Often an instant classic and must-read for everyone.ĩ – Superb. A helpful and/or enlightening book that, in addition to meeting the highest standards in all pertinent aspects, stands out even among the best. Here's what the ratings mean:ġ0 – Brilliant.

Books we rate below 5 won’t be summarized.

Our rating helps you sort the titles on your reading list from solid (5) to brilliant (10). We rate each piece of content on a scale of 1–10 with regard to these two core criteria. Helpful – You’ll take-away practical advice that will help you get better at what you do. Whatever we select for our library has to excel in one or the other of these two core criteria:Įnlightening – You’ll learn things that will inform and improve your decisions. Look at what past organizations have encountered, and you'll find stories of the human condition to be a common denominator - and information you can use to achieve your own competitive advantage.At getAbstract, we summarize books* that help people understand the world and make it better. Sharpening your business acumen doesn't have to be a boring affair. Related: Bill Gates Made These 15 Predictions Back in 1999 - and It's Scary How Accurate He Was Insider trading, which shares the story of how insider trading laws became more strictly enforced following a 1959 exposé of corruption at Texas Gulf Sulphur amidst exploding investor gains. The launch of the Ford Edsel, a cautionary tale about the timeliness of customer research, the importance of product quality and the shifting desires of markets. Xerox's innovation faux-pas, in which the company extensively funded Ethernet research in the 1970s, opening the door for other companies to run to the front and capitalize on opportunity. Here are some of Business Adventures' most popular parables: Gates' insights are interesting considering that one of the cautionary tales references advantages and opportunities found by, among many other businesses, Microsoft.

As Gates describes in a blog post, many of the particulars of business have changed, but the fundamentals have not. Of course Gates and Buffett love this book - it's about business, but told through story. Related: Copywriters Use These 4 Psychological Tactics to Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines

12 business adventures