Your 2019 summer reading list
Faculty and staff across the Warrington College of Business selected their recommendations for books to read this summer. See their selections and what you’ll get out of reading each in the list below.
by Brad Agle, Aaron Miller, and Bill O’Rourke
“Any cursory online search will reveal thousands of books and articles that try to help you become a better manager or a better leader. According to many of these texts, managing involves planning and budgeting, organizing, controlling, problem solving, and communicating; while leading means establishing direction, aligning people, motivating and inspiring them, and creating change.
In this book, the authors propose a third set of skills that are often neglected but are just as essential for effective leadership: the ability to clarify individual and organizational values and to find a way forward when these values conflict. This book will help you develop those skills and apply them in your organization to become a better leader.”
– Dr. Brian Ray, Director, Poe Ethics Center; Senior Lecturer of Leadership and Ethics
by David J. Hand
“It is a book based on statistics, but far from a statistics textbook, that fundamentally changed how I think about ‘seemingly’ random daily occurrences. UF Students and alumni who find themselves constantly questioning why things occur or how someone is so lucky would be wise to read this book.”
– Dr. Brian Swider, Assistant Professor, Department of Management
by Kimberly A. Clausing
“Economist Dr. Kimberly Clausing uses data, evidence, and facts to show that free markets are just as powerful and positive as Adam Smith theorized—and that today, they are perhaps more needed than ever.”
– Dr. Amanda Phalin, Lecturer, Department of Management
by Malcolm Gladwell
“In this stunning book, you will learn provocative facts about the lives of outliers and, more importantly, the statistics and science that govern success. Absolutely a pleasure to read.”
– Dr. Yuehua Tang, Assistant Professor, Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
by Dr. Chris Hitch, Beth Ritter, and Michael Saccavino (editor)
“When you encounter ethical or moral dilemmas, you go through a leadership crucible where you are forced to come to grips with your values and their impact on others. The cornerstones of values-based leadership — honesty, integrity, compassion, diversity, and social responsibility — define who you are as a person. The Foreword by General Hugh Shelton and his nationally-recognized five cornerstones of values-based leadership apply to early career professionals, mid-career leaders, and senior executives. This book is packed with real-life stories by everyday people who don’t come with exalted titles. You’ll see how they apply the five cornerstones when making hard decisions and how doing so pays off in their lives and in the lives of others.”
– Dr. Brian Ray, Director, Poe Ethics Center; Senior Lecturer of Leadership and Ethics
by Gary Keller
“The ONE Thing has been on the New York Times bestseller list for years. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read on improving personal productivity. It is developed around a “focusing question” designed to help the reader identify the one thing to be accomplished that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. It addresses such issues as focus, goal pursuit, energy management, prioritization and controlling your calendar. Additionally, it addresses myths about multitasking, life balance and willpower. One of my biggest takeaways from the book is that success is typically a result of a series of sequential steps, one building upon the other exponentially, like dominoes falling. I have read this book at least 5 times and I teach the concepts regularly. It is a quick and fun read, perfect for the summer reading list.”
– Dr. Steve Tufts, Clinical Professor, Department of Marketing
by Walter Isaacson
“The innovations that brought us to our digital world were the work of interdisciplinary teams that included scientists to create, engineers to design, and business leaders to build and market products, and — as Steve Jobs would emphasize — liberal arts to make heart sing.”
– Dr. Mark Jamison, Director and Gerald L. Gunter Memorial Professor, Public Utility Research Center
by Edgar F. Puryear Jr.
“This book is a wonderful study of the leadership styles of four of the most prominent generals in World War II: MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, and Patton. It gives a brief synopsis of each of their biographies then goes on to address how they handled themselves in different facets of leadership such as dealing with subordinates, character, courage, and preparation. It pays great attention to how they each used a different style to accomplish the same thing which was defeating fascism and winning the greatest war the world has ever fought.”
– Dr. Brian Ray, Director, Poe Ethics Center; Senior Lecturer of Leadership and Ethics
by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
“A NY Times bestseller by Stanford Professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, this book discusses the application of design thinking principles in order to create a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. A great read and thought provoking for everyone questioning where they’re going in their career. And so popular among students it is the basis of a course at Stanford.”
– Jamie Kraft, Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center
by Stephen R. Covey
“This book is a staple, but it could be overlooked. Students can learn how to take control of their lives, relationships and careers by following these seven basic rules.”
– Dr. Dennis DiPasquale, Lecturer, Department of Marketing
by Kartik Hosanagar
“Algorithms and the artificial intelligence that underlies in almost every major tech platform and every web-enabled device, helps us in making everyday decisions, such as, what products we buy, where we decide to eat, how we consume our news, whom we date, and how we find a job. We’ve even delegated life-and-death decisions to algorithms–decisions once made by doctors, pilots, and judges. This book surveys the brave new world of algorithmic decision-making and reveals the potentially dangerous biases they can give rise to as they increasingly run our lives. It provides us with a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of algorithmic thinking, which may help us make more informed decisions with the help of algorithms.”
– Dr. Anuj Kumar, Matherly Professor, Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
by Steve Dalton
“The 2-Hour Job Search by Steve Dalton is a book that never leaves my desk and I bring it up in almost every career coaching appointment I have with students. It examines why blindly submitting resumes online is ineffective and provides a step-by-step guide regarding specific ways on how to use informational conversations and the benefits of technology to turn strangers into advocates for your career success. You may be familiar with the Glen Gary Glen Ross quote of “always be closing,” but in the Business Gator world you should “always be informational interviewing.”
– Katie McCarville, Associate Director, Undergraduate Business Career Services
by John C. Maxwell
“John Maxwell’s ‘5 Levels of Leadership’ is a great read for our student leaders to learn how to truly propel themselves and their organizations, but also set up a great foundation for the future CxOs in our college. This book can also give insights on how to recognize what level their managers, organizations, or firms are at, and if that’s good or bad for them.”
– Dr. Dennis DiPasquale, Lecturer, Department of Marketing
by Evan Offstein, PhD
“West Point is the ideal laboratory for studying the dynamics of character, honor, and leadership. West Point invests heavily in mentoring, training, and evaluation to ensure the leadership and character development of its 4,000 cadets. From Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant to astronaut Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin to basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, West Point has groomed leaders whose contributions far exceed the successful management of their immediate charges. By illuminating the principles by which West Point teaches leadership, Stand Your Ground not only provides a unique tour behind the scenes at this revered institution, but, more generally, imparts lessons of honor and character-building that can be adopted by any aspiring leader.”
– Dr. Brian Ray, Director, Poe Ethics Center; Senior Lecturer of Leadership and Ethics
