Books for Product Managers

Getting Things Done

Soon after this book was published Allen attracted an almost cult-like following. Product managers juggle hundreds of priorities, and this book will help you balance your time.

Predictably Irrational

One of the best books on human nature, Ariely’s enjoyable book helps us understand why people behave irrationally.

Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz

Work Rules!

Laszlo and his team at Google have reinvented the role of human resources. This book is a terrific overview of what makes Google Google, from culture, to hiring, to making decisions.

Inspired

Quiet: The Power of Introverts

I’m an introvert and I spent years treating it as a weakness. Susan’s book opened my eyes to the unique contributions introverts make. Even if you’re not an introvert yourself, I guarantee you work with lots of them.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

The chilling story of Theranos. Many lessons in here about what can happen when you don’t act ethically and don’t trust your people.

Creativity, Inc

Competing Against Luck

Christensen is back with a new book which explores one of his approaches to combating the Innovator’s Dilemma: Jobs-To-Be-Done.

The Innovator's Solution

The Innovator’s Dilemma’s equally essential follow-up. How product managers can fight the innovator’s dilemma.

Brave New Work

A good general overview of several of the concepts on the future of work that I’ve covered in my essays and talks.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Why do some products take hold while others quietly fail? Highly recommended for any PM building consumer products.

Getting To Yes

Product managers need to be master negotiators and there’s no better guide to negotiation than this classic.

Team of Rivals

Abraham Lincoln surrounded himself with his opponents, gradually turning them into admirers and influential advisors. Lincoln’s approach to leadership offers lessons for anyone looking to tap into the wisdom of others, with or without formal authority.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

The most truly practical startup management book. Ben cuts through the B.S. and addresses the messy ambiguity of the real world in entertaining fashion.

How to Lie with Statistics

Product managers need a solid foundation in statistics to be metrics-driven. This classic book is a lively and fun book will leave you smarter and more skeptical.

Steve Jobs

One of the best biographies of all time, of the greatest product manager of all time.

Meaningful: the Story of Ideas that Fly

A new addition to this list, marketing as storytelling.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

When does our animal brain make decisions for us before our more analytical brain has a chance to think through the consequences? From Nobel laureate Kahneman, this is one of the most important psychology books ever written.

On Writing

Product managers need to be good writers, and this is how you learn from one of the masters of the craft.

Sprint

From my former partners in GV Design—how to cut through the crap, identify a problem, and test it in only one week.

Don't Make Me Think

This lighthearted book about user interface design is fun to read, and chock full of lessons for PMs.

In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

Levy was given unprecedented access to Google, and the result is what I consider to be an accurate depiction of how the company operates. A good overview of how Google product managers work.

Inside the Tornado

Moore’s follow-up tells you what to do after you’ve crossed the chasm, when it’s make-or-break around your ability to reach mainstream customers.

Crossing the Chasm

The classic technology marketing book. Moore was the first to evaluate the role of early adopters.

The Design of Everyday Things

After you read Norman’s book you’ll notice design everywhere, both good and bad. A classic in the field of design.

The Lean Product Playbook

Dan’s book is a perfect companion to Lean Startup, with lots of tactical advice and techniques for putting lean methodologies into practice.

Positioning

The classic marketing book, one of the first to specifically address positioning your product in a consumer’s mind.

Radical Candor

Kim built Google’s AdSense business and then went on to to create Apple’s highly regarded manager training program. Her book shows you how to be forthright and honest, without being a jerk.

Nudge

In product development, defaults matter. Thaler’s is the best book on why that is, and how to steer your users in the right direction.

The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams

The founding editor of The Wall Street Journal’s sports section looks at the leadership qualities of the most successful sports leaders in history. And they’re not what you think.