When I anchored the Bangalore Business Literary Festival last year, one of our chief guests, my old professor from IIM Bangalore mentioned how she used to consciously measure her change in beliefs and outlook to life by looking at her reading shelf over the last few months. It seemed an interesting concept to measure your personal evolution by looking at the books you've read over a period of time. As I am now made aware, it is a common international practice for business leaders to consciously track their reading lists to ascertain their own evolution. As a result, I bring to you my business reading list over the last few months! I think the following is an excellent reading list for millennials: 1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham © Twitter The bible of financial investing, 'The Intelligent Investor' introduced practical investing to millions of readers. It speaks of value or emotionless investing based on hard work, patience and discipline over a period of time. In my personal opinion, this book is akin to the Bhagwad Gita. Every time you read it, you learn an incredible amount. The first time I read the book was in 2010 and thought the contents of the book were obvious and commonsensical. I read the book again in 2018 after having made every mistake the book warned me against! 2. Good Boss, Bad Boss by Robert Sutton © Amazon Everyone relates to a book about a bad boss; irrespective of industry, country, gender or race. 'Good Boss, Bad Boss' is based on several emails and calls the author received from innocent civilians ranting about their incorrigible bosses. Written in an inimitable sarcastic style, the book is bound to connect and bring a smile to anyone who has worked in a corporate. A piece of caution though, you shouldn't end up gifting a copy of the book to your sub-ordinate! 3. The Billionaire's Apprentice by Anita Raghavan © Twitter I am convinced that 'The Billionaire's Apprentice' is bound to be converted into a movie someday. Revolving around the insider trading case of Sri-Lankan billionaire Raj Rajaratnam and ex-McKinsey head Rajat Gupta, the book is a thrilling amalgamation of greed, emotion, fame and a crime thriller akin chase of the crooked by the FBI. The book chronicles the sensational rise and fall of Rajat Gupta alongside portraying a balanced picture of the events that shook up his awe-inspiring kingdom. A worthy read into the world of the high flying, not so scrupulous, money-minting machines! 4. Why I left Goldman Sachs by Greg Smith © Amazon The book that will actually end up becoming a movie is 'Why I left Goldman Sachs'. It chronicles the journey of a 21-year-old from an idealistic intern at Goldman Sachs to a leadership position after battling the lure of the greenback, surviving in a winner takes all mentality, overcoming a terrifying recession, managing conflicts of interest after duping iconic American companies and rigging the financial system in which there is only one possible winner! The inherent lifestyle of the industry is well captured in the Leonardo DiCaprio starrer 'The Wolf of Wall Street'! 5. Satan's Angels by Sandeep Das © Amazon Although it might be surprising, I did end up reading my own book again over the last year. 'Satan's Angels' is a business fiction chronicling the perils of private equity-owned business conglomerates in a post liberalised India. It depicts a sensational journey of greed, filth, glamour, success, rage and jealousy across a gamut of continents, industries and dozens of characters! By design, the book is intended to be a plate of biryani among hungry college students - meant to be finished at a go! 6. The Next 100 Years by George Friedman © Amazon 'The Next 100 Years' is a fascinating book on the likely turnouts of countries and political alliances in the next century. The author, a foreign policy expert, makes daring predictions about the future from the continued domination of the United States, the rise of Mexico, the breakup of China to the potential of a Third World War fought in space. Although the book focuses on the political ramifications in the future, the implications to business are worth a read! Sample this, the author forecasts that the American economy and by extension, its stock markets will lead the world for many many decades to come. So you might want to hold on to your shares of the NASDAQ! 7. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman © Twitter One of the best books written on the workings and inherent biases of the human mind, 'Thinking Fast and Slow' takes its readers through distinct systems (System 1 and 2) that govern our decision-making process. The author, an eminent economist, takes the readers through potential psychological biases and how they can be minimised to derive personal and professional happiness. The best anecdote I remember from the book is that a group of monkeys made more money while picking stocks than Ivy League-educated finance professionals! 8. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari © Twitter Sapiens provides an incredible history of the world and an unbelievable journey from unsuspecting apes to the modern-day scientific marvels. Although it is not a business book, it provides incredible insights on driving a business through the power of a shared purpose, storytelling led abstract notions and what it takes to survive and thrive in any generation! In summary, I hope I will re-write this column again in a year's time. Right now, the pending business books in my reading shelf include Steve Jobs' biography, Misbehaving (The making of Behavioural Economics), The Billion Dollar Whale (The man who fooled Wall Street and Hollywood), Homo Deus (The history of tomorrow) and The Millennial's Guide to Business (my next book)! Author Bio: The author, Sandeep Das, is an MBA from IIM Bangalore and an alumnus of INSEAD. He is a Director at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). In his free time, he is an avid writer and has authored 'Yours Sarcastically' and 'Satan's Angels'. He can be contacted at [email protected].
