Edited by Margie Kelley

You Got This! A Straightforward, No-Nonsense Playbook for Crushing 130+ Workplace Challenges
By Heidi Abelli (MBA 1993)
Palmetto Publishing
Stepping into the corporate world can feel like navigating a labyrinth, especially when you’re fresh out of college or in the first decade of your professional journey. How do you decode office politics, advocate for yourself, or deal with that one troublesome coworker? This guide is your blueprint to workplace success. You’ll learn to cultivate rapport with supervisors, resolve workplace conflict, boldly advocate for yourself, build your professional network, and navigate sensitive workplace issues. Discover how to position yourself for promotion and decipher the unspoken “soft skills” that are paramount to success in the professional realm. Grounded in research, enriched by expert insights, and packed with actionable strategies, this guide is tailor-made for the ambitious young professional who is eager not just to navigate but to conquer today’s workplace.

Guide to Foods of México: Discover the Delights of Mexican Food
By Erich Almasy (MBA 1975) and Cynthia J. Blanton (MBA 1975)
Heart of México
This book is designed for foodies, tourists, foreign residents, and anyone who wants to learn more about ancient and modern México, its cuisine, culture, and history. With it, you will: possess a comprehensive Mexican dictionary of food terms with English explanations and word etymology, from aguacate (avocado) to zanahoria (carrot); find over 3,300 food, street vendor, market, and restaurant entries in Mexican Spanish with detailed English descriptions; understand the impact of the “Columbian Exchange” of foods, technology, and culture between the Old and New World; learn about México’s many exotic foods, and cook with 500-year-old recipes. The authors have compiled descriptions of México’s eight gastronomic regions and 32 federal states, with details of local specialties.

A Bloody Good Cox: A Story of Courage and Redemption
By Christopher Bartlett (MBA 1971, DBA 1979)
Independently Published
Love, family secrets, vengeance. Everything is on the line in this gripping story of competitive rivalry and personal redemption. When Rupert Kramer ousts him as coxswain of University’s Championship crew, Finn Sullivan’s dreams of athletic glory disappear into the murky Brisbane River. Picking himself up to pursue his passionate competitive ambitions, Finn commits to becoming a great rowing coach. But his growing achievements are upended when a tragic incident reignites his rivalry with Rupert and unearths the long-buried family secret behind his toxic relationship with his father. With support from his spirited partner Sam, Finn continues pursuing his dream of being recognized as an elite athlete through unrelenting challenges on and off the water.

Smooth Scaling: 20 Rituals to Build a Friction-Free Organization
By Rob Bier (MBA 1998)
Wonderwell
Smooth Scaling addresses the most pervasive and least-understood fail point that threatens to kneecap even the best-laid scaling plan: organizational friction. Bier reveals why organizational frictions take hold as you grow and how they slow your company down. These growth pains are both predictable and preventable, yet they almost always take leaders by surprise. Drawing on his extensive experience building high-performance organizations, Bier has created 20 foundational rituals that make your organization as frictionless as possible, allowing you to scale faster and more sustainably.

Disagree without Disrespect: How to Respectfully Debate with Those who Think, Believe and Vote Differently from You
By Philip Blackett (MBA 2016)
Independently Published
Are you tired of engaging in debates that quickly escalate into personal attacks and animosity? Do you long for a world where diverse thoughts are respected and celebrated, even in the face of strong disagreements? Philip Blackett’s book is a guidebook for engaging in thoughtful and respectful debates, even during polarizing conversations. Through a five-step framework, you will learn how to transform conflict into connection, foster a culture of open-mindedness, and promote civil discourse. Whether you’re engaging in conversations with loved ones, participating in workplace discussions, or navigating online debates, this book will empower you to be a catalyst for positive change. Imagine a future where healthy debates are the norm, and diverse thoughts are celebrated rather than vilified.

What Have They Done
By Benjamin Campbell (MBA 1992)
Teutoburg Forest Press
Set in 2023, What Have They Done is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Nothing They Won’t Do. It’s five years later, and Putin and Iran are driving the world toward war over the West’s assistance to Ukraine and the fighting in Israel and Gaza. Mason Wright fears MI6 may try to drag him and Kelly back in as global strife continues to spread, but he’s more focused on keeping his marriage and his life from falling apart. On the surface they appear to be the perfect couple, living in a fashionable neighborhood and partying with the rich and beautiful in chateaux across France. But darker truths lurk behind the façade, and Mason and Kelly find themselves caught in the crosshairs of competing government agencies on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Suddenly, it’s no longer a question of trying to save a marriage but one of trying to save their lives.

