I start my MBA in August and since I am on vacation until then, I thought I could do some pre-MBA reading. I’m not ready to pick up an accounting book or anything, but reading something like the Communist Manifesto might not be so bad.
I did a Google search to see if there were any school published reading lists, but all I found were blogs and amazon lists from former students. Looking through these list there were a few patterns.
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - Eliyahu M. Goldratt
This book was on several list and a few people mentioned it would probably be part of an MBA curriculum. My library doesn’t have an e-book available, so I’m going to try to read when I get home in June.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Gladwell, M.
I think I started reading this book a few years ago, but got annoyed at its repetitiveness. Maybe it was a different book that was only interesting at first, but I find a lot of the best sellers in this category repeat the same concept again and again. I’ll give this one another try since I can download it for free with my library.
Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell
At first I thought this one would be similar to The Tipping Point, but I read that it focuses on a specific company. I hope this is an easy read.
Marketing
Many list contained some kind of marketing book, but since my undergraduate degree was in marketing and I’ve been doing it for the last 6 years I’m not going to spend my valuable time reading marketing books. I find marketing books the most interesting, so it is easy to be tempted. I know my time would be better spent reading economics, finance and management.
Essentials of Accounting - Robert Anthony and Leslie Breitner
Although Accounting books don’t frequently make summer reading list, most schools expect you to jump into the first semester with some background. The Essentials of Accounting is required pre-work for several schools. I plan on buying a physical copy of this book and finishing it before classes begin.
Cartoon Guide to Statistics - Larry Gonick
I only found this on one blog, but it seems so silly I am going to look for it. Amazon’s review says it is funny and I’m the type of person who thinks Pizza is a funny math formula joke. The area of a circle is π times radius squared, so if the radius is ‘a’, then pizza = π*a^2 - yes I am that big of a dork.
Well, there are lots of other recommended books to read before starting your MBA, but I think this is where I am going to began.
Tags: MBA, pre-MBA, summer reading