Best Books for MBA Aspirants

One of the best degrees with the highest demand worldwide is the MBA degree. Graduates with an MBA can attract employment in a variety of fields, such as finance, marketing, and human resources. People with the capacity to plan ahead, create strategic objectives, and collaborate with individuals from various backgrounds are always needed by organizations, and these are the skills that are taught in an MBA Program.

You should be ready to succeed in the application process and hone your critical thinking skills before applying to an MBA program. The books on your MBA reading list will be critical at this point. We have included the books you should add to your MBA reading list, from classics to the newest releases. These books are routinely cited by top CEOs from around the world.

Best Must-read Books for MBA Aspirants

An MBA applicant should read every single day no matter the time duration, consistency being the key. It's not difficult to see why an MBA candidate would gain from reading literature that would help them achieve their goals. But reading also benefits you in a variety of other ways. It contributes to your vocabulary growth, analytical thinking development, mental clarity, and many other skills.

Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

The book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter was published in 1997. It promotes the value of achieving financial independence and developing wealth through investments, real estate investments, business startups, and ownership, as well as raising one's financial intelligence to enhance one's business and financial skills. Written in the parabolic set style and ostensibly based on Kiyosaki's life, Rich Dad Poor Dad.

The majority of the book is based on Kiyosaki's education and upbringing in Hawaii as a child. It emphasizes the divergent perspectives on money, work, and life of two same-aged but differently-minded men (thus his titles as "rich dad" and "poor dad") and how their perspectives towards money influenced important choices in Kiyosaki's life.

Groundswell - Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li

Executives Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research wrote the book Groundswell, which focuses on how businesses can benefit from new social technology. Harvard Business Press released it in 2008. 2011 saw the release of an updated edition.

The goal of the book is to demonstrate how the dynamic between customers and businesses has changed, and how market research, customer service, and advertising are no longer sufficient for businesses to influence consumer sentiments. Instead, buyers steer the narrative by discussing goods and businesses on new media.

Straight from the Gut - Jack Welch

Jack Welch, the former chairman, and chief executive officer of General Electric, epitomizes what many consider to be the most important qualities of a daring corporate leader: courage, expertise, and a track record that includes maintaining a top firm incredibly profitable for 20 years.

This book does not concentrate on in-depth management theory; rather, it is essentially an autobiography of Jack Welch's time at GE. The presentation of leadership as an art and discipline that can be acquired, developed, and mastered as opposed to a personal charism or other typical preconceptions of leadership is spell-binding.

Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

Whether it's cultural epidemics (The Tipping Point) or hasty judgments (Blink), Malcolm Gladwell succeeds at finding a social phenomenon, advancing his argument, and presenting his evidence through a number of succinct, interesting, self-contained anecdotes. He investigates the phenomena of exceptional achievement in Outliers, the amazing success stories that are frequently linked to determination, hard work, and a natural talent for the individual. The author acknowledges the value of aptitude and emphasizes the importance of perseverance as a key to any endeavor's success. But in these success stories, variables like timing, environment, and cultural heritage play a vital but frequently ignored role. Thus, Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers is a homage to these unsung heroes.

Connect the Dots - Rashmi Bansal

"Connect the Dots" by Rashmi Bansal is one of the few English books created specifically with an Indian readership in mind. Twenty entrepreneurial stories from people who have never attended a business school are collected in this book. They were motivated by a desire to live engaging, passionate, and significant lives and to pursue their passions. Their boutiques unmistakably convey the sentiment that you need a huge dream to make it happen. Everything rests in your hands, heart, and mind. The author asks the subjects and supplements their statements with provocative questions in this conversation-style writing.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

One of the first self-help bestsellers to be printed is this one. It was written by Dale Carnegie and was initially released in 1936. Since then, 15 million copies have been sold globally.

The main portions of the book discuss leadership skills, how to win others around to your way of thinking, and people-handling strategies.

The Toyota Way - Jeffrey Liker

The management style and production system used by Toyota Motor Corporation are both based on a set of values and behaviors known as "The Toyota Way." The Toyota Way 2001 was the name given to Toyota's ideology, principles, and industrial ideals at the time. It is composed of guidelines for ongoing progress and respect for others.

"A system meant to provide the tools for people to consistently improve their job," is how The Toyota Way has been described.

The Toyota Way's 14 guiding principles are divided into four groups

• Long-Term Thinking.

• The right procedure will result in the right outcomes.

• Enhance the Organization's Value by Investing in Your People

• Root-problem solving drives organizational learning on a constant basis.

The two pillars of the principles respect for people and ongoing progress. Establishing a long-term vision, tackling problems, ongoing innovation, and addressing the root of the problem are all examples of principles for continuous development. The values of respect for people include approaches to fostering teamwork and respect.

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd kid, is followed on his travels in The Alchemist. Santiago chooses to visit a Romani diviner in a neighboring town in order to learn the meaning of a dream that he believes to be prophetic. He is informed by a gypsy woman that there is a treasure hidden in the Egyptian pyramids.

Finding one's destiny is the book's central concept. According to The New York Times, The Alchemist is "more self-help than literary." When you genuinely want something to happen, the cosmos will work in harmony to grant your dream, an old king tells Santiago. This is the central tenet of the book's philosophy and the theme that permeates The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

It teaches you how to forge your own path and realize the goals you've always wanted to pursue. This is expertly explained by the author in his narration.

Freakonomics - Levitt and Dubner

The book is a collection of Levitt's "economic" articles. He is an authority who has established a reputation for applying economic theory to a variety of topics that "conventional" economists often do not address. He agrees with the widely accepted rational utility-maximization microeconomic theory.

Levitt and Dubner assert in Freakonomics that the fundamental purpose of economics is to investigate incentives.

Conclusion

The aforementioned is the curated list of books that are essential for MBA aspirants and entrepreneurship enthusiasts. You can choose to finish reading these novels in any sequence. Most readers benefit from these books' enduring impressions and assistance in navigating the MBA world. Their good influence on your life, both personally and professionally, is certain. These books will also aid you in the general data processing interview (GD-PI), as they are full of useful quotations and lessons. You may also wow the examiners by demonstrating your in-depth familiarity with the subjects of these books in your MBA entrance interviews. Anyway, these books are a charm for MBA aspirants.