Top 25 Must Read Business Books

Some of the greatest industry leaders are also known as some of the greatest learners. Industry leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are known to be extensive readers. Why? Because with so much information being published daily, there are endless opportunities to learn from experts with a wide variety of experiences.

You can never go wrong with learning more about your field and yourself. Books are a great way to increase your knowledge in ways that your formal education may not be fulfilling. These are our picks for the top 25 must read business books for college students or recent graduates: 

  1. Radical Candor by Kim Scott
  2. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
  3. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of Learning Organization by Peter M. Senge
  4. Grit by Angela Duckworth
  5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  6. Drive by Daniel H. Pink
  7. The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard, Spencer Johnson and Constance Johnson
  8. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
  9. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  10. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
  11. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
  12. Good to Great by Jim Collins
  13. The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
  14. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin
  15. The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
  16. When Genius Failed by Roger Lowenstein
  17. Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
  18. In Search of Excellence by Thomas Peter and Robert H. Waterman
  19. Built to Last by Jim Collins
  20. Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard
  21. Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute
  22. Reengineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James A. Champy
  23. First, Break All the Rules: What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently by Jim Halter
  24. The Goal: The Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
  25. The Human Side of Enterprise by Douglas McGregor

You cannot go wrong with any of these excellent reads. Which book are you going to read?

 

Have you already read most of these books? Find more great business books at the Business Insider’s top 25 list and TIME Magazine’s top 25.

 

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Know the Laws: What Employers Can’t Ask in an Interview

Interviews are scary enough without worrying about whether or not the questions the interviewer is asking are legal. This can especially be a concern if you are worried about discrimination based on your age, gender or ethnicity. This is a brief overview of some of the questions employers cannot ask in an interview and where to take your concerns if you think the potential employer asked you a discriminating question.

 

Illegal Questions

Potential employers cannot ask you questions based on the following categories: age, race, gender, country of origin, religion, disability and marital status. These are considered subjects that an employer could use to discriminate against a candidate that does not contribute to job performance. These are a few example questions they cannot ask for each category. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, but is meant to give you a quick idea of what questions to be wary of.

  • Age – What year were you born? What year did you graduate from high school? When did you first start working? How long do you plan to work before you retire?
  • Race, Ethnicity or Color – Where are you from? What race are you? Where is your family from?
  • Gender or Sex – What does your wife/husband do for a living? Are you comfortable working for a female boss?
  • Country of national origin or birthplace – Where were you born? Can you provide a birth certificate? Are you a US citizen?
  • Religion – Who is your pastor? What denomination are you? Are you religious?
  • Disability – Do you have a disability? Do you have a mental illness? Have you ever suffered a workplace injury? Have you experienced any serious illness in the past year?
  • Marital or family status or pregnancy – Are you married? Are you single? Do you plan to get pregnant in the next few years? Do you have any children? Are you pregnant?

There can be exceptions to these rules based on the organization or job required. For example, movie producers can discriminate based on gender, age, and looks when hiring an actor; or a religious organization can discriminate based on religion. However, for most organizations these are topics they cannot ask you about. You can see more examples of illegal interview questions at https://www.betterteam.com/illegal-interview-questions

 

What To Do If You Were Being Discriminated Against in an Interview

First off, if you feel you are being asked illegal questions in an interview, you can either politely decline to answer, indirectly answer the question without providing personal information you are uncomfortable sharing, or just end the interview. You should never feel pressured to work for a company that makes you uncomfortable, or continue in an interview that makes you uncomfortable.

If you feel you have been discriminated against and want to take action, you will need to file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In order to do that, you will need to contact an attorney in your state that specializes in labor issues, or contact your local EEOC office directly.

Learn more at https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-answer-inappropriate-interview-questions-2061334

 

This is not legal advice, but advice on how to get started. If you are concerned about your situation or unsure if what happened in your interview constitutes discrimination, please contact an attorney for a consultation.

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