Recognizing and Promoting the World's Best Business Titles

AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS 2020 RESULTS

In August of 2007, Jenkins Group launched the Axiom Awards, “recognizing and promoting the year's best business books.” Now, 13 years later, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2020 Axiom Business Book Awards, honoring this year's best business books, their authors, and publishers.

The Axiom Business Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary business books and their creators, with the understanding that business people are an information-hungry segment of the population, eager to learn about great new books that will inspire them and help them improve their careers and businesses.

Congratulations to the medalists in the 2020 Axiom Business Book Awards!

 

2020 AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARD MEDALISTS

 

1. Business Theory

GOLD (tie): Rethinking Strategy: How to Anticipate the Future, Slow Down Change and Improve Decision Making, by Steve Tighe (Wiley)

Non-Obvious Megatrends: How To See What Others Miss and Predict the Future, by Rohit Bhargava (Ideapress Publishing)

SILVER: Nincompoopery: Why Your Customers Hate You -- and How To Fix It, by John R. Brandt (HarperCollins Leadership)

BRONZE: The Simplicity of Lean: Defeating Complexity, Delivering Excellence, by Philip Holt (Management Impact)


2. Business Commentary

GOLD: Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We're Thriving in a New World of Possibility, by David Weinberger  (Harvard Business Review Press)

SILVER (tie): Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed the World, by Joshua Specht (Princeton University Press)

Nine Lies About Work: A Free Thinking Leader's Guide to the Real World, by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall (Harvard Business Review Press)

BRONZE: Pipe Dreams: The Fight for Canada's Energy Future, by Jacques Poitras (Viking)


3. Economics

GOLD (tie): The Wealth of Religions: The Political Economy of Believing and Belonging, by Rachel M. McCleary & Robert J. Barro  (Princeton University Press)

Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral & Drive Major Economic Events, by Robert J. Shiller  (Princeton University Press)

SILVER (tie): Law and Macroeconomics: Legal Remedies to Recessions, by Yair Listokin (Harvard University Press)

Not Working: Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone?  by David G. Blanchflower  (Princeton University Press)

BRONZE: A Brief History of Doom: Two Hundred Years of Financial Crises, by Richard Vague (University of Pennsylvania Press)


4. Career (job search, career advancement)

GOLD: The Visual MBA: Two Years of Business School Packed into One Priceless Book of Pure Awesomeness, by Jason Barron (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

SILVER: Life's Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World, by Tom Rath (Silicon Guild Books)

BRONZE (tie): Bring Your Brain to Work: Using Cognitive Science to Get a Job, Do It Well, and Advance Your Career, by Art Markman (Harvard Business Review Press)

What You Don't Know is Hurting You: 4 Keys to a Phenomenal Career, by Marion E. Brooks with Nathan Hale Williams (Sunshines Publishing)


5. Sales (sales skills, negotiating, closing)

GOLD: Sales Talks: Six Secrets to Winning Presentations, Effective Closes, and Think-on-Your-Feet Tactics That Seal Deals, by Greg Upah (Beaver's Pond Press)

SILVER: Generating Business Referrals Without Asking: A Simple 5 Step Plan to a Referral Explosion, by Stacey Brown Randall (Morgan James Publishing)

BRONZE: Sell More, Stress Less: 52 Tips to Become a Mindful Sales Professional,  by Holly Duckworth and Eric Szymanski (Ione Publishing)


6. Leadership

GOLD: It's the Manager: Gallup Finds that the Quality of Managers and Team Leaders is the Single Biggest Factor in Your Organization's Long-Term Success, by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter (Gallup Press)

SILVER (tie): Contagious You: Unlock Your Power to Influence, Lead, and Create the Impact You Want, by Anese Cavanaugh (McGraw Hill Education)

Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader, by John Rossman (McGraw Hill Education)

BRONZE: The Wise Advocate: The Inner Voice of Strategic Leadership, by Art Kleiner, Jeffrey Schwartz and Josie Thomson (Columbia University Press)


7. Networking (social media, communication skills, etc.)

GOLD: DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story, by Nancy Duarte (Ideapress Publishing)

