Students choose their must-read business books

An MBA means books — lots of them. The FT’s MBA bloggers recommend standout works on core topics ranging from entrepreneurship to negotiation and decision-making.

‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman: The book provides insights into how and why we reason the way we do. The main point is that humans have two systems of thinking: System 1, for tasks that require little thought, and System 2, for tasks that require depth of thought. This book is relevant to all MBAs. About 50 per cent of my professors have cited it in lectures. Stephen Morse, Saïd Business School

‘A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics’ by David Moss: This was refreshing as it explains the basics of the topic in a crisp and jargon-free way. I liked the way Moss shows how different concepts are linked to each other and makes them relevant in a managerial context. Marta Szczerba, Harvard Business School

‘Zero to One’ by Peter Thiel: This book led me to think about building a successful new business as a process of uncovering “secrets” about people and how we live. It emphasises the discovery phase of starting a company — finding the right idea and the people who need it. Before attending Chicago Booth, I had not put enough focus on those aspects. Julia McInnis, Chicago Booth

‘Bargaining for Advantage — Negotiating Strategies for Reasonable People’, by G Richard Shell: An easily digestible handbook that presents negotiation strategy in an interesting and logical way. This book has persuaded me that negotiation is less a dark art and more a trainable skill. Philippa Rock, Wharton

‘Contemporary Strategy Analysis’ by Robert M Grant: It is an excellent introduction to the topic and discusses all the basic concepts one needs to be aware of. Rosen Enchev, European School of Management and Technology

ft.com/mba-blog