“Mike Tyson’s autobiography. I love the part about Don King meeting with Mike in my office.”
-Irving Azoff, chairman/CEO, Azoff MSG Entertainment (No. 7)
“‘Digital Radio for Dummies.'”
-Bob Pittman, chairman/CEO, Clear Channel (No. 11)
“‘The Empathic Civilization’ by Jeremy Rifkin. It’s a great perspective on what he thinks is the untold story of the evolution of human beings, from the hunter-gatherer beginnings through the Industrial Revolution to where we are today.”
-Frank Cooper, chief marketing officer of global consumer engagement, PepsiCo (No. 15)
“‘Johnny Carson’ by Henry Bushkin. I thought it was fascinating because if you grew up in the pre-Internet, pre-Wikipedia age, you basically saw what you thought you saw in the character of Johnny Carson. But it was really just a snapshot of that era — a lot of hard drinking and partying — and of a reclusive superstar.”
-Monte Lipman, chairman/CEO, Republic Records (No. 17)
“‘How Music Works’ by David Byrne. It’s an outstanding book that I encourage everyone involved in music to read.”
-Peter Edge, CEO, RCA Music Group (No. 21)
“Patti Smith’s ‘Just Kids.’ It’s a beautiful read that reaffirmed why I do what I do: Find incredible, unique artists who have a purpose. I’m here to champion great art.”
-Julie Greenwald, chairman/COO, Atlantic Records Group (No. 22)
“‘Life’ by Keith Richards. Probably because we were in the middle of the Rolling Stones tour. For me it was the biggest education of anything I read last year.”
-Jennifer Breithaupt, senior VP of entertainment marketing, Citi (No. 24)
“‘Behind the Cloud’ by Marc Benioff. He tells the story of creating and building Salesforce into a multibillion-dollar company. Marc’s spirituality plays a big role in how he makes many of his important business decisions, and I appreciate that.”
-Guy Oseary, partner, Untitled Entertainment; co-founder, A-Grade Investments (No. 38)
“I reread ‘Stumbling on Happiness,’ a great reminder of how important it is to be present, given how little we know about the future.”
-Tim Westergren, co-founder/chief strategy officer, Pandora (No. 55)
“‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ by Dr. Seuss. I read it every once in a while. Because it reminds me that life gives you good things and challenges, and then good things and more challenges. It’s in my office.”
-Jose Valle, president, Univision Radio (No. 99)