Leadership

The Best Business Books to Start With

By Michael Fitzgerald

Updated on: January 30, 2009 / 10:07 AM EST / MoneyWatch

Nobody ever gave me a list of books to read when I started working. But 800CEORead has a First Five Books list (really, six books).

The list wasassembled with the idea that good stories, based on real world experience, and context are the most important things for someone just starting out.

Their picks:

Financial Intelligence, Karen Berman and Joe Knight, with John Case
What the CEO Wants You to Know, Ram Charan
StrengthFinder 2.0, Tom Rath
Influence, Robert B. Chialdini
Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath
Six Thinking Hats, Edward De Bono

I found this list interesting, in part because none of these books were ever recommended to me when I became a manager (I got books on organization, people skills, organization, basic management, organization...). Then again, managing journalists is probably a bit different from other white-collar environments.

What do you think, BNET? Do these six make the grade? Or are there better ones for beginning business people?