Bill Gates and Warren Buffett both swear by this business playbook

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have many things in common—one of them being a very passionate love of reading and sharing knowledge. Which is why when the two agree on a single book being “the best business book [they’ve] ever read,” it’s worth taking notes—and immediately placing a next-day Amazon order.

The Microsoft tycoon recently shared a story about an interaction he had with Buffett not long after they first met—back in 1991. He asked Buffett to recommend his favorite book about business, and, according to Gates, he didn’t miss a beat and responded without a second thought: “It’s Business Adventures, by John Brooks,” he said. “I’ll send you my copy.”

“Today, more than two decades after Warren lent it to me—and more than four decades after it was first published—Business Adventures remains the best business book I’ve ever read,” Bill Gates shared in a recent GatesNotes blog post. “John Brooks is still my favorite business writer. (And Warren, if you’re reading this, I still have your copy.)”

The business classic comes as a collection of twelve articles, mostly plucked from The New Yorker, that offer readers a stimulating and insightful look into the corporate and financial life in the United States.

With the ability to make deep business talk about companies ranging from Ford to Xerox, much more digestible and easy to understand (without coming off as condescending or gauche), Business Adventures straddles the line between Wall Street and Main Street—which makes it a much more appealing dive into business than the more scholarly business books on the market today.

In short, this is not your typical business book—and certainly not the book you’d expect two of the richest men on the planet to give their unwavering seal of approval so quickly and passionately.

But that’s what makes it such a fascinating read for all walks of life—even if you’re not necessarily interested in the technical side of business and finance.

While it doesn’t come with straightforward business advice, lists of leadership traits, or a how-to for making it on Wall Street, the savvy collection of articles is well thought out and smartly curated to follow businesses and companies as they navigate unusual events, crises, and financial despair that marked business history in the United States.

Whether you’re curious to know why North America doesn’t have open government corruption, how the concept of insider trading got its roots, or even the workings of tax code, and public shareholder meetings, this book has the answers to sociological and financial questions you might not have even known that you were wondering.

Regardless of whether you consider yourself to be a business person or not, Business Adventures is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the inner workings of finance and how it relates to the larger scheme of things—both in the United States and on the world stage.

Divided into twelve previously published essays, this book is a great option for anyone looking for a relatively easy read that will leave them feeling smarter and have more of a grasp on finance and behind-the-scenes business.

Those new to business jargon might find it easier to approach the book in sections; reading one article at a time, which is a seamless approach given the nature of the anthology.

Whether you’re planning to tackle the entire book or you’d just like to get a feel for the concepts and dapple in just a few chapters, some of the best essays to start with are Xerox Xerox Xerox, The Last Great Corner, The Fluctuation, and The Fate of the Edsel; keeping in mind that all essays were written and published before 1968 and can take some time to get through given the dated language and nuances.

According to Bill Gates, while the subject matter of Business Adventures might not be perceived as relevant these days as it was during the initial publication, its innate wisdom is just as relevant as ever. 

“Business Adventures is as much about the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in challenging circumstances as it is about the particulars of one business or another,” he explained.

“In that sense, it is still relevant not despite its age but because of it. John Brooks’s work is really about human nature, which is why it has stood the test of time.”