Business & Economics

Explore the ways that money makes the world go 'round in these Business and Economics selections. Ranging from wealth-building self-help advice to philosophical critiques of capitalism, the titles in this Collection explore the role of money and wealth in society and the systems that drive global economies.

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Teams

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1989

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Aug 1989) by Stephen R. Covey is one of the most influential self-help books of the late twentieth century. To date, the title has sold over 40 million copies and has been a New York Times bestseller. Covey was named as one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans of 1996. His book is classified under the categories of Business Management, Organizational Behavior, and Personal Success in Business... Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey was first published in 1998 but was revised in 2014 to meet the changing needs of its audience of tech-savvy teenagers. (This study guide refers to the 2019 Simon and Schuster trade paperback edition.) While the genre is self-help, the book’s focus on young adult readers is evident from Covey’s informal tone, which he uses to narrate entertaining stories about teenagers, as well as the... Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Technology, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Class, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Information Age, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Philosophy, Psychology, Futurism, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, American Revolution, American Civil War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Colonial America, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation, originally published in 2003 by Oxford University Press, is a popular history book by American cultural historian Jim Cullen. As an overview and critical analysis of the American Dream, this book adds some meat to the bones of a traditionally ambiguous concept. Cullen maintains an optimistic outlook about the usefulness of the various American Dreams and about the promise of America, despite... Read The American Dream Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation

Tags History: Asian, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Sociology, Asian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Psychology, Sociology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology

Priya Parker’s book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (2018) is a series of chapter-length essays that provide a guide to organizing effective gatherings as well as a persuasive argument for thinking about them as tools for social transformation. As a highly experienced group facilitator, advisor, podcast host, and expert in conflict resolution, Parker brings a specialist’s insight to her topic. At the same time, she organizes and presents the... Read The Art of Gathering Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology


Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams

Tags History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Military / War, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: Asian, Chinese Literature

The Art of War, written in China during the fifth century BCE by military expert Sun Tzu, has been favored reading among soldiers and strategists for two millennia. Its concise 13 chapters, studied to this day by world leaders and generals from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, teach victory through studying the opponent, building impregnable defenses, confusing the enemy with diversions, and attacking forcefully its weak spots. The book... Read The Art of War Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Business / Economics, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World is a 2008 nonfiction book by historian Niall Ferguson. As its title implies, the book covers the rise of money and financial systems (in the West) throughout history. Ferguson argues that some aspect of finance lies behind all great events in history and that financial innovation has been as important to progress as scientific and technological innovation. Chapter 1 discusses the nature of money and... Read The Ascent of Money Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Journalism, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government, Biography

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, published in 2010, examines the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, one of the greatest debacles in American economic history. Like many of financial journalist and author Michael Lewis’s other works, including Liar’s Poker and Moneyball, The Big Short is a bestseller. It becomes a sourcebook during Congressional hearings into the disaster.The crash results from years of financial malfeasance and incompetence among the top salesmen and executives at... Read The Big Short Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Author and journalist Charles Fishman published The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water in 2011. This nonfiction book examines the history and origins of water, the rising concern of water scarcity, and our changed relationship with the substance. Fishman asserts that people generally take water for granted, even though it is crucial to the environment and to society. The book examines how we can repair this dismissive attitude, which Fishman contends... Read The Big Thirst Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Journalism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster is a nonfiction book published in 2013 by the American journalist Jonathan M. Katz. Katz, a reporter for the Associated Press (AP), gives a detailed, firsthand account of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean island nation of Haiti. The book is a journalist's chronicle of the causes and consequences of a natural disaster, how it can... Read The Big Truck That Went By Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Journalism, Sports, Business / Economics, Biography

The Blind Side tells the intersecting stories of Michael Oher (who, after the book’s timeline, went on to have a long career as an NFL left tackle) and how the NFL’s passing game evolved. Folded into these two stories is that of Tom Lemming, who became the first person to evaluate high school football players both independently and on a national scale. His player evaluations impacted college recruiting, shifting it from a regional to a... Read The Blind Side Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community

Tags Business / Economics, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Social Justice, Politics / Government

The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die (2017) is a nonfiction popular-psychology book written by Keith Payne, an American professor of psychology and neuroscience. In it, he examines the physical, physiological, psychological, and moral effects of present-day inequality, particularly within the United States. Payne broadly argues that inequality has massively widened over the last 50 years, and that this has had profound implications because inequality harms everyone in society... Read The Broken Ladder Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 1940

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Magical Realism, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Humor, Satire, Love / Sexuality, Business / Economics, Relationships, American Literature, Post-War Era, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

John Collier (1901-1980) is best known for his short stories, many of which are constructed as fantastic parables of modern day life. He also wrote poetry and screenplays, and was a developer for the television show “The Twilight Zone.” “The Chaser” first appeared in his short story collection Fancies and Goodnights, which won the 1952 Edgar Award and the 1952 International Fantasy Award. It is a cautionary parable of love, capitalism, and the wisdom of... Read The Chaser Summary