Yes, dear reader, it’s that time of year again. What to buy for that special high-flying City exec in your life?
I’ve read nearly 50 books this year – most of them new, and most about business. Some were good, others have since found their way to Oxfam.
Here are a few of my favourites.
1. Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, by Sarah Wynn-Williams
It takes guts to be a whistleblower. Particularly when you’ve spent years in the company of the most powerful executives at one of the world’s most powerful firms.
But that is what Sarah Wynn-Williams has done in her brilliant exposé of Facebook owner Meta and, judging by the firm’s efforts to block the promotion of this book, she hasn’t held back.
It’s quite the tale of what Mark Zuckerberg and his closest allies are really like behind closed doors (hint: they don’t exactly come out well). If, like me, you believe in free speech and are worried about the effects of social media, give Sarah your support and buy this book.
2. Without Prejudice: A Memoir, by Tidjane Thiam
Let’s face it: most business biographies are boring. “How the chief executive managed to increase the company share price through effective strategy” is a reasonable adumbration of at least half of them.
Tidjane Thiam’s memoir is anything but. The former FTSE 100 chief has had a rollercoaster of a life, from seeing his father sent to prison on corruption charges, to being held at gunpoint after a military coup, to fending off racial prejudices after being put in charge of one of the world’s biggest banks.
There’s plenty to learn from in this book for both the business fanatic and the average Joe.
3. Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It, by Cory Doctorow
Does the internet feel like it’s deteriorating with age?
Once upon a time, you could find what you wanted in a flash – but now, you have to wade through masses of ads and AI slop to get to your destination.
Cory Doctorow says you’re not imagining this.
He argues that yes, things are getting worse – and Big Tech firms are incentivized to make this happen, coining the term enshittification to describe the process.
Doctorow walks us through how this has happened in careful, morbid detail. He offers some policy proposals to turn things around – but I’m not persuaded governments are listening.
4. Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails, by Ben Chu
The fragmentation of global trading patterns has been the story of 2025, ever since Donald Trump stood outside the White House and beamed at TV cameras with his big board of tariffs.
Former Newsnight economics editor Ben Chu unpicks just how much is at stake in the unravelling of the system of global trading rules and relationships that have taken decades to forge, after the system’s strongest advocate vacates the scene.
A useful primer for anyone who wants to read behind the headlines after a whirlwind year of news about the world economy.
5. Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination, by Karen Hao
A lot of books about AI were published this year. Most of them are not worth reading. And most of the ones that are worth reading say largely the same things as each other.
So if you want to understand the burgeoning AI industry, your best bet is to read one really strong book on it. This one by Karen Hao would be my recommendation.
Hao has exclusive access to California-based OpenAI where she gets to know dozens of the company’s staff, past and present. She reveals that things are a lot more chaotic inside the startup than its polished, high-tech external appearance might give credit for.
6. Abundance: How We Build a Better Future, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Why can’t governments get stuff done any more? At over £100bn, the UK’s scaled-back High Speed 2 rail project is set to come in way over budget, after years of delays.
Over in the US, things are even worse: California’s high speed rail project has effectively been axed altogether after a series of setbacks. Meanwhile in China, new rail lines seem to be built every five minutes.
Klein and Thompson’s book provide a helpful antidote to the malaise felt in the UK, the US and elsewhere. They argue advanced economies must tear up their regulatory systems and pursue a pro-abundance agenda: more houses, more energy, more infrastructure.
Governments must put ideology to one side and work with the innovative private sector to deliver meaningful change, they say. I’m persuaded.