Fighting to Belong: History of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
By Amy Chu (MBA 1999), Alexander Chang and Louie Chin
Third State Books
For many Americans of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) descent, there continues to be a startling lack of opportunity to learn about our own history in this country. Over 70 percent of Americans have little knowledge about AANHPI history, or confuse it with Asian history. Fighting to Belong: History of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, written by best-selling writer Amy Chu (Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Ant-Man, Iron Man) and Alexander Chang and illustrated by Louie Chin (Bodega Cat), shares this important and dynamic part of the American experience in an accessible and engaging graphic novel format. In this first volume of a three-book series, our middle school protagonists Padmini, Sammy, Joe, and Tiana and their guide, Kenji, embark on an amazing journey through time to witness key events in AANHPI history. Fighting to Belong help audiences, young and old, AANHPI and non-AANHPI, understand how these stories are truly interwoven within the fabric of America.

Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption
By Steve Dennis (MBA 1984)
Wonderwell
Renowned thought leader on business strategy and innovation Steve Dennis argues that most business transformations are doomed to fail because of two fundamental reasons: Their leaders don’t aim high enough, delivering mostly incremental changes rather than something truly remarkable, and they move far too slowly to keep up with the pace of disruption. In Leaders Leap, he makes the case for why a complete metamorphosis of leadership mindset is essential to prevent organizations from becoming irrelevant. It explores seven profound “mind leaps” leaders need to make now to transform at the speed of disruption. With illuminating case studies and hard-earned personal wisdom, Dennis helps you create important strategic and mental shifts to find humility, sharpen your customer focus, amplify your brand’s wow factor, and truly innovate.

Supercommunicators
By Charles Duhigg (MBA 2003)
Random House
Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. Communication is a superpower and the best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect. Supercommunicators know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. Our experiences, our values, our emotional lives—and how we see ourselves, and others—shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. In this book, you will learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly.

Bankhaus
By Neil Giarratana (MBA 1965)
Thousand Acres
Anulka Lorenzini is head of the Wealth Management Division at Bankhaus Finsler, a private bank in Zurich. Her clients represent a world of hidden, ill-gotten money. Her secret contempt for that dark underbelly of the banking business trumps her attempts to remain what she is to the outside world, a well-respected banker. She falls hard for Giovanni Poggio, who convinces her to facilitate embezzlement. Months later, seeing the inherent brittleness of her decision, she stops everything. While the millions have already been withdrawn, her Italian partners want their remaining share, murdering her new lover to increase the pressure. To end her nightmare, Anulka initiates a second round of embezzlement. Its success depends upon her involving Felix Hofmaier, a Frankfurt management consultant facing possible criminal charges—and financial ruin—for defrauding the bank of one of his clients. Anulka proposes a payment plan to her Italian partners. They in turn increase their demands, threatening to kill her if she doesn’t perform. Incensed by their callousness and greed, she gives her dark side full rein, plunging herself into a deadly dance of betrayal, deceit, and retribution.

Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future
By Vijay Govindarajan (MBA 1976, DBA 1978) and Venkat Venkatraman
Harvard Business School Press
Tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, and Google can collect real-time data from billions of users. For companies that design and manufacture physical products, that type of fluid, data-rich information used to be a pipe dream. Now, with the rise of cheap and powerful sensors, supercomputing, and artificial intelligence, things are changing fast. In Fusion Strategy, world-renowned innovation guru Vijay Govindarajan and digital strategy expert Venkat Venkatraman offer a first-of-its-kind playbook that will help industrial companies combine what they do best (create physical products) with what digitals do best (use algorithms and AI to parse expansive, interconnected datasets) to make strategic connections that would otherwise be impossible. The laws of competitive advantage are changing, rewarding those who have the most robust, data-driven insights rather than the most valuable assets. To compete in the new digital age, companies need to use real-time data to turbocharge their products, strategies, and customer relationships. Those that don’t risk falling on the wrong side of the next great digital divide.

Boys in the Barracks
By Carl A. Castro and Anthony M. Hassan (AMP 199, 2021)
Barracks Books
In a candid description of Army, Castro and Hassan vividly capture what soldiers think, say, and do in their ground-breaking book Boys in the Barracks. Presented from the perspective of soldiers who are preparing for war during peace time, Boys in the Barracks shares the mundane, the exhilarating and the humorous aspects of life in the garrison. The authors shed light on the Army’s distinct culture and its impact on soldiers’ lives, both during and after their service. For US Army soldiers, both past and present, it will evoke laughter, memories and perhaps bring a tear to the eyes of some. Army life, as depicted within these pages, proves to be timeless.

