohamblin.com