The 100 Greatest Books

The following is an appendix to this post, found in the book How to Develop Your Executive Ability, by Daniel Starch.

While there may be disagreements over rankings, omissions, etc., this list of classics is passed forward for those that want suggestions for what sorts of reading might broaden their horizons. In the opinion of that author, one of the best ways to nourish your creative powers is to “read widely the writings and records of the greatest minds of all time. ” As engineers, creativity is one of our greatest assets, and for leaders, he states:

We read to be entertained, to be instructed, and to be uplifted. Executives, on whose shoulders rests the responsible conduct of affairs, employing the millions of workers, particularly need to read for all three of these purposes in order to keep that inner balance necessary to judge wisely, decide soundly, and manage successfully.

Each came with a score, representing composite judgment input from 100 distinguished persons. Entries 101-106 are if one considers the writings of Shakespeare as a single book, and/or one just likes to see more books.

On to the list.