《财富》40位40岁以下精英的私藏书单曝光

Finance

Here is a selection of book recommendations from this year’s 40 Under 40 in finance.

Serve to Win by Novak Djokovic

The discipline, drive, and sacrifices required to win—and to consistently stay at the top—resonated with me in Novak Djokovic’s Serve to Win. I was struck by how analogous dedication and drive in the athletic world is to the business world. I think that people who mightily succeed in business are “corporate athletes.” Persistence, mental strength, and the will to never give up are must-haves. —Akshay Naheta, senior vice president, investments, SoftBank Group

Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

To me, great books hit you at the right time with inspiring and enriching content. Last January I read Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin about the lives and challenges of four U.S. Presidents. (I’m a history geek.) She shows the parallels between the challenges each encountered, and the similar character traits and values it took each President to overcome them. This perspective on the fundamental principles of great leadership—the commitment to doing what’s right, even when it’s hard, and the deep responsibility for people—came just as COVID hit the world and our organization. I’ve been reflecting back on that book a lot over the past six months. —Nir Bar Dea, cohead of the investment engine, Bridgewater Associates

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

During my first job, our manager gave it to all the new analysts to read. I found its techniques of breaking dreams into goals, goals into tasks, and tasks tracked to completion extremely simple yet effective. What appears to be a very low-tech solution—when adhered to consistently and habitually—allowed me to keep track of all the threads going on at work and in life and dramatically decreased the likelihood of me dropping the ball, missing the deadline, remaking the same mistakes, or losing sight of where I’m going. It showed me that seemingly complex maneuvers can be nothing more than a sequence of simple steps, and made me that much more effective as a person. The best part: The method doesn’t ask you to accomplish something impossible like increasing your IQ or changing your personality, which may or may not even matter anyway; the method is something anyone could employ if he sets his mind to it, and it directly translates to more accomplishments every day. —Bill Pang, portfolio manager, Millennium Management

The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins

The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins has been an ongoing help in my career. It is a reminder of the importance of listening and learning when joining a new organization or taking on a new role. While solutions may seem obvious when you are new, I like to understand the organizational history and reasoning before identifying quick and longer-term wins. The First 90 Days provides a helpful framework for managing through a transition. I use it as a resource whenever I am making a transition, even within the same organization. I find it so helpful that I give a copy to everyone who becomes a manager in my organization. —Keia Cole, head of digital experience, MassMutual

Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven

Portfolios of the Poor—a financial study of hundreds of families living in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa—was a game-changing read for me early in my career. It explained the mental models of money that heads of households must develop to navigate the reality of scarce income and limited cash flows. It clearly laid out the premise that Tala’s ethos builds upon: People who are poor lead thriving, nuanced financial lives that simply aren’t captured by the current financial system. Equipped with flexible access to liquidity and the right set of financial tools, these individuals can transcend poverty and catalyze global economic growth at the community level. —Shivani Siroya, founder and CEO, Tala

Who: Solve Your #1 Problem by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

I learned early in my career that every organization—large or small—is the sum of its people. Hiring the right team members is paramount. After navigating some classic pitfalls in an unstructured hiring process earlier in my career, reading this book about interview best practices was a paradigm shift for me. Today, I am grateful to work alongside an extraordinary team that is aligned in its values and mission to invest in diverse entrepreneurs from all across the country who are reimagining the future and helping to make the seemingly impossible, possible. —Anna Mason, partner, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund

The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case

This book covers how we are in the “third wave” of the Internet and why today’s technology entrepreneurs in particular are driving the transformation of how future generations will interact with technology. Additionally, he addresses the “rise of the rest” phenomenon, which is the idea that venture capital will gravitate toward cities that have not been the traditional tech hubs. Case actually visited Fattmerchant’s Orlando office during Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Road Trip.

