12 Books That Can Change How You Think

Industry captains and policy makers recommend books they loved to read in 2024

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In the fascinating book, The Soul of an Octopus, naturalist Sy Montgomery writes about her encounters with the eight-armed mollusks. Turns out, they have a mind of their own. They can be gentle, assertive, curious and joyful. Above all, they are clever. "It doesn't take long for an octopus to figure out who his friends are," Montgomery writes.

While this book, the favorite of a Mint editor, didn't make it to the recommendation list, another one around the octopus did—it promises to be an equally good read, particularly if you are interested in the evolution of intelligence.

This year, we sourced our picks from industry captains, policy makers, and even Mint's opinion editor. Many of these books weren't published in 2024, but in their narrative and content, they remain enduring—artificial intelligence; economic history; organizational culture; the markets; and human resilience. Do not miss what Harsh Mariwala and Anu Aga read.

ACCELERATING INDIA'S DEVELOPMENT

Karthik Muralidharan

India delivered on democracy but faltered on prosperity. Why (the past) is not as important as how (the future). Yet most economic books attempt to describe the world rather than change it. Karthik's book (Accelerating India's Development: A State-led Roadmap for Effective Governance) is different. He recognises we campaign in poetry but govern in prose; new recipes beat more cooks in improving state capacity, and 29 chief ministers matter more than one prime minister.