The 13 Most Popular Business Books Of 2013
13. "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High"
12. "The Power of Habit"
Author: Charles Duhigg
Overall ranking: 82
Year published: 2012
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist comes an examination of how habits form, how they can be changed, and the massive effect they have on businesses and our lives.
Find "The Power of Habit" here »
11. "Strengths Based Leadership"
Author: Tom Rath
Overall ranking: 78
Year published: 2009
A wildly successful book from the team at Gallup, "Strengths Based Leadership" is the result of an extremely broad survey of both excellent leaders and the people who choose to follow them.
It was also the ninth most-searched book of the year on Google.
Find "Strengths Based Leadership" here »
10. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"
Author: Carol Dweck
Overall ranking: 76
Year published: 2006
Based on years of research from Dweck, a Ph.D. and Stanford University professor, the book argues that it's not ability or intelligence that brings success, but whether you have a fixed mindset that doesn't change or a growth mindset that's fluid and able to change.
9. "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
Author: Dale Carnegie
Overall ranking: 75
Year published: 1936
After more than 70 years, Carnegie's book is still going extremely strong. His advice and techniques change people's lives to this day, and prominent fans include Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett.
8. "Outliers"
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Overall ranking: 59
Year published: 2008
Gladwell had a hit with his 2008 look at success. The book argues that while talent, intelligence, and hard work are all great, the real secret of successful people is often luck, timing, and where they're from.
7. "Good to Great"
Author: Jim Collins
Overall ranking: 51
Year published: 2001
Collins' famous business book, which was Amazon's top seller in 2002 and 2006, argues that good companies become great by confronting the brutal realities of their business, finding out what they're uniquely good at, creating a culture of discipline, and building and maintaining momentum.
6. "David and Goliath"
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Overall ranking: 42
Year published: 2013
Gladwell's newest bestseller focuses on the hidden advantages that underdogs have. The "Goliaths" of the world can be overconfident and careless, he says, which often ends up costing them.
5. "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team"
Author: Patrick Lencioni
Overall ranking: 38
Year published: 2002
Through a fictional "leadership fable," Lencioni demonstrates the dysfunctional behaviors that can cause teams, even those made up of the best people, to fail.
4. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"
Author: Susan Cain
Overall ranking: 28
Year published: 2012
Cain became a successful corporate lawyer and negotiation consultant despite being an introvert. "Quiet" is a well-researched look at the advantages of being an introvert.
3. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
Author: Stephen R. Covey
Overall ranking: 27
Year published: 1990
One of the most successful self-help books of all time, "7 Habits" teaches that with a change of viewpoint or perspective, it's possible to be dramatically more productive.
The book also saw a renewed surge of interest after its author passed away last summer at age 79.
Find "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" here »
2. "Lean In"
Author: Sheryl Sandberg
Overall ranking: 2
Year published: 2013
The Facebook COO's widely discussed book was the only one to appear on the top 100 list in both its physical form (at No. 2) and as an e-book (at No. 57). It was also the most-searched-for book of 2013, according to Google's annual zeitgeist trend report.
She argues that women continue to face career obstacles but can overcome them by speaking up, setting big goals, working hard, and finding supporters.
1. "Strengths Finder 2.0"
Author: Tom Rath
Overall ranking: 1
Year published: 2007
This book was a bestseller when it first came out and continues to sell extraordinarily well today. It provides advice from the database of people who have taken Gallup's StrengthsFinder test, which is designed to advise people on what they're best at.
Find "StrengthsFinder 2.0" here »
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