Could you send me by mail your top 10 list ….

It started off innocently enough with a LinkedIn message:

This started a search and sift, such as my books have not seen for some time. My usual classification system will probably never be the same.

I've known Clive for a while. About 20 years ago, he was kind enough to gift me his book:

I made one rule for myself – the books must be in my library. In other words, I would not recommend any books I only have digital copies of. This could obviously be something of a constraint.

To bolster my confidence, I referred to two books in my possession:

This proved to be a wrong decision. Firstly, it was a distraction. Secondly, I found at least half a dozen books I now feel the need to read. Thirdly, it had the opposite effect – my confidence was sapped.

Undeterred, I soldiered on. The end result is four shelves of curated books. Viewed from left to right and shelf by shelf, they provide some thoughts on what I believe could be useful to read.

Asking someone which are their ten best books is a little like asking someone which of their children or grandchildren they love the most. It's stress-inducing.

So, before I post the balance of pictures of the books, here are a few disclaimers. The first one is that I couldn't find one or two books I would have wanted to include. For example, I couldn't find any of my books on Situational Leadership. Either they are hiding, or else they are a reminder of one of life's fundamental principles – never lend a book to anyone. I also have no non-digital books on stoicism which I have only discovered recently – thanks to Martin Johnson . A stage on from existentialism and Zen Buddhism, perhaps?

A second disclaimer – I have largely left out books by writers like Niall Ferguson, Richard Dawkins, John Pilger, and Michael Moore to avoid disputatious contumely. They are all great writers, and I have most of their books. But they are not to everyone's taste. Similarly, I have avoided most books featuring historical figures I admire, but some people don't. I did sneak in Masters of Battle, however.

A third disclaimer – often, a book on the shelf is a marker for the author. If I like a writer, I tend to get all their books, e.g. Peter Drucker, Edward De Bono, Ranulph Fiennes, Tom Peters, Malcolm Gladwell, Charles Handy, Henry Mintzberg, etc.

A fourth disclaimer – some of the books are clumped together, e.g. my favourite strategy books, some history books, the only three political books - which deal with the unjust treatment of certain people post nine-eleven by the USA and UK governments.

A fifth – and final – disclaimer. Not all books are "management books". I believe that a manager needs to read widely. So, I have ranged widely. Oh, and there are no fiction books. I read them but don't collect them (besides those by odd people like Carl Hiaasen and Vladimir Nabakov).

Shelf one features Drucker, Dilbert, top strategy books, Kevin Kelly and Thomas L. Friedman, among others. A little parochialism here - three strategy writers are South Africans ( Clive Howe with his powerful and robust ecaps framework), scenario guru Clem Sunter, and no-BS strategy master Tony Manning . The latter two are prolific writers.

IDEAS is a book for dipping into. The history books are primarily around What Ifs? And what not to do. Anchored by a landmark book at the end of the shelf - The Cluetrain Manifesto. As one of the reviewers says, "These trouble makers are going to get what they deserve – a hug and an enthusiastic following".

I have found the work of Marcus Buckingham , Curt Coffman , and Donald Clifton particularly valuable in understanding management, myself, and others. John Kotter and Bridges form the heart of discussions on change for me. Situational Leadership? as a powerful management tool would be here, too, if I had found one of my Sitlead books.

Shelf two covers many essentials of management written by a gaggle or galaxy of geniuses. Collins, Gladwell, Godin, Gratton, Doerr, Handy, Kelly, Levitt, Mintzberg, Tom Peters, Daniel Pink , Porter, Richard Rumelt , Talieb , etc.

One of my all-time favourite books shows the connectedness of things - Arctic Dream by Barry Lopez. Also, a blast from a 50-year past – Planning Under Pressure by Friend and Hickling- harks back to my MBA days. Another classic on social capital – Bowling Alone – reflects on society's increasing disconnectedness.

Three books deal with management builders, dreamers, heretics, and radicals. Here you will find people like Argyris, Babbage, Bennis, Forrester, Friedman, Fuller, the Gilbreths, Kahn, Lewin, the Meadows's, Owen, Schein, Smith, Townsend, Wack, etc. Not to mention a plethora of activists.

Shelf three features some classics. Eli Goldratt, who I once had baffle my brain in person, Ricardo Semler, Daniel Goleman (again), Charles Handy (again), Thomas L. Friedman (again), Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander.

Four more classics in the books Effective Leadership Masterclass by John Adair, The Death of Distance by Frances Cairncross, Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel, and The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker. Brittain, Greenberg, and Clive Stafford Smith elevate my blood pressure in their books on bad governments/politicians.

Something for you on Art, Culture, Makers, Octopi, Tinkerers. Four books on consulting and management frameworks or tools. The book with the rather dark cover on the left is the Technique Library for B822: Creativity, Innovation, and Change, an OU publication for an MBA course I once taught and which has stood me in good stead (it's in their digital archive if you can get access).

There are many books on 苹果 and Steve Jobs. This is one of about six that I own. A complex and creative force.

Shelf four, and we are getting near the end. A cluster of books on history featuring 1421, Rome and Jerusalem, Rubicon, Marathon, Phoenicians, Sumerians, and Mistakes that Changed History. They are anchored by Andrew Mar' s book A History of the World.

Arielly, Richard Barrett , Hammer, and Perry (Falling Off the Edge: Globalization World Peace & Other Lies) are great reads. A classic on Action Learning (on reflection, it should be a shelf or two higher), the Future of Management, Human Potential, Values, and Starbucked warrant consideration.

More classics can be found in the books In Search of Excellence, Up the Organisation, and The Peter Principle. Another classic is Systems Behaviour by Beishon and Peters – one of my MBA textbooks.

My favourite action man and historian Ranulph Fiennes is writing on military elites. Three familiar names - to the older generation - in the shape of Montgomery, Patton, and Rommel are analysed in Masters of Battle. Very different leadership styles and outcomes.

Finally, Lessons from the Art of Juggling, Solving Tough Problems, 27 Powers of Persuasion, and The $100 Startup will keep you engrossed.

P.S.

You should always read to your children or grandchildren.

PPS

If you would like a list of the books featured here let me know and I will compile one.