SILVER: Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection, by Brian Grazer  (Simon & Schuster)

BRONZE: Visual Collaboration: A Powerful Toolkit for Improving Meetings, Projects, and Processes, by Ole Qvist-Sørensen and Loa Baastrup; Illustrated by Sofie Lind Mesterton (Wiley)


8. Business Ethics

GOLD: Priced Out: The Economic and Ethical Costs of American Health Care, by Uwe E. Reinhardt (Princeton University Press)

SILVER: Whistleblowing: Toward a New Theory, by Kate Kenny (Harvard University Press)

BRONZE: Forces for Good: Creating a Better World Through Purpose-Driven Businesses, by Paul Hargreaves (SRA Books)


9. Business Intelligence/Innovation

GOLD: Strategic Execution: Driving Breakthrough Performance in Business, by Kenneth J. Carrig and Scott A. Snell (Stanford University Press)

SILVER (tie): Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage, by Nicolaj Siggelkow and Christian Terwiesch (Harvard Business Review Press)

Innovation Capital: How to Compete and Win Like the World's Most Innovative Leaders, by Jeff Dyer, Nathan Furr and Curtis Lefrandt (Harvard Business Review Press)

BRONZE: Sixteen Shades of Smart: How Cities Can Shape Their Own Future, Edited by Arturo Bris, Christos Cabolis, Chan Heng Chee & Bruno Lanvin (IMD)

 


10. Human Resources / Employee Training

GOLD: Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth, by Richard Boyatzis, Melvin Smith & Ellen Van Oosten (Harvard Business Review Press)

SILVER (tie): Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations, by Mark C. Perna (Greenleaf Book Group)

Reinvent the Wheel: How Top Leaders Leverage Well-Being for Success, by Megan McNealy (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)

BRONZE: Onboarding: Getting the New Hires Off To a Flying Start, by Christian Hapelund with Morten Højberg and Kasper Ulf Nielsen (Emerald Publishing)

 


11. Entrepreneurship / Small Business

GOLD: Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business, by Paul Jarvis (Mariner Books)

SILVER: Innovation on Tap: Stories of Entrepreneurship from the Cotton Gin to Broadway's Hamilton, by Eric B. Schultz (Greenleaf Book Group)

BRONZE: Grind: A No-Bullshit Approach to Take Your Business from Concept to Cash Flow, by Michael J. McFall (An Inc. Original)


12. Philanthropy / Nonprofit / Sustainability

GOLD: Impact Imperative: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Investing to Transform the Future, by Pamela Ryan, PhD (Greenleaf Book Group)

SILVER (tie): Strategic Management and the Circular Economy, by Marcello Tonelli and Nicoló Cristoni (Routledge)

A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, Edited by Daniel C. Esty (Yale University Press)

BRONZE: Can Business Save the Earth? Innovating Our Way to Sustainability, by Michael Lenox and Aaron Chatterji (Stanford University Press)


13. International Business / Globalization

GOLD: Necessary Evil: How to Fix Finance by Saving Human Rights, by David Kinley (Oxford University Press)

SILVER: Tech Titans of China: How China's Tech Sector is Challenging the World by Innovating Faster, Working Harder & Going Global, by Rebecca A. Fannin (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)

BRONZE: Revolutionizing World Trade: How Disruptive Technologies Open Opportunities for All, by Kati Suominen (Stanford University Press)
 


14. Personal Finance / Retirement Planning / Investing

GOLD: 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Retirement Life, by Elizabeth White (Simon & Schuster)

SILVER (tie): Housing Finance 2020: New Mortgage Programs for the New Generation of Home Buyers, by Anna DeSimone (Housing 2020 Publishing)

Your Complete Guide to a Successful & Secure Retirement, by Larry E. Swedroe & Kevin Grogan (Harriman House)

BRONZE: The Rise of Carry: The Dangerous Consequences of Volatility Suppression and the New Financial Order of Decaying Growth and Recurring Crisis, by Tim Lee, Jamie Lee, & Kevin Coldiron (McGraw Hill)
 


