[Atlasphere]Rand?s Novels Indespensible for Managers?

[O-Land News Junkie]

From the article “Executive Picks,” just published at US News & World Report:

[H]undreds of business books are published each year: How to find the one you need?

U.S. News

spoke with 14 leaders from all walks of business life?from academics to entrepreneurs to corporate executives?about the five books they consider indispensable reading for managers. The responses ranged far and wide: Military metaphors popped up occasionally, with Sun Tzu’s

The Art of War

rearing its age-old head. But books about biology were also surprisingly prevalent, not only for their insight into how business environments imitate the natural world but also, several executives said, because understanding biology helped them appreciate the concept of randomness.

The vast majority of the books selected are more than five years old?and not all were bestsellers. “There’s a tendency to think there’s a lot of great new stuff out there. That may not be true,” says Jack Brennan, CEO of the Vanguard Group, who reads a few dozen business books a year, then hands his favorites out to his executives.

Some basic how-to guides were also mentioned, from books about making sales calls to advice on writing. Ayn Rand, with her revolutionary ideas about entrepreneurship, also made her presence felt. And then there was Jim Collins, whose books

Built to Last

and

Good to Great

offer highly respected explanations of what separates good companies from great companies. Collins, Thomas Friedman, and Peter Drucker were the authors mentioned most often. Read on for more of what business leaders have found between the covers of books.

Nice to see Rand figured in the list for at least some managers. I’m sure her novels have inspired many people to view the world through more entrepreneurial eyes.

http://www.theatlasphere.com/metablog/639.php