During his visit, he shared some statistics that struck a chord and ignited a new goal for my career: 75% of all venture capital goes to California, New York, and Massachusetts, and only 1% of capital goes to companies with minority female founders. I experienced this challenge firsthand as a female founder of a payment technology company, but hearing this number shook me to the core. I was able to defy these odds with a mix of a winning strategy, a great team on my side, and a healthy dose of relentlessness. But so many women face this struggle as well. I’ve made it my mission to help other women grow successful businesses and change the fact that less than 2% of female founders ever hit $1 million in revenue. —Suneera Madhani, founder and CEO, Fattmerchant

Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative by Edward R. Tufte

I read this book for the first time at Princeton and have implemented its teachings ever since. A simple, concise visual representation of information always helps to communicate information better than a complicated one, whether a drawing of a military plan or a draft of a company’s investor presentation. —Kyle Corcoran, executive director, technology investment banking, Morgan Stanley

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni

It addresses some hurdles that may reduce efficiency in teams, despite being made up of highly talented individuals, and has been a source of inspiration. I especially like it because it is not full of bullshit advice like “hire the best.” Everyone realizes that, but how do you hire the best? This book is really concrete and helpful. —Sebastian Siemiatkowski, cofounder and CEO, Klarna

The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story by Michael Lewis

I read The New New Thing by Michael Lewis before I started at NEA over a decade ago, and coincidentally, I reread it recently. Despite coming out to the Bay Area for college, I had very little idea of the history and lore of Silicon Valley. When I first read it, it felt like such hyperbole, but it gave such a fascinating view of the driving force behind the innovation economy, the founders and teams building disruptive startups. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a great foundation for understanding that venture investing is all about the founders we support; they are the (complicated) heroes. It also helped that the book featured quite a few of my NEA partners that I have had the pleasure of working closely with! Now having been in the venture industry for over a dozen years and rereading the book, I realize that it wasn’t hyperbole at all. —Rick Yang, general partner, New Enterprise Associates

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

This book changed how I think about potential and growth—both in business and in life. It demonstrated to me why it is important to recognize that there are two mindsets—fixed and growth—and how important it is to orient around a growth mindset.

I witnessed this firsthand when I was studying for the GMATs to enter business school. On my first attempt, I didn’t practice at all. And unsurprisingly, I bombed the test. Luckily, I had my husband to remind me that I had taken quite the fixed mindset and I needed to work for it. I wasn’t bad at math or test-taking—I simply hadn’t tried. Needless to say, the next round (after much hard work) went much better. Similarly, as a first-time CEO, I often have to flex muscles I’ve never used before. Applying that growth mindset allows me to understand that jumping into something new or uncomfortable is not a bad thing. It is an opportunity to learn and grow. —Cameron Peake, cofounder and CEO, Azlo

The book that has helped me most in my career is Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck. This book emphasizes that nothing is fixed—not intelligence, not capacity, not skill set. Everything can grow and develop over time. Mindset reminded me that while certain things come easier, I can accomplish and learn anything with hard work and dedication. The book made me confident to take on new challenges and unforeseen opportunities, and has shaped the way I view my career. —Diana Avila, global head of banking and expansion, TransferWise

The Monk and the Riddle: The Art of Creating a Life While Making a Living by Randy Komisar

A book that had a big impact on me was The Monk and the Riddle, written by Randy Komisar, a professor of mine at Stanford. It’s about life and approaching the topic of purpose. The book centers on the idea that there is no single path. It’s about the journey itself. It encourages the reader to ask “why” to challenge their motivations for doing something. He brings up the idea of an extended life plan—the concept that somehow people think we’re going to do something now that might not be good but will enable us to do what we want in the future. But that mindset replicated over time means one never gets to living the life they want. I read the book at a time in my life where I was very goal-oriented, and it gave me perspective that took many years to settle in and become a part of how I live. —Josh Reeves, cofounder and CEO, Gusto

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Start With Why illustrates how great leaders think alike and go about their approach in ways that are high impact and inspirational. I have found this approach to management and leadership incredibly helpful. —Chris Grose, managing director and COO, technology investment banking, JPMorgan Chase

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

The book explores why some countries are rich and others are poor. During my time living and working in Ghana, South Africa, and India, early in my career, Professor Diamond’s historical perspective on this question influenced a lot of my thinking on how countries might be able to generate economic transformations where there had historically been constraints. —Sarah Cannon, partner, Index Ventures

Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall

A recent read that really resonated with me is Loonshots by Safi Bahcall. Particularly in my role pioneering new market structures, I find Bahcall’s insights—from comparing phase transitions in science, for example the process of a solid to liquid, to real-world business examples of firms transforming their markets—intriguingly relevant to innovation in the financial markets. Incumbent firms must exist in many phases concurrently, protecting their profitable business lines while also disrupting them to ensure their ability to thrive and grow in the future. —Amy Hong, managing director and head of market structure strategy for the global markets division, Goldman Sachs

Technology

Here is a selection of book recommendations from this year's 40 under 40 in tech.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Have you ever read the same book a second (or third) time and gotten something very different out of the reread? Or listened to a talk that was only moderately good, but you were in a creative headspace, so the whole experience turned out to be a highlight of your day? I think the book itself is only partially responsible for its being experienced as the “best”; the mental/emotional context of the reader is also critical. So with all that, this evening I’m looking forward to revisiting Nonviolent Communication.

Despite my aversion to superlatives, I consider communication to be one of the most difficult, important, and ubiquitous activities. Whether I’m communicating with a supplier, a specific group of colleagues, any users of a codebase, or my future self, most of my daily activities are dominated by communication. My ability as an engineer and researcher to make progress on truly grand challenges hinges on extensive teamwork. Accordingly, I see on a daily basis how the quality of yesterday’s communication impacts today’s productivity, through lasting effects that can be content-driven but, realistically, are more often emotional. Nonviolent Communication offers a conscientious look at emotional aspects of communication and considers how to embrace them in productive, good-faith exchange. At least for me, insights from the book manifest in speaking as in listening, and develop additional facets upon rereading. —Marissa Giustina, senior research scientist and quantum electronics engineer, Google Research (Google AI Quantum, hardware division)

Open by Andre Agassi

I loved Andre Agassi’s Open. So many good points here, both on achieving success and evolving as a person. Inspiring to read about the hard work, ongoing learning, and level of stress necessary for greatness. When things are tough I think about his line: "Treat this crisis as practice for the next crisis." There’s also an interesting thread in the book about being misunderstood while trying to figure yourself out at the same time. I think this is something we can all relate to, both personally and professionally. Some of the toughest challenges are either interpersonal or struggles with ourselves. —Kristin Schaefer, chief financial officer, Postmates

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

There are several books I’ve found myself referencing throughout my career, but two have stood out the most. The first is The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, written by a handful of notable career coaches. The book essentially revolves around one main principle of eliminating drama from your life by behaving like an adult.

The second book, written by Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, is Man’s Search for Meaning. His book helped me in many different ways including how to be thankful and show gratitude in difficult situations, which makes them easier to manage in real time. By looking at challenges through a different lens, I’ve found that each one has an important takeaway I can learn from. As I apply this to my career, I’m very thankful that I have a job where my work is valued and important to those around me, and beyond. I’m proud to say that the work I do every day is very fulfilling, even when it may be difficult or when I’m faced with new challenges. —Steve Huffman, cofounder and CEO, Reddit

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

I do not have THE book that has been equally important to me throughout all the years. But Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is among the top five books. It has helped me to better understand how the human brain works. Another one that has had an impact on me is a fun book called Fish!: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin, John Christensen, and Harry Paul. It has taught me that we, ourselves, can choose our attitude every day. And we can choose it to be "positive" each and every day. —Juergen Mueller, executive board member and chief technology officer, SAP

The book I most frequently think about is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It explores how the mind processes different kinds of information and unpacks hidden biases and structures behind how we think and make decisions every day. —Anthony Casalena, founder and CEO, Squarespace

Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership by Joseph Jaworski

Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership was the first book I ever read in the management science genre at the age of 16. I found it deeply formative for how I approach problem solving and partnership with a servant leadership mindset. I always strive to set a clear vision of the end state and try to recruit others to the cause through listening, learning, and evolving the plan. The specific tactics don’t matter; the journey is about learning, which requires different perspectives, and the goal is success or fast failure. —Rebecca Elizabeth Lipon Weekly, senior director of cloud business strategy and platform enabling, Intel

