Every MBA has an opportunity to make an impact on the business world in their own way, but first, it sure doesn’t hurt to find out about the greatness of others. Reading about the lives and work of business icons from both the past and present can lend a great deal of insight for your own career. Check out these biographies to discover the entertaining and educational stories of 15 great men and women in business.
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The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
What does it take to become one of the richest men in the world? Get some insight from The Snowball, the story of successful investor Warren Buffet. You’ll find insights into not just his strategies for business and investing, but his personal life as well. Certainly a good choice for any budding MBA in search of wisdom from one of the greatest men in business. -
My Years with General Motors
Written by former GM CEO Alfred Sloan in 1963, My Years With General Motors has been regarded as a management classic for many years. So much so, that Business Week named it their top pick for their “bookshelf of indispensable reading.” Full of ideas for creative business management, Sloan’s biography is no less than a manual for managers. Read his story, and you’ll be able to better understand the basic concepts of the discipline of management, and how Sloan put these concepts to work to turn GM into the biggest company in the world after WWII. -
Steve Jobs
It’s no wonder that Steve Jobs was Amazon’s best selling book of 2011: it’s an amazingly insightful look into one of the most talked about men in business. The late Jobs is legendary for his creativity, innovation, and being notoriously difficult to work with. Apple fans, business students, and those curious about Jobs’ life will be satisfied with this biography that delves deeply into his life. -
Call Me Ted
Follow media tycoon Ted Turner’s story in this book, from dropping out of college to turning his father’s billboard company into an international media empire, and going on to become a champion in his personal interests of sailing and baseball as well. Written primarily by Turner himself, Call Me Ted also includes passages from those close to him, including family, colleagues, and competitors, all revealing how Turner has pushed through setbacks and learned how to achieve greatness in business and in life. -
The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
The hard work and frustrations of business school may have you questioning what the point of all this is, and Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography might just answer that question. As a man who amassed a great fortune, Carnegie famously put his money to work as a philanthropist. This book explains how he created organizations that allowed him to give away more than $350 million in his own lifetime. -
Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Business students in particular can appreciate this biography of Richard Branson, which glorifies the Virgin founder’s life as a hardworking entrepreneur who makes the most out of life. Check out this book to find the stories of Branson’s adventures in life, along with some of his most legendary business moves that have made him the man he is today. -
Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life
You might not expect to find valuable business lessons in a basketball biography, but Coach K’s story is a great one for any leader. Read Leading with the Heart to get an inside look at leadership strategies that you can take from the basketball court to the boardroom. -
Sam Walton: Made in America
Wal-Mart has earned quite a bit of criticism as a business, but there’s no denying that the story of its founder, Sam Walton, is both fascinating and educational. Walton’s biography takes readers from a time when he had just a small-town dime store to his life at the helm of the largest retailer in the world, revolutionizing retail distribution. Learn not just from Walton’s successes, but his mistakes and hard work, chronicled both by the man himself as well as testimonials from associates and family members. -
Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets it Right
So many of the biographies we’ve shared focus overwhelmingly on successful people in business, but Raising Eyebrows tells Dal LaMagna’s stories of crushing failure before his eventual success. Although he has gone on to become a great entrepreneur, LaMagna had $150,000 of debt before he finally founded Tweezerman. This book shares his insight and advice that MBAs can use to avoid making the same mistakes he did. -
The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century
Henry Ford is most famous for creating the world’s first consumer car, but there’s an interesting story behind that facade. In The People’s Tycoon, you can learn how he managed the Ford Motor Company while conflicted by consumerism and the desire to give his workers a living wage. -
Snapshots from Hell: The Making of an MBA
Peter Robinson isn’t a big business tycoon (yet), but his story is no less valuable for new MBA students. In Snapshots from Hell, Robinson shares notes from his journal written in his first year at Stanford Business School, sharing his pitfalls, triumphs, and overall awesome moments. This book offers an entertaining and eye opening read for anyone currently in or considering pursuing business school. -
The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office
David Novak is the current CEO of YUM! Brands, Inc., but before entering the corporate world, be lived in trailer parks and sold encyclopedias door to door. Novak never went to business school, but he managed to amass enough street smart wisdom to propel himself to the top of the food chain. Read his biography to learn about his interesting ideas for building reward and recognition while building winning teams and managing an amazingly large global company. -
Ben Franklin: America’s Original Entrepreneur
Ben Franklin’s autobiography has been called “America’s first great self-help book,” explaining how Franklin became a great entrepreneur, leader, and innovator. This is an incredible gem for anyone, especially MBAs, who are interested in not just doing well for themselves, but want to bring out the best in others. -
The History of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs: The Biography of Success
It’s great to sit down and read the biography of just one man or woman who has incredible business and management lessons to share, but this book shares insights gathered from the world’s greatest self-made men and women from the last 1,000 years. Find a mentor that you can be inspired by in this collection of greatness. -
In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Another great collection of business icons, In Their Time focuses on the stories of legendary business leaders like Bill Gates and Sam Walton. Read this book to understand the personality traits, strategies, and intelligence that are behind the making of great leaders today.
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