If business success is something you aspire to then you’ll probably feel obliged to take a suitably serious book with you on holiday – something like “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg or “The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business” by Josh Kaufman.  But who are you kidding?  The likelihood you’ll open it, let alone read more than ten pages, is nil!  Better to take an easy read, but one that features the world of work, business and commerce.  That way you can relax by the pool whilst feeling slightly less guilty!  Here's a shortlist of seven novels that tick this particular box.

“Bonfire of the Vanities” by Tom Wolfe

A satirical novel about ambition, racism, class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City.  The hero, WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, a self-regarded “Master of the Universe” on Wallstreet, has it all – until he takes a wrong turn in the Bronx.  A big, bitter, funny book that grabs you from the start and drags you down deep into a Big Apple that’s rotten to its core.

“The Fear Index” by Robert Harris

A classic financial thriller where hedge fund founder and super-geek genius Alexander Hoffman has a bad day at home and at the office.  A cautionary tale about people who are just too smart for their own good and why relying too heavily on AI might not be such a great idea for the markets and mankind.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist seeks to unravel a mystery at the heart of a major Swedish corporation while his own publishing company struggles to survive.  An uneasy investigative partnership forms with Lisbeth Salander, a punk surveillance agent with a very troubled past, a bad attitude, a distinctive tattoo and a talent for hacking computers.  Set against the bleak landscapes and gritty streets of chilly Sweden, with a serial killer thrown in for good measure, this is Nordic noir at its best.

“Money” by Martin Amis

John Self, a successful director of TV commercials is lured to New York City by the prospect of a feature film deal.  As his name suggests he’s an archetypal hedonist and slob with a rabid appetite for copious amounts of alcohol, sex, food, drugs and money.  It’s a nightmarish depiction of the consumerism, narcissism and greed that characterised the 80’s and in many ways prefigures the celebrity driven/selfie obsessed culture of today.  Despite being grotesque and dark it’s superbly written, frequently funny, fast paced and horribly readable.

“The Way We Live Now” by Anthony Trollope,

The villain in this novel, loathsome financier August Melmotte, bears an uncanny resemblance in more ways than one to Robert Maxwell (same bushy eyebrows and bulky physique, same opaque eastern European origins, both struggled for acceptance by the establishment, both had a wayward daughter they doted on and both ended their days in remarkably similar fashion).  Although published in 1857 Trollope could have been writing about today’s City of London and Palace of Westminster.  Many of the characters would have been very much at home in Boris’s Bullingdon Club.  Widely regarded as one of the best novels ever written but not heavy going.

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Mae Holland is delighted to land a job at a huge tech corporation that has gobbled up Facebook, Google and Twitter and continues to find new ways to “empower” users whilst persuading them to surrender their privacy.  She throws herself into it with total devotion and is captivated by the all-embracing company culture, despite her family and ex telling her to “get a life”.  She swiftly rises through the ranks without questioning the obvious threats to her own sanity and that of mankind.  “Brave New World” mashed up with “1984”, it’s a timely read as Mark Zuckerberg invites us to join his metaverse.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

A sweeping, amusing, sad and moving family drama that stretches from the Midwest at mid-20th century to Wall Street and Eastern Europe in the age of greed and globalism.  Although not ostensibly about business it explores how the main characters experience change in the workplace and what effect that has on their relationships.  The themes are serious but it’s surprisingly easy to read and thoroughly entertaining.

Happy reading!

We hope you find something on this list to help you unwind on holiday whilst also allowing yourself the illusion that you are actually improving your business smarts!  They all have one thing in common – they remind us that business is, and always will be, about people.  Next time you are tasked with getting some people together (employees, board members, teams, customers, suppliers, industry colleagues…) get in touch – we’d love to help you create an event that’s a huge success.