Mind Your Manners: How to Be Your Best Self in Any Situation
By Sara Jane Ho (MBA 2012)
Hachette Go
Founder of a global etiquette school and star of her own Netflix series Sara Jane Ho teaches readers how to thrive socially in a variety of situations, in person and online. Etiquette, says Ho, is the glue that holds society together. Humans are social creatures, after all—we need connection to survive. But with global cultures in flux and the post-pandemic digital age, shadow epidemics of anxiety and loneliness are on the rise. Plus, the old rules of “decorum” don’t match the times. Amidst all this withdrawal and change, social growth can feel out of reach. How do we leave the comfort of our homes, step away from our screens, and interact face to face? How do we create genuine bonds with people we’ve just met, and how do we maintain those ties? Even the most resilient social butterflies among us face sticky situations—from accidentally sent invites to unruly work and family encounters. In her signature cheeky yet pragmatic style, Ho imparts lessons, pro-tips, and FAQs on social and digital etiquette across the five main microcultures in our lives: friendship and social life, work, dating and relationships, family, and food and travel. From jumping everyday hurdles to discerning unspoken, cross-cultural cues, Mind Your Manners helps us feel the joy and transformation of social fluency—that deep comfort that comes from connection, inclusion, and presenting our best self in any situation.

The Wrong Calamity: A Memoir
By Marsha Jacobson (MBA 1980)
DartFrog Books
Raised to believe she’s a no-account, Marsha Jacobson falls prey to an assistant dean at her college, who knows a pushover when he sees one. Afraid to say no, she agrees to marry him and move to Japan. A chance meeting with a Mattel Toys executive leads to a high-stakes job, and as success boosts her confidence, her husband becomes more abusive. After they return to America, she escapes with their two toddlers. Three years later, a single parent with a serious health emergency, she earns an MBA. Feeling a true sense of herself for the first time, Marsha launches a significant career and reconnects with Jay, a former colleague and recent widower. They marry and have many joyful years together—until Jay’s buried past resurfaces and their life together starts to crumble. Then the true calamity they’re facing becomes apparent and shatters her. In this compelling, generous, and inspiring memoir, Marsha reckons with the way trauma spreads from generation to generation and person to person, and learns that the effects of trauma need not last a lifetime.

On the Brink of Utopia: Reinventing Innovation to Solve the World’s Largest Problems (Strong Ideas)
By Thomas Ramge and Rafael Laguna de la Vera (TGMP 3, 1998)
The MIT Press
We live in less innovative times than we think. Despite having made major technological advancements in a few areas, we are still left with enormous unsolved challenges. A radical shift in the culture of innovation is needed. On the Brink of Utopia, by authors Thomas Ramge and Rafael Laguna de la Vera, and with a foreword written by Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell, offers just that—a new and coherent framework for fostering breakthrough innovations for human progress. The authors sketch out a future in which technology will solve real problems, from climate change and hunger to obesity and menstrual pain. They envision a future in which biotechnologists work from a platform that enables them to develop effective drugs within months for any emerging virus, where green energy will be too cheap to meter and aerial carbon can be transmuted into a valuable commodity at scale. On the Brink of Utopia is a hopeful and visionary book that reimagines the roles of innovators, citizens, governments, and financial markets to foster innovation leaps that maximize the well-being of the greatest number of people.

Pillars for Freedom
By Richard B. Levine (MBA 1990)
Fidelis Publishing
The maintenance of liberty rests upon America’s faith, its founding, families, and commitments to uncorrupted education and science, writes Richard Levine. Pillars for Freedom describes the powers that he says America must reconstitute and wield in order to reclaim its destiny, with Judeo-Christian heritage forming the center of America’s rebirth.

The Experimentation Field Book: A Step-by-Step Project Guide
By Jeanne Liedtka (MBA 1981), Elizabeth Chen, Natalie Foley and David Kester
Columbia Business School Publishing
Experimentation is an essential part of innovation. It is the link between generating new ideas and putting them into practice. We are constantly experimenting in our daily lives, and organizations place great value on testing new products, services, and strategies. Yet there is a shortage of actionable guidance on how to design and execute high-quality experiments for practical purposes. This book is a hands-on manual for crafting and conducting useful experiments in real-life settings. It guides readers from any background or discipline through the fundamentals of identifying testable ideas, selecting an evidence base, prototyping, and testing, building users’ skill sets and channeling their creativity through an interactive, exercise-oriented format. The book draws on design thinking as well as other practical business approaches to provide a tool kit for all problem solvers and innovators seeking to address today’s pressing challenges.

