Enrich your strategic mind.

• Author: Johnston, J. Phillips L.
• Position: STRATEGY

I have found that law school prepared me substantially better for business than graduate business school did. The study of law forces you to dig deeply in the well of information and fully discern the facts. Fully understanding the facts helps turn a complex decision into a reflex. That said, I submit that reading the following books is the best preparation for the challenges of business, especially in dealing with strategy at a corporate governance level. These literary "hall of fame" books for the most part are not found in the business section of the library.

* Attack and Die, by Grady McWhiney and Perry D. Jamieson (1982). This obscure book teaches the importance of understanding how new technology and ever-changing situations and facts affect strategic decision making. It also illustrates how prior success may reinforce a bias even though the situation and technology have changed. If you are going to read only one of these selected books, this masterpiece on strategic thinking should be your choice.

* The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman (1962). Elan is not a strategy. Being more intelligent and working harder than your competition is an unacceptable strategy. This book also teaches the importance of contingency planning.

* Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Mainten--ance, by Robert Pirsig (1974). You best understand the mind of the Woodstock generation when selling goods and offering services to that generation. They are older now, but their attitude, outlook, and beliefs tend to remain rooted in an earlier era.

* The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1964). This incredible book sears into your brain that others see the world differently from you. Your peers may view the world much as you do, but we all need to be reminded that many others see and experience the world quite differently.

* Class, by Paul Fussell (1983). This book debunks the myth that there can be a classless society. America has a class system that at times can make India look egalitarian. You don't need to read this page-turner if you know what is the major determination of class in America.

* All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (1929). Compare this book to The Red Badge of Courage, written by a minister's son who had never held a rifle, much less fired one. This masterpiece shows why there is no substitute for firsthand experience learned in the trenches of life. It changed my life.

* Mind of the South, by W. J. Cash (1941). Let's just say you cannot...