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant

I appreciate the research of organizational psychologist Adam Grant. In his book Give and Take, he shows that creating an environment that rewards collaboration instead of individual results leads to more success. A collaborative culture allows "givers," or people who contribute to a solution without expecting something in return, to thrive. Often, givers are the highest-performing individuals in an organization. —Susy Schöneberg, head of Flexport.org, Flexport

Simple Habits for Complex Times: Powerful Practices for Leaders by Jennifer Garvey Berger and Keith Johnston

Simple Habits for Complex Times is one of my favorites. Many books I’ve read focus on tactically defining solutions for various types of career challenges. This one is different; it highlights ways to reframe problems altogether to help you find creative solutions. Especially during times of COVID, this book feels especially relevant for me today. —Elizabeth Reid, vice president of engineering, Google

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

I grew up in northern Wisconsin, and this was the first "real book" my father read aloud to me. Later I had the opportunity to study Wildlife Ecology in the University of Wisconsin–Madison department that Aldo Leopold himself had founded. I was so impressed with the practical route Leopold took in his career. Before writing A Sand County Almanac, he wrote Game Management on the mathematics and statistics of wildlife population control through hunting. Leopold was relentlessly curious and never afraid to change his mind after learning new facts. My college graduation present was a copy of the book signed by members of the department, and I keep it on my desk at work both to read and to remind myself that the natural world is incredibly complex, and beautiful, and worth saving. —Dr. Lucas Joppa, chief environmental officer, Microsoft

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

One of my earliest memories of reading a book that moved me deeply was in high school when I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. It was the first time I had read one of Dr. Angelou’s books, and I distinctly recall the abundance of emotions I felt. This book made me see and feel in a way that I had not previously thought possible from a book. It showed me how much a piece of content can impact someone’s life—whether to make them cry, laugh, or learn about the world in new ways. And it stuck with me throughout my career. Can I help create content that makes someone feel something, or learn about the world in new ways? —Vanessa Guthrie, head of Snap Originals, Snap Inc.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This is actually not a self-help or nonfiction book, but the book that resonates for me is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The journey of the main character, Santiago, shows that your career is a journey, and it is not about going as quickly as possible from point A to point B. Your career, heavily tied to your personal life, is filled with twists and turns, but you can get to where you want to go if you are passionate about it, continue to pursue it, and don’t be afraid to take risks and fail. Enjoy the ride as you are going on your journey.

My personal journey has taken me on a circuitous route from financial services to Prime memberships to now the current Amazon in the Community team to give back to the community. I have learned a lot in all my previous roles and companies, and I use it in my current work to think about how I can leverage Amazon’s assets—products, logistics, technology—to support communities and families impacted by poverty, hunger, homelessness, and natural disasters. —Trang-Thien Tran, principal product manager, Amazon

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Jean Louise Finch’s journey resonated really deeply with my own professional experience, and I thought it was one of the more authentic coming-of-age stories I have ever read. Learning things you really don’t want to learn that may fundamentally alter your worldview without losing yourself is an exceptionally powerful skill. The book has helped me learn more about the world as it actually is versus how I would like it to be. —Ted Mabrey, head of commercial, Palantir Technologies

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I love books and movies that inspire big ideas. One of my favorite movies (adapted from a book) is Ready Player One. Part of this inspires my dreams of the global, multidimensional, interactive classroom where you can have a vivid, virtual meta-verse that allows real people from around the world to communicate with and learn from one another. The movie really drives my imagination and hope for the future: Students deserve not just to learn about the pyramids, but to see and experience them in a virtual world together with their classmates from across the globe. One day we’ll see this come true, and it’s through VIPKid that we’re helping to inspire the students who will grow up to make it happen. —Cindy Mi, founder and CEO, VIPKid

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I think the book that has helped me the most is The Lord of the Rings, not because I learned something very important from it, but because it gave me the perfect metaphor to explain why privacy is important to students and other nontechnical experts. Without privacy, we run the danger that someone will build The Ring and destroy society by ruling us all. Privacy is needed. —Carmela Troncoso, assistant professor, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Government and politics

Here are a selection of book recommendations from this year’s 40 Under 40 in government and politics.

