The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan.
1. Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story
by Peter Guber. Shows how to move beyond soulless Power Point slides, facts, and figures to create purposeful stories that can serve as powerful calls to action.
2. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets things done and someone who offers penetrating analysis? Well, you can discover whether you are truly an “achiever” or an “analytical” by completing the online quiz. Then, the book will give you “ideas for action” and tips for how best you can work with others. More of a patiencetester than Strengthsfinder, the quiz/book is probably best for those who have lots of time on their hands.
3. Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life
by Stefan Swanepoel. This new fable offers a tale of life in Africa’s Serengeti and what lessons it holds for today’s beleaguered business people and struggling society.
4. Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary
by Frank I. Luntz. An examination of communication excellence and how top performers win in all areas of human endeavor by utilizing superb communication skills.
5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
by Dave Ramsey. Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host.
6. The Investment Answer
by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray. Wall Street veteran Murray and financial advisor Goldie give readers five basic questions to consider when investing.
7. Poke the Box
by Seth Godin. A manifesto about producing something that’s scarce, and thus valuable.
8. (tie) Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins. The author of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
examines the question “How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?”
8. (tie) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
by Patrick Lencioni. The author targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. When the instructional tale is over, Lencioni discusses the “five dysfunctions” (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results) and provides a questionnaire for readers to use in evaluating their own teams and specifics to help them understand and overcome these common shortcomings.
10. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
by Timothy Ferriss. Reconstructing your life so that it’s not all about work.
