The Top 5 Business Books for 2016

Whatever industry you’re in, it’s always good to find a little inspiration in the experiences and lessons of others. So we’ve rounded up the top 10 best business books to read in 2016.

When it comes to running a business, the phrase ‘when you have some spare time’ is more a comical notion and idealistic statement above anything else, however in relation to the below article we really do mean it. We’ve rounded up some of the must-read books for business people in 2016 here … 

The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership
Richard Branson

With over 40 years in business, Richard Branson is an inspiring pioneer of humanitarian projects and an iconic business leader for people of all ages. Richard shares and distils his secrets of leadership and success. Featuring anecdotes from his own business dealings, as well as his observations of many others who have inspired him – from politicians, business leaders, explorers, scientists and philanthropists – Richard reflects on the qualities he feels are essential for success in today’s world. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career, or head of a Fortune 500 company – this is your guide to being your own CEO and becoming a true leader – not just a boss.

#GIRLBOSS
Sophia Amoruso

You may have heard of Sophia Amoruso? The CEO of a $250-million+ fashion retailer site called Nasty Gal. But before she created and built her online empire, Amoruso spent her young-adult life hitchhiking, hungry, and shoplifting. However, much has changed since then, and she wrote a book for everyone who can relate and identify with being an outsider, or who marches to beat of their own drum. Throughout the book, Amoruso talks about trusting your gut and following the rules only when need be.

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull

As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the world’s first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream first as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged an early partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later and against all odds, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation Studios?into the story meetings, the postmortems, and the ‘Braintrust’ sessions where art is born.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants
Malcolm Gladwell

What if everything we thought about power was wrong? What if, in the ancient story of the shepherd boy who topples a giant, David actually had the advantage? This thought sets Malcolm Gladwell on an extraordinary journey that takes him from art to basketball, the brain to revolutions, along the way weaving unforgettable stories of misfits, outsiders, tricksters and underdogs who have faced outsized challenges and won. With his trademark warmth, humour and gift for showing us the world through new eyes, Gladwell lets us see why the powerful aren't always what we think they are - and that some of us have more strength and purpose than we could ever imagine.

The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs
David Kidder

According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, more than 565,000 new businesses were created in 2010 in the United States alone—each one of them hoping to strike gold. The Startup Playbook will help them succeed. Going insider to insider with unprecedented access, New York Times bestselling author and Clickable CEO, David Kidder, shares the hard-hitting experiences of some of the world's most influential entrepreneurs and CEOs, revealing their most closely held advice. Face-to-face interviews with 40 founders give readers key insights into what it took to build PayPal, LinkedIn, AOL, TED, Flickr, and many others into household names.