Best Business Professional's Biographies Books of 2026

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike is a captivating memoir that reveals the inside story of Nike's early days as a start-up and its journey to becoming one of the world's most renowned brands. Phil Knight, the founder, and board chairman of Nike, shares his story in an unfiltered, funny, and beautifully crafted way. Knight's memoir is more than just a story of a successful business, it's a story of triumphs, setbacks, and the importance of relationships. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, business, and sports culture.

The Millionaire Next Door by Taylor Trade Publishing is a bestselling book that identifies seven common traits of wealthy Americans. The authors debunk the myth that most millionaires inherit their wealth and provide tips for anyone with a steady job to amass wealth through frugality. The book is a fascinating examination of the affluent in American society, and it's a primer for those who want to become wealthy. The writing is engaging, and the data-driven insights are eye-opening. Overall, The Millionaire Next Door is a must-read for anyone interested in wealth management.

"When the Heavens Went on Sale" is a fascinating look at the private companies driving a revolutionary new economy in space. The book follows the journey of four pioneering companies – Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab – as they attempt to build new space systems and launch rockets and satellites into orbit by the thousands. Through immersive reporting, Ashlee Vance takes the reader on a journey through private company headquarters, labs, and top-secret launch locations around the world. While the public fixated on space tourism, these companies aimed to make rocket and satellite launches fast and cheap, thereby opening Earth's lower orbit for business. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the new Space Age and the Wild West of aerospace engineering."

Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam by Vivek Ramaswamy is a thought-provoking book that exposes the defining scam of our century. The author, a young entrepreneur, takes readers behind the scenes of corporate boardrooms and secretive nonprofits, exposing how America's elites prey on our innermost insecurities about who we really are. By mixing morality with consumerism, they sell us cheap social causes and skin-deep identities to satisfy our hunger for a cause and our search for meaning. This book not only critiques stakeholder capitalism, but it also offers a better way forward. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the new corporatist agenda and what it means to be an American in 2021.

This book, titled "Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and Its Employees in the Friendly Skies," takes readers behind the scenes of United Airlines' remarkable turnaround. Oscar Munoz, the CEO who led the charge, faced numerous challenges, from a stalled merger with Continental to a reputation in free fall. However, he learned that championing the employees themselves was the key to success. The book details how Munoz and his team weathered turbulence, overcame battles with investors, and navigated PR crises, ultimately bringing the people of United together as one team. Overall, this book offers a compelling look at the power of employee engagement and the importance of leadership in a high-pressure industry.

Faster Cures by Michael Milken is a fascinating memoir and recent history of medicine that details his work to accelerate medicine's evolution from a dark past to a bright future. The book offers a unique personal journey of Milken from his early views in the 1950s to his storied careers in finance and health. Milken recognized the promise of immunology more than twenty-five years ago and provided crucial support for the emergence of immunotherapy as a powerful life-saving treatment. The book is an inspiring crusade to accelerate cures and treatments so that more people around the world can live longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives.

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography that reveals the story of Robert Moses, the most powerful man in New York City and State during the 20th century. The book provides a multidimensional portrait of Moses, showcasing his rise to power and his impact on the city's landscape, including the creation of parks and highways, as well as the failures of public housing. This book offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of politics and how power can shape a city and the lives of millions of people.

Learn how to drive meaningful change in your life and work with Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World. This Wall Street Journal Bestseller is a memoir, leadership lessons, and big ideas all rolled into one. Ginni Rometty, former CEO of a world-renowned company, shares milestones from her life and career. She redefines power as a way to drive meaningful change in positive ways for ourselves, our organizations, and for the many, not just the few—a concept she calls "good power." Learn how to use this power at any stage of your life and work with the five principles Rometty highlights: be in service of others, build belief, know what must change and what must endure, steward good tech, and be resilient. Use this book as a blueprint to improve your career, inspire your team, and create healthier societies.

One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how to invest in the stock market. Lynch, a legendary mutual-fund manager, shares his expertise on how average investors can make money by investing in companies before they become popular. He explains how to sort out the promising companies from the no-shots by reviewing financial statements and knowing which numbers really count. Lynch's timeless advice has made this book a classic of investment know-how, and it's easy to see why. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their investment strategy.

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how to foster creativity in business and leadership. As a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, Catmull shares his insights into the company's unique environment that has produced some of the most successful films in history. The book provides an inside look into Pixar's meetings, postmortems, and "Braintrust" sessions, revealing the ideals and techniques that have made it so widely admired and profitable. Overall, Creativity, Inc. is an insightful and inspiring read that offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to unleash their creativity and achieve success.