12 Books Every Business Student Should Read
If you could build the ultimate reading list for future business leaders, what would be on it?
We recently posed that question to Bentley faculty, who shared the books that have shaped their own thinking — and why they consider them essential reading for any business student.
Their recommendations span disciplines and genres but have one important thing in common: each book invites readers to think differently — sparking curiosity, challenging assumptions and expanding the lens through which we see the world.
What the publisher says: “A New York Times bestseller and enduring classic, ‘All About Love’ is the acclaimed first volume in feminist icon bell hooks’ ‘Love Song to the Nation’ trilogy. It reveals what causes a polarized society and how to heal the divisions that cause suffering. Here is the truth about love, and inspiration to help us instill caring, compassion and strength in our homes, schools and workplaces.”
What Maricruz Osorio, assistant professor of Global Studies, says: “This book allows for self-reflection on one of the most — if not the most — powerful experiences of humanity. Love isn’t just romantic, and bell hooks expertly dissects this important emotion in our personal lives and in society. It highlights how different our lives and society would be if our focus was more loving.”
What the publisher says: “Since its first publication, ‘The Artist’s Way’ has inspired millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron’s novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.”
What Janelle Estes, lecturer in Experience Design and director of the Master’s in Human Factors in Information Design program, says: “This book goes far beyond ‘being creative.’ It builds the discipline and mindset required for innovative leadership. Through structured reflection and simple daily practices, it helps you clear mental noise, challenge assumptions and access fresh ways of thinking. The result: more curiosity, sharper problem-solving and the ability to generate breakthrough ideas!”
What the publisher says: “It’s easy to be pessimistic about inequality. We know it has increased dramatically in many parts of the world over the past two generations. No one has done more to reveal the problem than Thomas Piketty. Now, in this surprising and powerful work, Piketty reminds us that the grand sweep of history gives us reasons to be optimistic. Over the centuries, he shows, we have been moving toward greater equality.”
What Naveen Sunder, assistant professor of Economics, says: “This book helps business students see the economy not just as a set of markets but as a living system shaped by people, politics and history. When Piketty traces how wealth becomes concentrated and how societies push back to create more opportunity, he’s offering a roadmap for understanding the world you will graduate into — a world where inequality, mobility and opportunity are central business issues, not just political talking points.
For example, companies today face pressure to build fairer workplaces, pay living wages, support diversity and think hard about their social footprint. These expectations do not appear out of nowhere. They emerge from long-term debates about fairness and economic power. Understanding this history helps you anticipate what consumers, workers and governments will demand next — and avoid being surprised by social or political backlash that can reshape entire industries.”
What the publisher says: “Mollick urges us to engage with AI as co-worker, co-teacher and coach. He assesses its profound impact on business and education, using dozens of real-time examples of AI in action. ‘Co-Intelligence’ shows what it means to think and work together with smart machines, and why it’s imperative that we master that skill.”
What Dave Szymanski, professor of geology and associate provost for Academic Innovation, says: “AI is advancing faster than we can write books, but Mollick provides a framework for how we should be thinking about working with AI. Every Bentley grad will need to understand this when they enter the job market. The ethical use of AI is going to shape ALL opportunities in the future and every corner of the market in the innovation age.”
What the publisher says: “Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger.”
What Andy Aylesworth, professor of Marketing, says: “Everyone is creative, but not everyone is in a space where their creativity can thrive. Business leaders who want to make space for their team’s creativity can learn from Mr. Rubin, who has spent a career in music helping people know themselves and exercise their creative muscles.”
What the publisher says: “Written in a fast-paced thriller style, ‘The Goal’ is a gripping novel [about] Alex Rogo, a harried plant manager working ever more desperately to improve performance. The story of Alex’s fight to save his plant is more than compulsive reading. It contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas that underline the Theory of Constraints [a management philosophy that identifies and addresses factors that limit an organization’s ability to achieve its goals] developed by Eli Goldratt.”
What Eric Gaynor, lecturer in Accounting, says: “‘The Goal’ reads like a novel — a storytelling approach makes big, complex ideas practical and easy to grasp. Goldratt’s focus on systems thinking and the Theory of Constraints lines up perfectly with our goal of helping students see the bigger picture. The emphasis on continuous improvement and teamwork also reflects Bentley’s values of lifelong learning, adaptability and community. ‘The Goal’ gives us a real-world framework for the qualities we seek in our graduates: analytical thinkers, effective communicators and principled leaders who can drive sustainable progress.”
What the publisher says: “Published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads — driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America.”
What Hans Eijmberts, Distinguished Lecturer in Global Studies and director of the Valente Center for Arts and Sciences, says: “In these times of incredible accumulation of wealth by a few companies and a few men, people should (re)read ‘The Grapes of Wrath.’ It’s a tremendously engaging and epic story about the harsh aspects that come with unchecked and unbridled capitalism: too few win, too many are left behind — the antithesis of the American Dream.”
What the publisher says: “Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.”
What Liz Brown, Wilder Professor of Law, says: “This book is essential reading because it will help you figure out your purpose and what will make you feel fulfilled. The sooner you read it, the better, really. The book became famous because the author survived the most unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust yet used that experience to develop what has become a timeless theory about what makes life worth living — even in the face of suffering. Even if your struggle is as minor as ‘What do I major in?’ or ‘How do I spend my free time?,’ this book should become one of your essential resources.”
What the publisher says: “Mandelbrot, with co-author Richard Hudson, shows how the dominant way of thinking about the behavior of markets — a set of mathematical assumptions a century old and still learned by every MBA and financier in the world — simply does not work. He uses fractal geometry to propose a new, more accurate way of describing market behavior. From the gyrations of the Dow to the dollar-euro exchange rate, Mandlebrot shows how to understand the volatility of markets in far more accurate terms than the failed theories that have repeatedly brought the financial system to the brink of disaster.”
What Mary Marcel, associate professor of Experience Design, says: “Mandelbrot invented fractal mathematics. This is a great book to get students to understand probability in its complexity, particularly with respect to financial markets. It’s totally readable but also includes the equations for those who are so inclined.”
What the publisher says: “Money — investing, personal finance and business decisions — is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing and odd incentives are scrambled together. Doing well with money isn’t necessarily about what you know. It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people.”
What David Stamps, assistant professor of Experience Design, says: “This book brings to light so much about the human experience. It features 19 short stories (I love short stories) that discuss how our emotions and upbringing shape our daily habits. The book explores human behavior, and while it touches on financial decisions and money management, the text is more concerned with how and why we make decisions. What you major in at Bentley, your career aspirations and even who you partner with are all choices based on real, emotional messiness. I can’t recommend a better text at this stage of life.”
What the publisher says: “A book of inspiration and integrity, ‘Soul of a Citizen’ is an antidote to the twin scourges of modern life: powerlessness and cynicism. In his evocative style, Paul Loeb tells moving stories of ordinary Americans who have found unexpected fulfillment in social involvement. Through their example and Loeb’s own wise and powerful lessons, we are compelled to move from passivity to participation. The reward of our action, we learn, is nothing less than a sense of connection and purpose not found in a purely personal life.”
What Jonathan White, professor of Sociology and director of the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE) and Bentley Social Innovation Incubator, says: “Avoiding cynicism and civic paralysis while surrounded by the complex social and environmental issues facing this generation is both essential for personal health and well-being and our responsibility in a citizen democracy. This book reminds us how easy and rewarding it is to involve ourselves in community, be part of the social change we believe to be necessary and learn how to sustain our civic energies over time without burning out — and it shares stories of the deep impact that can follow if we do.
A seminal read for business students, it hopefully will inspire a new generation of social impact ideas that can revolutionize the way that business does business in creating holistic triple bottom line models that value people, planet and profit equally.”
What the publisher says: “Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people’s minds — and our own. As Wharton’s top-rated professor and the bestselling author of ‘Originals’ and ‘Give and Take,’ he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he’s right but listen like he’s wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations and build schools, workplaces and communities of lifelong learners.”
What Chris Beneke, professor of History and associate dean of First-Year Experience and the Bentley Core, says: “This book explains why rethinking is essential in life and in business and how readers can cultivate the habit. The central point is that good leaders don’t cling to their assumptions. They ask better questions and revise their views and approaches when the evidence warrants it. They think like scientists. That’s the mindset we hope our students develop: intellectual humility, a commitment to lifelong learning and the adaptability needed to respond thoughtfully to new challenges.”