MBA Student Summer Reading

Jennifer Hoops • Jun 3, 2011

Bloomberg Businessweek recently solicited contributions from professors for a summer reading list that would broaden the horizons of undergraduate business and MBA students. Because the reading lists professors shared were so long, not all of the titles could be included on the list. So Businessweek blogger Geoff Gloeckler decided to share some of the more intriguing titles that didn't make the first cut.

Reading For Business Acumen

Gloeckler groups the titles in his post under three categories. Here is an example from each:

  • Learning from others: Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust (Times Books, April 2011) by Diana B. Henriques. Stephen J. Kobrin, publisher of the Wharton Digital Press at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, recommended this book that "reinforces the need for effective regulation of securities markets."
  • Practical reading: Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job (Plume, August 1997) by Nick A. Corcodilos. Daniel Poston, assistant dean for Master's Programs at the University of Washington Foster School of Business calls this the best book he's seen about making "the career dream become a reality."
  • Unexpected teachers: Henry IV, Part I (Simon & Schuster, February 2008) by William Shakespeare. Warren Bennis, professor at Marshall includes this as "one of the best books on leadership ever written."

Check out Gloeckler's blog post for other titles for MBA summer reading.

Jennifer Hoops works as a project manager within the IT organization of a global manufacturing company. Her previous experience includes IT consulting and software sales. Prior to earning an MBA and becoming an IT professional, Jennifer earned a Bachelors degree in Economics and Music and spent several years as an independent music teacher.