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Evan's Book Reviews: Business Strategy

Evan Leybourn

March 10, 2019

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I read a lot - not all of it related to agile or business management, but enough. Below are some of the important books that have shaped my thinking (and writing). Not all of them a great (as you can see from my ranking), but they all contain some interesting ideas. This group of reviews will focus on those books that relate to business strategy.

This post contains Amazon affilliate links.

Certain to Win

Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd, Applied to Business

Author: Chet Richards

From the back of the book: "Certain to Win [Sun Tzu´s prognosis for generals who follow his advice] develops the strategy of the late US Air Force Colonel John R. Boyd for the world of business. Robert Coram's monumental biography, Boyd, the Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, rekindled interest in this obscure pilot and documented his influence on military matters ranging from the design of the F-15 and F-16 fighters to the planning for Operation Desert Storm to the execution of Operation Iraqi Freedom."

Evan's rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Buy a copy: Amazon link


Start with Why

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Author: Simon Sinek

From the back of the book: "In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY — the third most popular TED video of all time."

Evan's rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Buy a copy: Amazon link


Freakonomics

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Author: Steven D. Levitt

I know I’m late to this book, but I’m glad I read it. Elegant in its simplicity.

Evan's rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Buy a copy: Amazon link


The Art of Action

Author: Stephen Bungay

From the back of the book: "What do you want me to do? This question is the enduring management issue, a perennial problem that Stephen Bungay shows has an old solution that is counter-intuitive and yet common sense. The Art of Action is a thought-provoking and fresh look at how managers can turn planning into execution, and execution into results."

Evan's rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Buy a copy: Amazon link

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