The best books about money and business

Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together

Michael Morris

"A deep, timely and optimistic look at how to harness our innate tribal instincts to positive effect," says Andrew Hill in the Financial Times. A fount of lessons for leaders.

I Was There: Dispatches from a Life in Rock and Roll

Alan Edwards

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The "godfather" of music publicists was "so close to David Bowie that he could stand in for him during phone interviews", and later invented "Brand Beckham", says Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph. A great memoir and a "candid account of the sometimes dark arts of PR".

How Economics Explains the World

Andrew Leigh

An admirably succinct canter through the history of human progress, through the lens of "economic forces", says The Economist – and by looking at the key figures who tried to explain them.

Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered his Father's Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success

Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig

This investigation into "the swamp of Trump's financial affairs" is low on humour, but so strong on damning evidence that one might wonder "whether Trump achieved anything at all in business", says Martin Vander Weyer in the Literary Review. A paean to the power of bluster.

Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japans Masayoshi Son

Lionel Barber

Is the elusive SoftBank founder "a genius with an uncanny ability to spot the next thing", or just "a gambler", asks Simon Nixon in Literary Review. Either way, Son is one of the most "consequential global business figures of the last half-century". A richly reported guide to his life and deals.

Moneta: A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins

Gareth Harney

A "delightful" book by a historian and coin collector, for "both young and old", says Martin Wolf in the FT. Harney doesn't allow "numismatic passion to get in the way of telling a good tale", says the TLS.

The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry

Tevi Troy

"What better time to produce a cautionary tale about the relationship between bosses and American presidents?", says The Economist. "The lesson is: it's OK to be the president's golf buddy – just don't beat him."

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI

Ethan Mollick

"A sharp and good-humoured guide" to the corporate conundrum of the era, says Andrew Hill in the FT. How to make the most of generative AI's creative and problem-solving potential.