Five books every MBA aspirant should read

If you want to complete your MBA, you’re going to be doingplenty of study. There’s no getting around the fact that a Master of BusinessAdministration demands an enormous commitment but that doesn’t mean you can’tdo late night reading of your own.

In no particular order, here are five must-read books forMBA hopefuls.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (2008)

Outliers is the source of the famous “10,000 Hour Rule” — thepremise that success is dependent on practicing a task for 10,000 hours. MalcolmGladwell uses Bill Gates and The Beatles as case studies and ponders the roleof perceived intelligence and rational decision making in high achievement.

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936)

Despite being published prior to World War II, this bookremains as popular as ever and has sold more than 15 million copies. It focuseson handling people in the workplace and communication skills, homing in on themessuch as interpersonal effectiveness and holistic perspectives.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey(1989)

These seven habits have become renowned because they work,Stephen Covey covers being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, puttingfirst things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand then to beunderstood, synergy and sharpening the saw.

Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal (2010)

Broken up into three sections – Jugaad, Junoon and Zubaan – Connect the Dots examines the lives of“20 true-life entrepreneurs without an MBA degree”, and how they came to besuccessful. Jugaad examines those without formal training, Junoon follows thosewith a specific idea and Zubaan focuses on those who are creative but lack aplatform to express themselves.

Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch (2005)

This autobiographical account from former General ElectricCEO and “the world’s toughest boss” Jack Welch. It delves into how he laid offover 100,000 workers during the 1980s and transformed the company into a “leanand mean engine of growth and corporate innovation.”