Even in the era of movies, TV and podcasts, books are still a great way to learn something new. Books can inspire us, show us a new perspective and help us work through roadblocks in our personal lives and professional careers and there are books every MBA should read.

READ ALSO: Here are the books that inspired and entertained Arizona business leaders

We consulted those in our alumninetworktofind outwhich books have been most influential in their lives. Using theirrecommendations, we compiled a list of 10 books that every MBA should read.

While there are many books centered on behavioral psychology, this is one of the earliest that provides practical examples and usage of those principles. The principles outlined in this book can be used in everyday examples such as how to get the best price when buying or selling a usedcar andare used to shape consumer behavior when staying at hotels or showing support for political candidates or initiatives. Direct work applications include negotiating, garnering leadership support and when additional stakeholder buy-in is necessary to move projects forward. Shawn Davis18 MBA, Senior Advisor and ProductOwner, CVS Health

Get the book.

Written by our namesake, Karl Eller, this book chronicles the highs and lows of his career,the guiding principles that helped lead to his success and important lessons that managers and entrepreneurs can apply in their roles and organizations.

Recommended as one of the 10 books every MBA should read by Sylvia Muoz92 BS, 02 MA,MBA Admissions Manager, EllerCollege of Management

Get the book.

This multiple biography is centered on Lincolns mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nations history. Historian Goodwin illuminates Lincolns political genius, as the one-term congressman rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals to become president. When Lincoln emerged as the victor at the Republican National Convention, his rivals were dismayed. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery led inexorably to civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was because of his extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. It was this that enabled Lincoln to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union. Simon & Schuster

Recommended byLisle W. Payne64BSBA(Marketing)67 MBA, Chairman, Payne Family Foundation

Get the book.

For nearly fifteen years,The Secrets of Question Based Sellinghas been helping great salespeople live you deliver big results.Itscommonsense approach has become a classic, must-have tool that demonstrates how asking the right questions at the right time accurately identifies your customers needs.

But consumer behavior and sales techniques change as rapidly as technologyand there are countless contradictory sales training programs promising results. Knowing where you should turn to for success can be confusing. Now fully revised and updated,The Secrets of Question Based Sellingprovides a step-by-step, easy-to-follow program that focuses specifically on sales effectivenessidentifying the strategies and techniques that will increase your probability of success. Sourcebooks

Recommended byThomas CLaMantia87BSBA (MIS), CEO,MageniumSolutions

Get the book.

The essential leadership playbook. Learn the principles and guiding philosophies of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey and many others through illuminating conversations about their remarkable lives and careers.

For the past five years, David M. Rubensteinauthor of The American Story, visionary cofounder of The Carlyle Group, and host of The David Rubenstein Showhas spoken with the worlds highest performing leaders about who they are and how they became successful. How to Lead distills these revealing conversations into an indispensable leadership guidebook. Simon & Schuster

Recommended byWaltZipperman69 BSBA,75MBA (University of Santa Clara), Senior Managing Director, Accenture

Get the book.

In this newly revised 10th anniversary edition, Yvon Chouinardlegendary climber, businessman, environmentalist and founder of Patagoniashares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth.

From his youth as the son of a French-Canadian handyman to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sports equipment,Let My People Go Surfingis the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Penguin Publishing Group

Recommended bySteve Morrison10 MBA,Director,Full-Time MBA Program, Eller College of Management

Get the book.

Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two yearsas well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleaguesWalter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing. Isaacsons portrait touched millions of readers. Simon & Schuster

Recommended byJim Muzzy63 BA (Economics) 64 MBA, Co-Founder, PIMCO

Get the book.

The Road to Excellenceidentifies the common blind spots that can take any business off track. The book gives you six powerful leadership strategies that, when followed, make it easier for you to find the answer the critical question: What, exactly, stands between my company and organizational excellenceand what do I do about it? Sandler Training

Recommended byKristen Garcia-Hernandez05 MSM, CEO, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona

Get the book.

In his breakthrough bestsellerThe Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, inBlink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within.Blinkis a book about how we think withoutthinking,about choices that seem to be made in an instantin the blink of an eyethatactually arentas simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really workin the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?Blinkreveals that great decision makers arent those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art ofthin-slicingfiltering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables. Back Bay Books

Recommended byMike Myers88 BSBA,92 MBA (University of Southern California),Managing Director and Founder,Cross and Wild/CrowdPharm

Get the book.

While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights hes gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in. Harper Business

Recommended byJay Hernandez98 BSBA (Accounting and Finance),04 MBA (Georgetown University),Managing Director and Sector Head of Industrial Technology Investment Banking, Raymond James

Get the book.

Read the rest here:
10 books every MBA should read - AZ Big Media