By: Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
Pages: 336
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: 12 th Jan'26
Brief review: This book is a result of six years of extensive research into what makes enduring great companies. Published in year 1994, the book discusses the underlying habits and characteristics of visionary companies who made it big over time. Some of the companies in the research included Merck, Ford, Philip Morris, Wai-Mart, HP, Boeing, Citicorp, General Electric and others. Collins call these companies as visionary and compared them with equally good but which couldn't quality as built to last', like Pfizer, Texas Instruments, General Motors, Colgate and others. The authors did a great job by compressing huge amount of research and data into a relatively small book but meaningful information. If you have interest in business and corporate success, this book is for you.
By: Morgan Housel
Pages: 238
Business, Investments
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: 4th Feb'2021
Brief review: It is one of the finest books I have read on managing money which has a lot to do with one's behavior. Morgan Housel shares his own journey of wealth creation as well as his experiences and learnings along the way. It is truly timeless. Morgan suggests that we need to follow a simple strategy rather than being hyperactive while handling our money. He says, even being average can make us wealthy and supports his view with real examples. It is not just a business book. Apart from money, it gives a solid perspective on living a happy life and its relationship with money. It is a simple and easy read. Everyone must read this one.
By: Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
Pages: 271
Business
My recommendation: 10 / 10
Date read: 20th Jan'2021
Brief review: Simply brilliant. Written by successful entrepreneurs, it is filled with practical ideas that will encourage you to make meaningful changes you should make in your own life and at work. Some of the advice given in the book will seem radical, yet you will wonder why you never thought that way. Do less. Say no more often. Meetings are toxic. Long to-do lists don't get done. Make tiny decisions. Underdo your competition. Speed changes everything, and many other small bites make it a very interesting read. Though it is classified as a business book, it should be read by everyone.
By: Ricardo Semlar
Pages: 275
Business
My recommendation: 9 / 10
Date read: 8th April'2020
Brief review: Ricardo Semler is a Brazilian businessman who transformed his company, Semco Partners, by growing over 40 times over a few decades while enjoying a lot of free time himself and creating a working architecture that gives a lot of freedom and flexibility to employees. His ideas are radical; like, allowing employees to fix their own salaries, anybody can sit anywhere, new hiring is interviewed by a group of existing employees who may not hold senior management positions, etc. The first impression of a reader would be - oh! this won't work at my company. Yet, it offers meaningful insight into human behavior and how we can enjoy our personal life while achieving great results for the company as a whole. A very interesting read.
By: William N Thorndike
Pages: 272
Business
My recommendation: 8 / 10
Date read: 10th Apr'2019
Brief review: The book is about 8 unconventional CEOs who transformed their companies and created extraordinary wealth for shareholders. Mostly unheard (except Warren Buffet), these CEOs were great at capital allocation, shunned media attention and extremely conservative while acquiring other companies. They lead companies like General Cinema, Ralston Purina, The Washington Post Company, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics, Capital Cities Broadcasting, TCI, and Teledyne. While the book is filled with ratios and numbers which made it a little boring at times, I got some great ideas reading it. A well researched book. If you are a business owner or wanting to start your own company in the near future, you should read this one.