How to Say It at Work by Jack Griffin

What I learned both from the book, and through some great management coaching, is how important it is for a leader to adapt to the needs of their team. It’s not just about managing tasks, it’s about managing and caring about people. You have to truly take people’s experience into account and evaluate how your message is being received. It seems intuitive now—of course that would be the most effective. But, especially when you are new to management, if you’re only focused on getting to the outcome, executing tasks and achieving the goal, these aspects are easy to underestimate. When I truly internalized that understanding my team—not just their tasks—would make us more effective, I became a better leader and that propelled me through my career. —Melissa Kilby, executive director, Girl Up, United Nations Foundation

All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister

The book that has had the most meaningful impact on my adult life is All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister. I first read this book right before my 30th birthday during a long plane ride. This book was really validating for me. The concept of the book is that young, single women have been trailblazers, taking risks, and changing the world for decades. Women who have shown us that it’s okay to defy expectations and take big risks. Because there is a whole sisterhood of women who are ambitious, visionaries, and who recognize the change that we need to see in the world. After reading this book, I was in a mindset that allowed me to take risks. It was a risk that eventually resulted in my decision to run for Congress, be elected, and become the youngest Black woman ever to serve in Congress. This book is so meaningful to me, and I recommend everyone read it—especially young women who may be unsure of decisions you are facing and how they may impact your ability to reach your dreams. I say, girlfriends, go for it! —Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative for the 14th Congressional District of Illinois

Health

Here is a selection of book recommendations from this year’s 40 Under 40 in health.

The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind by B. Alan Wallace

I got it 10 years ago from my former boss, a Buddhist, who later invested in our company via his VC fund. He gave it to me before I went to live on a cattle ranch in Brazil, where I wouldn’t have any connection with the outside world for months. This book taught me how to meditate, back when Headspace didn’t exist and mindfulness wasn’t so sexy. Before reading the book, I thought that meditation was fake and a bunch of gobbledygook. However, with long stretches of nothing to do at the ranch, I began practicing the techniques in the book and actually noticed progress. Every day I could focus just a bit more, and my mind grew calmer. Since then, I’ve been meditating regularly. It got me through some pretty tough times at my company. In my opinion, success is all about weathering crises, which means that a calm mind is such a powerful ally to have. —Michael Kapps, founder and CEO, Vitalk Health

Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker

The most precious thing we have is our own time. This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time. I turn back to it every few years. —Kate Ryder, founder and CEO, Maven Clinic

Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know? by Philip E. Tetlock

The best book that has helped me in my career involves foxes and hedgehogs. Philip Tetlock, in his book, Expert Political Judgement, helped me garner the strength required for an entrepreneurial journey. In his book, Tetlock proves that “hedgehog” expertise (academic and single-topic) fails at predicting the future, while “fox” expertise (one that is formed through lessons from different parts of the woods) does better. I always felt I didn’t have the skill set to lead a company in making an impact on the future, because I didn’t pursue a doctorate and instead had a “fox-like” career. The book taught me otherwise. —Yonatan Adiri, founder and CEO, Healthy.io

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

The book that inspired me to work in health care was Mountains Beyond Mountains. The story of Dr. Paul Farmer’s journey from Harvard to tackling malaria in Haiti and Peru opened my eyes to impact-driven innovation. It pushed me to look beyond degrees and accolades, beyond words, and even beyond actions, to a singular focus on scalable impact.—Kate Rosenbluth, founder and chief scientific officer, Cala Health

