Great Books That Shaped The B-School Elite

 

STEPHEN J. KOBRIN

William Wurster Professor of Multinational Management, Wharton School of Business

Which book has influenced you the most? Why?

I cannot think of any one book. In terms of genres, I think that history has had the greatest impact by providing a broader understanding of the present.

What do you plan to read next?

On China by Henry Kissinger.

How do you usually like to read — real books or on digital devices?

Both are “real books” and I read both e-books and traditional print books. I like the portability and omnipresence of digital devices and find that the reproduction of graphics and photographs on them often surpasses what is typically found in a print book. However, I also like the feel of a traditional print book and will select paper when I know I will want to refer back to earlier parts of the books as I am reading, or if I want to make marginal notations.

Apart from management books, which genres do you like best?

History, politics and biography

If you are stranded alone on an island which is the one book you would like for company and why?

Iliad and Odyssey. Both are engaging reads and a lesson in patience. Penelope provides assurance that there will be someone there when I am finally rescued.

ROBERT BRUNER

Dean and Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business Administration, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia

Which book has influenced you the most?

I read 30-50 books per year and have done so for several decades. Thus, it is hard to isolate just one book that has had the greatest influence. Contenders would be the U.S. Constitution, the Bible, Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and the Collected Works of Shakespeare — but these and many others would be standard fare for the “most influential” category. I’ll offer an unusual nominee: Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I read it first when I was 11 years old and have re-read it a couple of times. I love Tolstoy’s linkage to actual historical events (how Napoleon’s invasion of Russia swept across so many people), his development of characters, and his insights about leadership. Also, reading such a big book at an early age convinced me that I could make sense of a very complicated work of literature — it built my self-confidence. I highly recommend War and Peace.

What do you plan to read next?

Designing for Growth by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie. Jeanne Liedtka, my colleague at the Darden School, is one of the global thought leaders in the new field of design thinking. This field offers a host of important insights about innovation, and how leaders can harness the best talents of their organization.