15. Business Technology

GOLD (tie): The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, by Amy Webb (PublicAffairs)

The AI Economy: Work, Wealth and Welfare in the Robot Age, by Roger Bootle (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)

SILVER (tie): The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation, by Carl Benedikt Frey (Princeton University Press)

A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control, by Kartik Hosanagar (Viking)

BRONZE: Digital Cash: The Unknown History of the Anarchists, Utopians, and Technologists Who Created Cryptocurrency, by Finn Brunton (Princeton University Press)


16. Women / Minorities in Business

GOLD: Race Work & Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience, Edited by Laura Morgan Roberts, Anthony J. Mayo, & David A. Thomas (Harvard Business Review Press)

SILVER (tie): The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work, by Michelle King (Atria Books)

It's Not You, It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias That Built It, by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)

BRONZE: Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving, by Caitlyn Collins (Princeton University Press)


17. Success / Motivation / Coaching

GOLD: Connect First: 52 Simple Ways to Ignite Success, Meaning, and Joy at Work, by Melanie A. Katzman, PhD (McGraw Hill)

SILVER: What Game Are You Playing? A Framework for Redefining Success and Achieving What Matters Most, by Robin Moriarty, PhD (Greenleaf Book Group)

BRONZE: Sticks & Stones: Building Entrepreneurial Success from Life's Struggles, by Nick Powills (An Inc. Original)


18. Advertising / Marketing / PR / Event Planning

GOLD: The Crucial 12: Powerful Insights for Marketing Leadership, by Steve Wolgemuth (BookPress Publishing)

SILVER: What's Your Point? The Brand Arrow: Define Your Point. Grow Your Brand, by Bruce M. McKinnon (Grace & Down Publishing)

BRONZE: The Brand Relationship Playbook, by Marc Fetscherin (Self-Published)


19. Corporate History / Milestone

GOLD: Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America, by Christopher Leonard (Simon & Schuster)

SILVER: Let Me In: A Japanese American Crashes the Corporate Club, 1976-1996, by Elaine Koyama (Beaver's Pond Press)

BRONZE: Asa Johal and Terminal Forest Products: How a Sikh Immigrant Created BC's Largest Independent Lumber Company, by Jinder Oujla-Chalmers (Harbour Publishing)


20. Business Reference (legal, how-to)

GOLD: Word Glue: Find Your Million-Dollar Brand Name, by Louise Karch (Brandfluence)

SILVER: How to Get to Great Ideas: A System for Smart, Extraordinary Thinking, by Dave Birss (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)

BRONZE: U.S. Public Pension Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Trustees and Investment Staff, by Von M. Hughes (McGraw Hill)


21. Memoir / Biography

GOLD:  Chasing the Invisible: A Doctor's Quest to Abolish the Last Unseen Cancel Cell, by Thomas Grogan, MD (Köehlerbooks)

SILVER: The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get: An Entrepreneur's Memoir, by Joe Ricketts (Simon & Schuster)

BRONZE: From Willard Street to Wall Street: A Memoir, by Thomas W. Jones (Cornell University Press)


22. Business Fable

GOLD: The Art of Healthcare Innovation: Interviews and Industry Insights from 35 Game-Changing Pioneers, by Christina D. Warner (Sheridan & Madison Press)

SILVER: I Am a Professional Metalhead: How Heavy Metal Guided My Career Journey, by Angelo G. Spenillo (Self-Published)

BRONZE: Where the Wild Things Were, by Susan Goldsworthy OLY & Sydney Goldsworthy; illustrated by Sydney Goldsworthy (IMD)

 


23. Real Estate

GOLD (tie): The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs: The Investor's Guide to Defining Your Renovation Plan, Building Your Budget, and Knowing Exactly How Much It All Costs, by J Scott (BiggerPockets Publishing)

The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties, by J Scott (BiggerPockets Publishing)

SILVER: Suite Deal: The Smart Landlord's Guide to Leasing Real Estate, by Alice Devine (Learn Associates Publishing)

BRONZE: Real Estate Trends 2020: Swanepoel Trends Report, 15th Edition, by T3 60 (T3 60 LLC)