Stories are special to human beings because we understand stories better than we do facts. Being told the facts of the situation is not as relatable as the story. As regular readers already know I’m a fan of books about the business world. Biographies bring these two things together and give you the best of both. Some of the most amazing and most successful businesses have some amazing stories behind them. Here are 10 business biographies with inspirational stories behind them.
Shoe dog
I grew up in an age where Nike was a household name. It wasn’t always this way. Truth be told the book Shoe Dog is the reason I decided to write this article. It tells the story of Nike which is not as organised and put together as you would expect it to be. Phil Knight’s story is anything but the assured tale of someone who knew he would take over the world. It’s a story about opportunities and taking action on them.
The everything store
The story of Amazon is one of the biggest internet stories. While they started by selling books the idea of being a store that sells everything was always on the cards. This book was famously given a 1-star rating by Jeff Bezos now ex-wife but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad account of the Amazon story.
Alibaba: The house that Jack Ma Built
Jack Ma stands out because the achievement of building the world’s biggest eCommerce store looks even more impressive when coupled with his background. Alibaba’s story of growth and going all the way to the largest IPO in the world. The writer met Ma back in 1999 and has some great in-depth access to the inner workings of Alibaba.
Steve Jobs
There are many accounts of the life and times of Steve Jobs, the driving force behind the incredible success that Apple has become. Walter Isaacson’s account focuses on the intensity with which Steve Jobs worked and his outlook on both life and work. Job’s cooperated with the writer but did not take any control over the final product and that helps add an air of candour to the brilliant biography.
Empire state of mind
Lovers of hip-hop will be familiar with at least part of Jay-Z’s story. To clear up the story of the businessman this biography goes deep into Jay-Z’s story to paint a picture of his humble beginnings. Writer Greenburg talks to many big names who played a part in jay-Z’s journey and gives us a biography that reminds us that wonderful things can come from the strangest places.
Losing my virginity
Richard Branson is best described as a maverick of the business world. You would struggle with anyone else with a personality or outlook like his. The man behind the Virgin brand and business empire has a brilliant story that starts when he was very young, dropping out of school.
Onward
I did not expect to enjoy this biography as much as I did. Starbucks is certainly but it’s just coffee, right? It’s a whole lot more and this account of how Schultz decided to return to the daily operations of Starbucks to bring it back to its former glory will paint a beautifully detailed picture. If you have ever wondered if there is space for heart in business this is the biography for you.
Made in Japan
Sony is an iconic name. It has enjoyed success in televisions, cameras, video games, portable music players and even mobile phones. The man behind much of Sony’s success Akio Morita has an interesting biography. This tells the story of how being led by principles propelled Sony to the top of the world.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is a big name and while a lot will be said about Tesla, SpaceX and what is to come there’s also a lot to be said about his achievements in PayPal. Elon Musk also happens to not be the run on the mill business tycoon that stereotypes would have you believe all successes should be. This biography looks into how the mind of Musk works and why we should all learn from it.
Jack straight from the gut
Nowhere near as popular as some of the names on this list you’d be forgiven for not knowing who Jack Welch is. This captain of industry was one of the greatest turnarounds in American Business history when he was appointed chairman of General Electric America. His leadership style and the lessons drawn from it make this biography worth the read.
These are 10 of the most inspiring business biographies that I have read. My favourite of the lot is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.
