Recommended reading: Business biographies and autobiographies

Brent Hathaway, Ph.D., dean of the Lee Business School, stands about his books in his office at UNLV on Wednesday, August 27, 2014. He has presented his list of 10 of the most influential business biographies and autobiographies.

Dear readers, business owners, managers and entrepreneurs: In June, we presented our list of 10 must-read books for business managers. Perhaps you’re ready for a new stack of tomes for your bedside table or downloads for your tablet.

Today, we present our latest compilation, a mix of 10 biographies and autobiographies showcasing the best and brightest entrepreneurs, business professionals and visionaries, as recommended by local experts and research, in order of publication date.

“Mary Kay: You Can Have it All: Lifetime Wisdom from America’s Foremost Woman Entrepreneur,” by Mary Kay Ash, Prima Lifestyles, 1995

“You Can Have it All” presents the inspiring story of a recently widowed and trailblazing mother of three who in 1963 used $5,000 in savings to create Mary Kay Cosmetics, which since has grown into a billion-dollar international company.

“While perhaps focusing more on success in the Mary Kay business setting, she offers sage advice on achieving success and how to handle a variety of challenges in a professional career,” said Brent Hathaway, dean of the Lee Business School at UNLV.

“Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller,” by Ron Chernow, Random House, 1998

In ranking “Titan” as the third-best business-related entrepreneurial biography, renowned ghostwriter, speaker and magazine editor Jeff Haden said: “Bean counters of the world, unite. Rockefeller started as an accountant and ended the richest man in the world. … He monopolized the oil business, then turned philanthropist. Some biographies reduce people to one-dimensional caricatures; Chernow fleshes out Rockefeller as a person. If a new commodity … revolutionizes business you’ll know what to do. And you’ll know how to give all the money you make away as well.”

“Jack: Straight from the Gut,” by Jack Welch and John A. Byrne, Warner Business Books, 2001

“This autobiography definitely gets a gold star,” UNLV’s business librarian Patrick Griffis said of this work by the man who headed General Electric from 1981 to 2001. “What makes it so good? It contains insights from Jack Welch, possibly the most successful CEO ever, from his own perspective. Welch has written other books, but I think this one is the most biographical.”

“Martha, Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia,” by Christopher Byron, John Wiley & Sons, 2002

In an essay reflecting on this unauthorized biography, author Byron said: “I began writing ‘Martha, Inc.’ for two reasons: My publisher … asked me to write the book, and Martha Stewart said she would cooperate. But I continued writing it even after Martha changed her mind, for a single reason that outweighed all other considerations: I had come … to regard Martha Stewart as the most important, compelling and complex woman in American public life today, and easily the most worthwhile and encompassing subject for a biography to be found anywhere.” Any questions?

“The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John & Charles Deere,” by Neil Dahlstrom and Jeremy Dahlstrom, Northern Illinois University Press, 2005

The iconic green and yellow tractors with the prancing deer logo are recognized the world over, and John Deere was a true entrepreneur, a humble blacksmith who developed a steel plow that would revolutionize the agricultural business.

“John Deere had a habit of rolling up his sleeves and working alongside employees on the shop floor,” Hathaway said. “His desire to maintain quality and affordability as core business attributes resonated with generations of loyal customers and continues to drive a strong company culture that thrives almost 200 years later.”

“The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century,” by Steven Watts, Knopf Publishing Group, 2005

A Michigan farm boy who emerged as the father of mass production, “Henry Ford proves you don’t have to be first to be successful,” said Haden, who ranked “The People’s Tycoon” as his No. 5 must-read business biography. “Didn’t invent the automobile or car manufacturing. Just did it better than anyone else. Didn’t invent the assembly line. Just did it better. Proved customers will often embrace fewer choices in return for lower cost and greater reliability. Doubled workers’ wages while shortening the work day, creating one of the first mass production manufacturing systems. ... Ford believed in the ‘redemptive power of material goods.’ He’d be right at home among today’s marketers.”

“The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life,” by Alice Schroeder, Bantam Books, 2008

Widely considered the bible for capitalists, this title recounts Buffett’s ascension as a superstar in the investing world.

“Core principles borne of his childhood experiences instilled a personal philosophy and investment strategy that drove how he treated his investors, whom he refreshingly called partners,” Hathaway said. “Omaha is not the mecca of the financial world, but Buffett overcame the limitations of his hometown and significant challenges without losing his roots.”

“Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose,” by Tony Hsieh, Grand Central Publishing, 2010

Penned by the CEO of Las Vegas-based online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos.com, “Delivering Happiness” is an inspiring read by a well-known local, Griffis said.

“A serial entrepreneur, Hsieh offers a relevant, detailed account of the life and challenges of an entrepreneur,” Griffis said. “He has such passion and vision, and that really carries through and infuses everything he does.”

“Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business” by Barbara Corcoran and Bruce Littlefield, Penguin Group, 2011

After bombing at 20 jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 in 1973, quit her waitressing gig and co-founded the Corcoran Group, a tiny real estate office in New York City. Forty years later, she has invested in more than a dozen businesses, is a prominent figure in the New York real estate scene and is a star of the television show “Shark Tank,” which is among the reasons Griffis gave “Shark Tales” the nod.

“This book is immensely popular, and contains a lot of testimonials that are easily relatable to today’s business environment,” he said. “It’s a great way for people to know what to expect in business. That’s what the show does, and that’s what this book does, too.”

“Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost it, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas,” by David G. Schwartz, Winchester Books, 2013

In the 1960s, Jay Sarno built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, and had plans for a third hotel, the Grandissimo. That project never came to fruition, but it would have ushered in the era of megaresorts well ahead of their time.

“Jay Sarno was a pre-eminent figure, someone who really had an influence on Las Vegas and the gaming industry,” Griffis said. “It was written by a colleague of mine — David Schwartz is the director for the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, and is also a local source on the history of gaming — and I want to read this groundbreaking book on a personal level.”

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