Best Business and Leadership Books of 2024, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
Whether you want to read about the thrill of success or the devastation of failure (or both, in the same story), the Amazon Editors’ Best Business and Leadership Books of 2024 chronicle it all. We’ve also rounded up thoughtful advice books that will leave you wiser (and a couple that may even make you laugh), guide books you can zoom through in a day, and more thoughtful reads that will make you reconsider the entirety of how you communicate.
Be sure to also check out the Amazon Editors’ favorites across genres—mystery, history, romance, sci-fi, and more—and our top 100, ranked.
Revenge of the Tipping Point is the kind of nonfiction book you could hand to literally anyone, and they would disappear for hours with their head buried in its pages. (Both my husband and my sixth-grader snatched up my copy.) Twenty-five years ago, Gladwell published The Tipping Point, which put him on the map as one of America’s most sought-after thinkers, speakers, podcasters, and writers. Now, Gladwell is re-interrogating the “dark side” of his famous tipping point theory, sharing fascinating stories that show how a tiny action, or number of people, can cause an epidemic, whether it’s opioid, crime, or COVID. But this isn’t a bleak read, because the takeaway is that a miniscule action or single person can also prevent, or stop, an epidemic in its tracks. You’ll walk away feeling inspired to action, with fresh insight into the forces that shape the world today. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Perhaps you’re one of the more than 45 million people who read Yuval Noah Hari’s 2015 blockbuster, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. The history professor and philosopher’s latest book, Nexus, takes an expansive look at AI, the “alien life form” we’ve unleashed on humanity. But this brilliant and thought-provoking read is about so much more than a buzzy technology people are just wrapping their heads around—it’s a much wider look at how humans have leveraged technology to communicate through time, and how that has shaped culture, power, and currency—usually in ways we never could have planned or imagined. Deploying fascinating stories (you’ll never think about the Bible, the US Constitution, or the Roman Empire the same way again), Harari once again draws connections between vast ideas, and reshapes the way we see the world. He asks the questions I never thought to, but that we should all demand answers to. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This boisterous history of reality TV is best binged like your favorite Real Housewives franchise. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Emily Nussbaum does a masterful job painting a line between the sagas, stars, and stories that changed television forever and launched a thousand D-listers, from reality TV pioneers in the 1940s, An American Family, America's Funniest Home Videos and Cops (one directly led to the existence of the other), to The Real World, Survivor, and The Apprentice. Cue the Sun! is packed with incredible anecdotes (including the staggering number of people who tried to thwart one of the most popular shows of all time), nostalgia (poor Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey), and a lot of respect for its subjects, who, in bravely airing their innermost thoughts and desires for all to see, changed the country’s opinions and acceptance of race, sexuality, gender roles, and class. RuPaul walked so the Queer Eye cast could run. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Selling Sexy is one of the top business books I’ve read so far this year—but its appeal stretches far beyond a Wall Street Journal reader (as proven by a gossipy story about supermodel Gigi Hadid that appears on the very first page). From there, we meet the doomed entrepreneur who launched the company to success (but who met his own devastating end), the power player who planted the store in every shopping mall in America in the ‘90s (and then who inexplicably handed over his fortune to Jeffrey Epstein), and the gorgeous “Angels” who strutted their stuff in the star-studded annual fashion show (that was nearly toppled by the #MeToo movement). In other words, this story is about a lot more than a couple of undergarments for sale. There’s also an inspiring side of smart and savvy women who worked—not always for enough credit—to make Victoria’s Secret the billion-dollar brand it is today. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
In recent decades, nothing has changed our world more than the tech boom—and it’s clear from reading Burn Book, nobody has had more fun chronicling the movers and shakers than Kara Swisher. Swisher, a longtime journalist and podcaster, is whip smart and self-assured—whether she’s moving cross-country in hot pursuit of newsy scoops about the newfangled internet, challenging the tech titans long before they became billionaires (but just as they’re becoming legendary characters), or finding herself and her voice. This book is a real romp to read—snarky and dishy, packed with gossip about the “boy kings of the internet,” all from a woman who doesn’t back down to anyone. Her stories about every well-known tech entrepreneur are full of wit, nostalgia, and fire—and can only be told by the rare person, such as Swisher, who has had a front-row seat to witness it all. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Not unlike his massive best seller The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg has written another clear and concise primer that will leave a lasting impact on readers. Supercommunicators details how to truly connect with people, whether you're talking about the weather or gun safety, with your boss or your partner. It’s packed with science, storytelling, lots of light-bulb moments about why some conversations just click, and fun examples (the creators of The Big Bang Theory deftly used psychology to make it a hit) that will spring into your head the next time you see a new friend, or navigate a tricky conversation with family. And why should we care about the way we communicate, when it feels like we’re constantly barraged with too many pings, texts, and DMs? Because ignoring the noise and learning how to speak to—and really hear—each other is the key to a satisfying life. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Glitz and glamour. Power and pleasure. Striving and success. Journalist Julie Satow’s last book was about NYC’s iconic Plaza hotel, and her second is broader in scope: the evolution of the department store. But this story is about so much more than ladies shopping and lunching. It’s about the stores’ stature as one of the few spaces where women could exist, and be catered to, in a world that was too quick to write us off. And the possibility for boundary-breaking was thrilling too—take Dorothy Shaver, who rose up the ranks at Lord & Taylor, becoming the first woman to earn the equivalent of a $1 million salary. Satow’s breezy narrative also examines privilege, class, and race: who had access to a plum role at a department store, who had the leisure time and extra money to shop there. This fascinating history is packed with style, panache, and drama. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This book is for anyone who’s ever gotten a Facebook message from a junior high acquaintance that reads too good to be true. (Think: “Hi hon! I’ve got an opportunity for you to make a ton of money, be your own boss, and work from home!” followed by a stream of emojis.) The chipper voice full of promises is a standard pitch to join a multilevel marketing (MLM) scheme, which encapsulates companies like LuLaRoe, Herbalife, Mary Kay, and Amway. Jane Marie expands on her popular podcast The Dream, breaking down the dashed dreams, bankruptcies, winners, and losers behind the big-bucks MLM schemes, of which women usually bear the brunt. You’ll read with empathy for the people who fall prey while simply trying to make a living—but won’t feel as generous about the executives who sit atop the companies. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Could YouTube influencer Ali Abdaal be the next James Clear? Yep, we’re taking about the author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 15 million copies. Abdaal’s book is already an instant best seller. And it’s certainly catchy, with advice that will stick in your head—ranging from three simple words to lower your anxiety to a technique favored by Beyoncé to boost confidence. Abdaal also has the credentials to back up his guidance (he’s an Oxford-trained doctor), and a very 2024 attitude (“lean out!”). This speedy read is an excellent primer to home in on what’s important, and tune out what’s not. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Talking about money can stir anxiety, but Scott Galloway’s latest book made me laugh—and often. Galloway, a professor and podcaster, knows how to perfectly weave together his own personal stories (including his financial failures), instruction, and tough topics in a way that is highly-relatable, readable, and quotable. He’s clear that this book isn’t for people who are deep in debt (to whom he recommends Suze Orman), but for people who want to level up their basic understanding of finances, and how that freedom can enable you live a richer life beyond just dollars. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Looking for more book ideas? Check out:
