Libraries Of Leaders: On The Bookshelves Of Market Veterans And Business Leaders

When Warren Buffett was once asked about the key to his success, he pointed to a stack of nearby books and said, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”

But what do successful business leaders read? And do they opt to be educated or entertained? On this week's edition, we got some reading recommendations from Suneeta Reddy, managing director of Apollo Hospitals, Rashesh Shah, chairman and chief executive officer of the Edelwiess Group, and renowned investor and member of the Bombay Stock Exchange, Ramesh Damani.

1. Suneeta Reddy

Suneeta Reddy is the managing director of Apollo Hospitals and has been part of the organisation since 1989. A fitness enthusiast, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a diploma in financial management. Here is what she reads and recommends.

1. At The Feet Of The Master by Jiddu Krishnamurti

The book is a theosophical work by author and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. The central theme of the book is humanity as the essence of divinity. Written under the pen name Alcyone, it is believed to be a recollection of the teachings his master passed on to him preparing him for his initiation.

2. Fooled By Randomness: The Hidden Role Of Chance In Life And In The Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

One of four books of the popular Incerto series, he book is a study of the art of decision-making in a volatile world subject to the uncertainties and the vicissitudes of luck, probability, and human error.

2. Rashesh Shah

Rasheh Shah is the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Edelwiess Group, one of India’s leading diversified financial conglomerates. Here is a look at some of his favourite books.

1. Imperium: A Novel Of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris

The book is the story of a young Roman politician and intellectual Cicero's quest for ultimate power or imperium told through the eyes of his secretary Tiro.

2. Built To Last: Successful Habits Of Visionary Companies by James Collins and Jerry Porras

The book dwells on the values and practices of companies which have survived and thrived through multiple product cycles and many generations of leadership change. The underlying message is that successful products soon become obsolete and visionary leaders do not live forever but some companies consistently outperform because of certain habits.

3. Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, And The Greatest Race The World Has Ever Seen by Christopher McDougall

Written by a an injury-plagued runner, the book narrates a journey in which the author tracks down a remote Mexican tribe whose members can run incredible distances without any adverse affects. The book isn’t purely an ethnography and has incredibly rich characters. It also delves why humans, of all primates, needed and developed the ability to run long distances .

3. Ramesh Damani

Ramesh Damani is a renowned investor and a member of the Bombay Stock Exchange. Here’s what he recommended from his reading list.

1. All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There by Peter Bevelin

The book about a fictitious character, the Seeker, visiting the Library of Wisdom where he (or she) meets the Librarian, also a fictitious character, together with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Here the Seeker, who has been through his fair share of trouble, gets lessons on better decision-making. It is a simply written book that highlights virtues such as common sense and efficiency.

2. The Spirit of St Louis by Charles Lindbergh

The Spirit of St Louis was a single-engine, single-seat aircraft in which the author made a solo trans-atlantic flight . The book is an autobiographical account of the events leading up to the trip.

3. A Piece Of Action: How The Middle Class Joined The Money Class by Joseph Nocera

The book explores the history and evolution of personal financial products and the impact they had on American society, dating back to the introduction of credit cards for the first time.