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<\/a><\/p>\nBy Charity Singleton Craig<\/a>; part of a series at TheHighCalling.org<\/span> called \u201cBest Books for Business.\u201d<\/a> Stay tuned for more!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit: I don\u2019t read a lot of \u201cbusiness\u201d books. Maybe it\u2019s because business books, like some hard-hitting business people I know, seem a little too direct, a little too goal-driven, a little too bottom line for me. Not that I mind if other people<\/em> know where their cheese is<\/a> and are moving toward the tipping point<\/a> to become even more highly effective people<\/a>. But I\u2019m a creative, and I\u2019d rather read about matters of the heart\u2014although I\u2019m sure I could use a little help in the whole winning-friends-and-influencing-people<\/a> department.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why when I recently picked up Susan Cain\u2019s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can\u2019t Stop Talking<\/em><\/a>, I was surprised to find it reading a lot like a \u201cbusiness\u201d book, and I liked it. What I thought was going to be a liberal-arts-socio-historic review of personality types actually ended up being a very practical guide to finding my way in the world of work as an introvert. And not a minute too soon since I was in the process of transitioning from full-time employee to full-time self-employed freelancer. Suddenly, I needed<\/em> the advice of business books.<\/p>\n But if a non-business-book reader like me can find value in a business book, couldn\u2019t a business person find value in a non-business book?<\/p>\n Doug Wilson<\/a> says yes.<\/p>\n Having served as a senior executive of several international companies for more than two decades, Wilson often is sought out by younger managers or other executives for counsel and direction. A few years ago, Wilson read George Orwell\u2019s Shooting an Elephant<\/em> and saw an immediate connection to the questions of priorities and ethics that he often is asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe story was about a person trying to determine if his actions were motivated by what everyone else wanted him to do or by to his own internal compass,\u201d Wilson explained. \u201cOrwell demonstrated the essence of this dilemma in a powerful and observable way. I realized it was exactly the situation I was asked about all the time. So, instead of just offering my own advice, I started recommending this short story to those who came to me as a way to start a discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n Later, he added Dorothy Sayers\u2019 essay, \u201cWhy Work?\u201d and Emily Dickinson\u2019s poem, \u201cTell It Slant,\u201d and other shorts works of nonfiction and fiction to his recommended reading list. When asked why he thinks reading literature is worthwhile for the business community, Wilson gave two answers. First, he said he grew up in a home of teachers and readers, and reading was just \u201can expected part of how you grew as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n But Wilson also said that literature helps professionals overcome what he has labeled the \u201calready always listening\u201d phenomenon. \u201cWhen business people\u2014or scientists or engineers or lawyers, for that matter\u2014come to a problem, they already have an idea of what the solution will be when others start making suggestions. It\u2019s very difficult for any new thoughts to penetrate their preconceived perceptions,\u201d he said. \u201cLiterature has the unique ability to enable a conversation about something that really matters without raising all the normal filters.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though Wilson is a fan of using literature to help with business discussions, that\u2019s not to say he also doesn\u2019t read his fair share of business books. In fact, he offered his own list of business books that have had a lasting impact on his thinking:<\/p>\n What do business books have to offer? Most seem to offer many of the same things: success stories, case studies, cautionary tales, research, advice, industry insight, and practical tips, to name a few. But perhaps the better question is what readers are looking for when they pick up a business book? Perspective, insight, hope, maybe even inspiration? That\u2019s why books of all kinds can speak into the work situations we all encounter.<\/p>\n At The High Calling, we value all kinds of good writing that help illuminate the virtues and difficulties of our work. We asked several writers to tell us about the books they turn to for inspiration and motivation. From a book that helped a former ministry leader move toward self-employment<\/a> to the words of wisdom that brought hope to a frazzled work-at-home mom<\/a>\u00a0to a poetry collection that provides perspective to a business lawyer<\/a>, their selections might surprise you.<\/p>\n Several other well-known organizations also routinely publish their business book recommendations. Here are a few of those lists featuring several recent business book titles:<\/p>\n Interestingly, Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft, recently revealed his own favorite business book<\/a>, one given to him by billionaire Warren Buffett more than 20 years ago: Business Adventures<\/em><\/a> by John Brooks. \u201cBrooks\u2019 deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then,\u201d Gates writes about the book.<\/p>\n Do you have a favorite book that has helped you with your work? Whether it\u2019s a \u201cbusiness\u201d book or not, drop it in the comments. We\u2019d love to expand our reading list.<\/p>\nLiterature as a Business Book<\/h2>\n
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Why Read Books for Business?<\/h2>\n
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