Satya Nadella's Book Recommendations

"I loved it"

"I loved Forged in Crisis."

"Covering everything from the combustion engine to the flush toilet—and judging recent breakthroughs with a skeptical eye—this work of economic history “concludes that innovation is the ultimate source of dramatic improvements in the human condition,” says Nadella."

"My father recommended this book long ago, - says Nadella of the 1944 classic by a Hungarian-American writer who chronicles the development of England’s market economy and argues that society should drive economic change"

"There’s a fantastic book I recently read, it’s called The Narrow Corridor,- Nadella said in response to a question from Schwab about runaway pay for executives. - It’s [about] the real, constant tension between what does a society want and … what does the government want … and you have to find the narrow corridor. And similarly I believe between markets, democracies, and liberal values, we have to find the corridor that works, where there isn’t anything out of kilter, whether it’s CEO pay or anything else."

"[About] the real, constant tension between what does a society want, and what does the government want, and you have to find the narrow corridor."

"Prosperity, by Oxford economist Colin Mayer, argues that “a corporation finds profitable solutions to the challenges of people and the planet,” Nadella explained. “The key word is ‘profitable,’ because we do know that capitalism does have the ability to allocate resources in the most efficient way. But the other key word is ‘the challenges of people and the planet.’ It’s not about creating more challenges to people and the planet but to have real solutions to the problems. I like that."

"[Argues that] a corporation finds profitable solutions to the challenges of people and the planet."

"In this look at how telepresence and telerobotics will increasingly let people cross international borders from the comfort of their own homes, Nadella sees analogies to Microsoft’s HoloLens headset, especially as the technology matures and its cost comes down."

"A wonderful illustration of the importance of teamwork, which was a core part of my focus out of the gate as CEO."

"As Microsoft’s new CEO, he aspired to steer the company toward “a culture that allowed us to constantly refresh and renew,” and incorporated Dweck’s perspective into his blueprint for change. “Now three years into it, I recognize its power a lot more than I did,” he says."

"Upon becoming CEO, Nadella confronted Microsoft’s legendarily combative culture by urging his new reports to read this book, which preaches the power of empathy, self-awareness, and authenticity in collaboration in the workplace, at home, and beyond. Like many of his favorites, it was first recommended to him by his wife, Anu: “I’m heavily influenced by the books she reads more than the books I read.”"

"A fascinating book."

"The book made such a significant impact on Satya Nadella that he hired co-author Yoshua Bengio."

"The prescient topics explored in this book, coupled with the dialogue it sparks at World Economic Forum gatherings, are vital contributions to understanding and solutions."

"Such a valuable contribution to a topic that couldn't be more important to society today."

"Great read!"

"An important book on some of the biggest tech issues of our time and their impact on all of our lives."

"The insights in this book are invaluable to anyone trying to create and sustain organizational culture."

"An important book that explains what's required to rethink the firm and become an AI-first company."

"Clear-eyed and a must-read."

"The business principles in this book will help you deploy your strategy with creativity, integrity, and realism."

"Tells his story, that of his iconic company and the grit required to compete in the ever-growing technology industry."