Rainmaker: Superagent Hughes Norton and the Money-Grab Explosion of Golf from Tiger to LIV and Beyond
By Hughes Norton (MBA 1972) and George Peper
Atria Books
When 21-year-old Tiger Woods stunned the world by winning the Masters by a mind-blowing 12 strokes, the first thing he did was embrace the three most important people in his life: his father, his mother, and Hughes Norton. At the peak of his career as an agent, Norton earned a million-dollar salary and enjoyed a lifestyle nearly as lavish as his A-list clients. That dizzying success, however, came at a price. The 70-hour work weeks, constant travel, and intense pressure from his players and their corporate partners took Norton away from his family and ultimately led to divorce. At the same time, in an effort to protect his players and his career, he found himself making ethical and moral choices he would later regret. Soon, he realized he had made as many enemies as friends. Now, in Rainmaker, Norton discusses what it was like being Tiger’s first agent, his time representing the narcissistic Greg Norman, and shining a bright light on his sudden and controversial ouster as the head of IMG’s Golf Division—a juggernaut he helped build.

Economics Reimagined: Nature, Progress, and Living Standards
By Rick Teller (MBA 1970)
Independently Published
What goes on in the economy is important to everyone, yet often baffling. In Economics Reimagined: Nature, Progress, and Living Standards, author Rick Teller explains many mysteries of economics, without needing any graphs, statistics, formulas, or models to do so. Teller answers the big questions: Is macroeconomics even a science? Why have leading economists been given so much unchecked power over our lives? Why do government price inflation statistics rarely match our own experience? Does the country always benefit from infrastructure investments? Who really pays the taxes and costs imposed on businesses? Why do some things that make GDP rise also make living standards fall? What was the connection between the rise of imports from China and the rapid growth of yoga studios and health clubs? How does the behavior of all living things in nature dictate the laws of economics? What can we learn about economics from the building of the Egyptian pyramids? This lively and entertaining book will explain all that, and much more.

The Innovative Leader: Step-By-Step Lessons from Top Innovators for You and Your Organization
By Steve Wunker (MBA 1996), Jennifer Luo Law, and Hari Nair (AMP 158, 2000)
Morgan James Publishing
How do leaders such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Panera’s Ron Shaich, and Levi’s Chip Bergh make themselves and their organizations innovative, year after year? Authors Wunker, Law, and Nair, celebrated experts in innovation themselves, unveil the secrets that make these industry giants the world-class trailblazers that they are. The Innovative Leader offers anyone tasked with innovation—from budding entrepreneurs to high-level executives, in the business sector, government, or nonprofits—a unique blend of expert insights and concrete examples. Grounded in interviews with 50 esteemed innovators and informed by the authors’ own deep experiences, this book lays out detailed, actionable steps to make yourself and your organization into innovative powerhouses.

The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions
By Michael Norton, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
Scribner
Our lives are filled with repetitive tasks meant to keep us on track—what we come to know as habits. Over time, these routines (for example, brushing your teeth or putting on your right sock first) tend to be performed automatically. But when we’re more mindful about these actions—when we focus on the precise way they are performed—they can instead become rituals. Shifting from a “habitual” mindset to a “ritual” mindset can convert ordinary acts from black and white to technicolor. Think of the way you savor a certain beverage, the care you take with a particular outfit that gets worn only on special occasions, the unique way that your family gathers around the table during holidays, or the secret language you enjoy with your significant other. To some, these behaviors may seem quirky, but because rituals matter so deeply to us on a personal level, they imbue our lives with purpose and meaning. Drawing on a decade of original research, Michael Norton shows that rituals play a role in healing communities experiencing a great loss, marking life’s major transitions, driving a stadium of sports fans to ecstasy, and helping us rise to challenges and realize opportunities.

What It’s Like To Be… with Dan Heath (MBA 2004)
Curious what it would be like to walk in someone else’s (work) shoes? Join New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath as he explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do. What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? What happens if a welder fails to wear safety glasses? What can get a stadium beer vendor fired? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask… well, this is the show for you.

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