Vistage’s top business books of 2024

Every year a huge number of business-related books are published – so many that it can be hard to know which are actually useful. 

Whether you’re looking to find some new reading material to improve your own business or are on the hunt for a gift for a business leader, we’ve got you covered. Spanning a range of topics, we’ve chosen five of our favourite business-related books published in 2024. 

For economics fans…

Title: Growth: A Reckoning

Author: Daniel Susskind

What it’s about

Should we rethink economic growth?

There’s no denying that growth has improved our lives in numerous ways over the centuries: it’s freed people from poverty, it’s increased our life expectancy, it’s improved our health. However, growth has also had a negative effect in many ways. It has destabilised technologies. It has widened inequalities. It has increased environmental destruction and contributed significantly to climate change. 

In Growth: A Reckoning, Daniel Susskind addresses the growth dilemma. He explores the true drivers of growth, both now and historically, and discusses how, rather than abandoning growth, we should redirect it. 

Why you should read it

We live in a time full of uncertainty about growth and its value – and a time where productivity (and therefore growth) needs to increase. Susskind’s book delves into the history of economics as well as addressing current economic issues from an ethical perspective: a thought-provoking read for innovators and business minds. 

For technology lovers…

Title: Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World

Author: Parmy Olson

What it’s about

Award-winning journalist, Parmy Olson, delves into Microsoft and Google’s race towards mass-market AI supremacy while navigating the thorny issues of ethics and the potential to completely change the world as we know it. 

It tells the story of Open AI (ChatGPT) and DeepMind (Bard) and their needs for funding to develop their revolutionary technologies. That’s where Microsoft and Google came in – providing the funds in exchange for power. But are they going in the right direction – or a dangerous one?

Why you should read it

We’ve spoken a lot about the rise of AI this year – and it’s a topic that looks set to remain both hot and controversial. Olson’s book makes the subject approachable, accessible and entertaining, telling AI’s story using the humans behind its biggest players. 

Whether you’re already playing with AI for your business, you’re considering using it or you’re concerned about its impact, this gripping and well-researched title offers not only history and facts, but also a strong focus on the technology’s impact on humanity. 

For improving productivity…

Title: The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder

Author: Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao

What it’s about

Friction is not always a bad thing in the workplace – there are times when it is incredibly useful. For seven years, Sutton and Rao have studied the causes – and solutions – of friction-related issues within a range of businesses. In this book they share how to avoid and repair bad friction and where and how to use good friction, providing lessons on how to become a ‘friction fixer’.

Why you should read it

From complicated hiring processes to poor emails, there are many elements of workplace life that can be plagued – or improved – by using friction in the right way. If you’re a leader who’s struggling to handle bad friction in the workplace, or want to know how to use friction in a good way to propel your business and your team forward, this book is for you. With practical solutions and easy-to-follow lessons, reviewers have highlighted how this title can “create productive, innovative and caring workplaces”. 

For ethical solutions…

Title: Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World

Author: Alison Taylor

What it’s about

Ethical issues in the corporate world have never been more prominent. Child labour, surveillance, environmental impacts and more have meant that being ethical is no longer merely about staying on the right side of the law – it’s about being seen to do the right thing. But what exactly is ‘the right thing’?

Author Alison Taylor is an ethics professor at NYU Stern, and in this title she lays out blueprints for how businesses can genuinely reshape and rethink their ethical approach to build trust, be genuine and gain a competitive advantage. 

Why you should read it

Ethics in business is a contentious issue. With no real consensus on what is ‘right’, and with greenwashing and similar undermining some brands’ ethical credentials, it can be hard to know how to navigate this topic as it continues to become an integral part of ‘business as normal’. This is a practical guide that cuts through the confusion, helping business leaders to do the right thing, in the right way. 

For a new take on ‘business’…

Title: The Corporation in the 21st Century: Why (almost) everything we are told about business is wrong

Author: John Kay

What it’s about

How do we define a corporation? In the past, it was a capitalist business that uses its wealth to own its means of production, and to exercise economic power. 

With so many ‘products’ now intangible, that definition has shifted. What’s more, the way corporations are perceived are changing: social networks that have billions of customers (users) but are largely perceived negatively, pharmaceutical companies that produce life-saving vaccines but have lost public trust. 

In this book, leading economist John Kay revisits what business today is actually for, and how it works. 

Why you should read it

Great for those who aren’t in business as well as those who are, this book is well-researched and explains things in simple ways – despite Kay’s illustrious economics career. It’s a title that covers a number of topical subjects – like the impact of the shareholder value movement – in a witty way. This book is a must-read for those who are fascinated by the ways in which the shifting economic landscape is changing the way businesses are run. 

Which business books are top of your reading list for 2025?

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