Crucial Accountability: Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

I love Crucial Accountability, which is centered around how to have hard conversations with people. Internally, our No. 1 principle is “Be super transparent, but be nice about it.” This is extremely difficult to pull off, but if you can do it—and teach other people to do it—the reward is tremendous. As we’ve grown the company, we have new folks joining who are very talented but who haven’t spent the last 14 years with me, and so I’ve had to learn to have frank conversations with new peers in order to build an unbreakable team. In some ways, this is the hardest part of building the company. Crucial Accountability helped me learn the strategies for tackling these hard conversations in a way that builds relationships and addresses issues and roadblocks, without hindering forward progress. These principles have not only impacted how we work internally, but have permeated our core behavior change product as well. Because open communication is so foundational for building anything—whether building a product, getting a team to gel, or getting your spouse to support you on a new health or fitness journey. —Artem Petakov, cofounder and president, Noom

Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace by Carla A. Harris

Expect to Win by Carla A. Harris is a book that continues to motivate and drive me toward my career goals. I’ve found the clear-cut advice to be applicable no matter what my work setting may be. I turn to it often as I transition between roles. More than anything, the title alone helps me reframe my thoughts and approach to every role I pursue. —Lauren R. Powell, vice president, head of Time’s Up Healthcare, Time’s Up Foundation

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

I love The Celestine Prophecy, a book I read 20 years ago. Its thesis is simple: There is a reason and purpose behind every interaction you have with a person, no matter how well you know them. In my line of work, I meet people all the time. One of the things that drives me personally is trying to authentically understand the reason for meeting this one person out of the 7 billion people on the planet. The book dives into this and discusses the power of these often serendipitous connections. Whether it’s the deeper connections we have or one-off conversations, it has helped me frame the importance of every person I meet. —Ambar Bhattacharyya, managing director, Maverick Ventures

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

I really enjoyed the book Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. In many ways I aspire to build a business like Nike with a global footprint and recognizable brand. I appreciated how much Knight wrote about the early days of Nike and what a struggle it was to get the business off the ground. I also loved how he was clearly maniacal about those early shoes and how much every detail mattered to him. —Will Ahmed, founder and CEO, Whoop

Media and entertainment

Curious about what some of the most influential young minds in the media and entertainment industries read for inspiration? Here is a selection of book recommendations from the 40 under 40 in media and entertainment.

Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives by Brian L. Weiss

Over my career and life, I’ve read and listened to many different helpful books and podcasts, I couldn’t name just one. One book I recently read was Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss. It’s a very interesting book and allows us to think of our lives in not such a finite way, but rather grasp the idea that we are all here to continue our path of learning. —Scooter Braun, founder and chairman, SB Projects & Ithaca Holdings LLC

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

You may laugh at this, but it has helped me so much improve as a leader and person. I'm a big fan of Simon Sinek, who is a British-born American author and motivational speaker. He has a lot of fantastic videos on YouTube around leadership and inspiration, and in one of those talks he recommended the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. It really allowed me to do a better job as a leader managing people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, personalities, and expertise. —Ryan Wyatt, head of gaming, commerce, brands, and immersive, YouTube

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Bob Iger

I love reading memoirs and biographies about business leaders I admire. The insights I’ve gained by seeing the challenges, opportunities, and decision-making they’ve experienced through their eyes have helped me navigate various pivot points and opportunities within my own career. One of my favorites is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, and, most recently, I finished The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger. —Nazanin (Naz) Aletaha, head of global e-sports partnerships and business development, Riot Games

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi

While over a decade old, Ferrazzi's book is a timeless approach to the strength of relationships in business. It taught me to never "network," but to build actual authentic relationships. MasterClass wouldn’t exist today without building strong and meaningful relationships from signing instructors to bridging two distinct industries: tech and entertainment. —David Rogier, cofounder and CEO, MasterClass

Also, don’t miss…

Erica Anderson, executive producer, New York Magazine (Vox Media): The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson; Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public by Helen Thomas

Robin Arzón, head instructor and vice president of fitness programming, Peloton: The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

Max Cutler, managing director of Parcast, Spotify: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Carolina Garcia, director of original series, Netflix: A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson; The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Emily Ramshaw, cofounder and CEO, the 19th: Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott