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Deprecated List - The Personal MBA

By Josh Kaufman

This page contains a list of books that were recommended in past editions of the Personal MBA reading list. This page is provided as a reference. Here’s the current list of Personal MBA-recommended business books.

First, a bit of history: the Personal MBA started as a personal side project. My goal was to learn more about business so I could do well in my new job. Instead of going on vacation, I spent my summer reading business books. You can read the whole story in my book.

The first edition of the Personal MBA reading list was published in August, 2005. At that point, I’d read approximately 200 books. Since then, I’ve read over a thousand business books (I lost count), and expanded my research into psychology, science, and systems theory. Over 11,000 business books are published every year, and my recommendations can only be as good as the books I’ve read. The more I read, better the list becomes.

The list also grew in size, from 44 initial recommendations to the current list of 99 titles. The list is locked at 99 recommendations, and won’t expand any further.

The books on the current Personal MBA reading list represent the very best business education resources I’m currently aware of. They are the first recommendations I give to businesspeople who are interested in learning how to make more money, get more done, and enjoy the process of building a successful venture. I track my research and recommendations closely, and update the list annually based on the results of my research.

I make every effort to avoid recommending “flavor of the month”-type books, books that happen to sell a large number of copies, and books that “everyone” thinks you should read. Business books, particularly in the management genre, can be very cargo-cultish, and I have several checks and balances that prevent me from recommending a book simply because it’s “hot.” The current list represents the result of my best efforts and research to date.

That said, many Personal MBA readers are curious about books that are no longer on the list, resulting in this page.

Books are typically removed from the “official” reading list for the following reasons:

  • I find another book that covers the same general topics and ideas more clearly and/or effectively than a past recommendation.
  • A book that’s lighter on fundamental concepts (the “mental models” I mention in The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business) is replaced by a book that covers more of these principles.
  • Books are removed from one category from the list in favor of expanding coverage in other areas. Example: removing selections from the Personal Finance category in favor of more books about Sales, etc.
  • As I gain personal experience with different aspects of corporate work and entrepreneurship, I become a better judge of the quality of advice contained in business books, and my opinion of what makes a great business book changes.

After settling at 99 total selections, the Personal MBA reading list tends to turn over books at a rate of approximately 5% per year. That’s pretty good, considering how many new books are published every year. Many of the current reading list selections have been included since the 2005 edition.

Past recommendations are still of good quality, and are worth reading. Removing a book from the current list is typically a difficult decision. Removing books is an absolute necessity to keep the list at a manageable size.

I still recommend reading books on the current list first, but feel free to pick up books on the deprecated list if one strikes your fancy – they’re still worth reading. Keep in mind that many of these recommendations are over seven years old, so you may not be able to find some of these books in print.

Here are past Personal MBA recommendations in alphabetical order:

Return to the current edition of the Personal MBA reading list…

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