What are London Business School lecturers interested in reading? Professor Nader Tavasoli takes us through his diverse reading list, including wide ranging topics such as consumer behaviour across cultures and communication effectiveness.

1. Eclectic Reading List
If ever a field of study was both science and art, marketing seems to
fit the bill. Which may be why Nader Tavassoli has a keen interest in
diverse subjects: branding, consumer cognition, communication
effectiveness, consumer behaviour across cultures and several others.
What keeps his mind open to a constant flow of new possibilities? As
you’ll see by his suggested top ten list of books to read, Tavassoli
believes strongly in delving into the arts and sciences
© Copyright 2012 London Business School

2. Joint 01 On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin
Writing in a style unheard of in his time, Darwin elucidated his theories of
evolution succinctly and in the common tongue. Reading through the book, I was
struck by Darwin’s incredible power of observation. Yet the book is more than a
diary of discovery; his writing on science is matched by his powerful and clear
arguments. This is a case study in how to market one’s ideas, though the author
created this over a century and a half ago.
(416 pages, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1998)
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3. Joint 01 The Spirit of Laws
Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu
The thoughts of Montesquieu have been said to rival those of Locke and Hobbes,
yet are rarely referenced. Montesquieu helped advance the thinking of the 18th
century ‘Age of Enlightenment’, and this work is considered a central text to his
age and way of thinking. Its tenets outline constitutionalism and what, ultimately,
the roles of laws must be in order to be successful and protect civil liberties. The
founding fathers of the United States believed in the power of Montesquieu’s
thoughts; many would argue this book is just as applicable today.
(700 pages, Prometheus Books, 2002)
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4. 02 The Essential Drucker:
The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s Essential Writings on
Management
Peter F. Drucker
Though authors of other business books may disagree, many readers feel that all management
books are derived from the seminal works of Peter Drucker. Laying the groundwork for 20th
century (and beyond) thinkers and leaders, Drucker expounds on what the focus of a
manager’s work should be, how to create a successful practice and methods to tackle the
most challenging of business problems. As relevant today as it was in past decades, this book’s
encapsulation of Drucker’s major thoughts will fuel executives for many years to come.
(368 pages, Harper Business, 2008)
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5. 03 Ogilvy on Advertising
David Ogilvy
Ogilvy had strong ideas about being a businessman in the marketing field. His
ideas were proven to be exceedingly successful, as he went on to create one of
the world’s largest advertising companies after starting with an extremely small
staff. Anyone with an interest in advertising, whether personal or professional,
should read this insider’s guide to the world of selling a product. With an
engaging writing style and numerous examples of advertisements, this book will
pull you in until the very end while slyly teaching you invaluable business lessons.
(224 pages, Prion Books Ltd, 2007)
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6. 04 The Visual Display of
Quantitative Information
Edward R. Tufte
A pioneer in the field of data visualisation, Tufte, a retired Yale professor, provides
details on how to present data in a compelling and meaningful way. In this age of
multiple media formats and numbers at every turn, Tufte’s teachings on how to best
graphically represent ideas are invaluable. Through the removal of gratuitous
graphics, one’s message can become stronger, more compelling and more successful.
Packed with superb illustrations that complement his writing, this book shows anyone
who needs to present data in a visual format how to create an efficient design.
(200 pages, Graphics Press USA, 2nd edition, 2001)
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7. 05 The Dilbert Principle
Scott Adams
Drawing upon his own experience (as well as lessons from readers who sent in
their own stories), Adams provides an insightful look at the effectiveness of (or
obstacles to) modern business practices. Leveraging the power of humour as a
teaching tool, this book can provide a laugh as well as instil methods on how to
run an office both efficiently and gently. By learning what not to do in business,
professionals can sidestep the hurdles that keep so many managers from
improving. Text interspersed with classic Dilbert cartoons provides a pithy
understanding of the practices of modern corporations.
(352 pages, Boxtree Ltd, 2000)
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8. 06 The Fortune at the Bottom of the
Pyramid:
Eradicating Poverty Through Profits
C.K. Prahalad
The author’s goal is to create and explain new business models that can, and must, address the cultural
and economic problems facing 80 per cent of the world’s population — those who live with incredibly
limited means. Citing the fact that four billion people live on $2 a day, he argues that this ‘bottom of the
pyramid’ group is a newly challenging market for the business world. He argues that it is also one in
which people on every level must be involved. Providing a framework for private sector involvement,
numerous case studies of principles in action and principles for innovation in such markets, Prahalad
makes a compelling case that poverty can be eradicated but that it cannot happen without
multinational company involvement. This book illustrates new business models that make a difference.
(432 pages, Prentice Hall, 2009)
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9. 07 Uncommon Practice:
People Who Deliver a Great Brand Experience
[edited by] Shaun Smith and Andy Milligan
This book goes straight to the heart of modern businesses, seeking to explain
what makes them great — fantastic customer experience and commitment.
Following 19 successful businesses (many of which are now common names
such as Amazon), the authors rely on stories straight from the companies’
executives rather than using an objective reporting style. Quotable and rich with
examples on how best to pay attention to your customers, Uncommon Practice
can help you pay more attention to the people who actually create your company
— the consumers.
(192 pages, Financial Times/ Prentice Hall, 2002)
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10. 08 Eating the Big Fish:
How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders
Adam Morgan
If you find your company in a second- or third-place position in your market, it’s
tempting to copy what the leaders are doing. This book asserts that this strategy
will sink, rather than raise, you. Examining 40 ‘challenger-brands’ (or what
Morgan calls ‘second-raters’), Eating the Big Fish will help your company morph
its position into a more fruitful one. The book includes plentiful examples of
marketing strategies employed by second-raters that will help fuel your
company’s innovation, flexibility and alternative strategies. With this book in your
arsenal, constructing a path to the top has never been easier.
(368 pages, John Wiley & Sons, 2009)
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11. 09 The Long Tail:
How Endless Choice is Creating Unlimited Demand
Chris Anderson
Initially, Anderson wrote an essay for Wired magazine on how the Internet is
transforming modern business — how a company’s success is no longer built on
high-volume sales of a few items but rather on multiple lower-volume sales of
numerous products. Following the essay’s huge success, The Long Tail was born.
The author asserts that today’s markets are flooded with abundance and that the
companies to bet on are the ones that embrace this fact. Filled with marketing
advice, dot-com business models, economic philosophy and more, this book
could change the way you approach selling your products.
(256 pages, Random House Business Books, 2007)
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12. 10 Influence:
The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert B. Cialdini
One need look no further for a guide to consumer behaviour and the psychology
of persuasion than this book. Rather than delivering only persuasive techniques,
Influence also combines them with the ethics and morals of persuasive sales.
Additionally, Cialdini includes the information he gleaned from a three-year study
(in both the private and public sectors) on what motivates people to change their
behaviours. Utilising the ‘six principles of influence and persuasion’, readers are
guided on how to modify their unconscious thoughts to become better buyers
and sellers in today’s competitive world.
(336 pages, Harper Business, revised edition, 2007)
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13. This report was part of Business Strategy Review,
Volume 23 Issue 1 - 2012
Visit the website www.london.edu/bsr
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