Over at Intercollegiate Review, John R. Inzero makes the case for Shakespeare’s Henry V as being the best business book any student could ever read.

Many (many, many) years ago, I read all the business books that were hyped by industry magazines and newspapers. I especially remember one that was termed “the only business book you’ll ever need to read.” Soon after I read it, I saw a blurb about another book that was proclaimed “the only business book you’ll ever need to read.” And I thought, OK, wait a minute. The first only business book I’ll ever need to read held that position for less than a month? I was young then and didn’t really understand hyperbole. I’m not so young now, and I finally have the answer to the question What is the best business book you’ll ever need to read?

It’s found in Shakespeare. After all the paradigms, and the formulae, and the algorithms, and the corpspeak, business is, at its essence, about dealing with people. So how to succeed in business is to learn about people. And the best way to do that is through literature, not the latest “only business book you’ll ever need to read.”

You want to learn what it means to mature and become a leader? ReadHenry V. Prince Hal, in Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, was what could charitably be termed a thug. He ran around London with his group of hell-raisers, famously including Sir John Falstaff, and got into all kinds of lawlessness. Being the crown prince, he was able to avoid the consequences. There was real concern in the court about what would happen when he became king. But then Henry IV died, and Hal’s duty beckoned, he took on not only the crown of leadership but also the responsibilities that came with it.

Read the article “The Business Book Every Student Should Read” on intercollegiatereview.com.