Business writer Stuart Crainer's The Ultimate Business Library: 50 Books That Shaped Management Thinking offers an excellent overview of some of the most significant books ever written on the art of management. The selections--alphabetically from Igor Ansoff to Max Weber, and chronologically from 500 B.C. to 1994--are books Crainer feels have the greatest impact on management thought and practice. His insightful summaries of each work, which include Robert Townsend's Up the Organization, Henry Ford's My Life and Work, and Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline, are preceded by a bio of the author and a commentary by London Business School professor Gary Hamel. Many people can't find the time to read the books of major business thinkers. But managers and others in business do need to be knowledgeable about important ideas if they want to keep their careers on track and make worthwhile contributions to their companies. This unique book provides exactly the help they need, with:

** summaries of 50 influential business books, from 'The Art of War' to 'The Fifth Discipline,' with stops at Dale Carnegie, Peter Drucker, W. Edwards Deming, Tom Peters, Philip Kotler, Charles Handy, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, and others along the way ** commentary on each book by Gary Hamel (a major business thinker himself!) ** biographical sketches of each author and mini-descriptions of 50 additional business books (the "runners-up")

The summaries are written in a crisp, lively style that helps clarify the concepts of the original works (no matter what time period they are from). Hamel's commentaries provide readers with context and valuable insights.

This outstanding collection of outstanding ideas provides critical help for managers who crave knowledge but are short on time.