Congratulations to the winners of the 18th annual Axiom Business Book Awards!
The Axiom Business Book Awards, dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best books in business literature, has announced its 2025 medalists. This year’s awards featured over 30 categories and attracted over 200 entrants from 13 countries, showcasing the depth and diversity of business publishing.
Listed below are the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners in each category.
GENERAL CATEGORIES:
1. Business Theory | 2. Business Commentary | 3. Economics | 4. Career (job search, career advancement) | 5. Sales (sales skills, negotiating, closing) | 6. Leadership | 7. Leadership: Culture | 8. Networking (social media, communication skills, etc.) | 9. Business Ethics | 10. Business Ethics – Future Trends | 11. Business Intelligence / Innovation | 12. Business Disruption / Reinvention | 13. Human Resources / Employee Training |14. Entrepreneurship / Small Business | 15. Philanthropy / Nonprofit / Sustainability | 16. International Business / Globalization | 17. Personal Finance / Retirement Planning / Investing | 18. Business Technology | 19. Emerging Trends / AI | 20. Women / BIPOC in Business | 21. Success / Motivation / Coaching | 22. Advertising / Marketing / PR | 23. Corporate History / Milestone | 24. Real Estate | 25. Business Reference | 26. Memoir / Biography | 27. Business Stories & Fables | 28. Work-Life Balance / Time Prioritization | 29. Independent Thought Leaders | 30. Digital Media (eBook or audiobook)
GENERAL CATEGORIES
1. BUSINESS THEORY
GOLD
A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever by Jeff Rubin (Allen Lane Canada)
Silver
The Call to Leadership: Unlocking the Leader Within in Times of Crisis by Anita Mendiratta (The Anita Mendiratta Foundation)
Bronze
Digital Relationships: Network Agency Theory and Big Tech by Jason Davis (Stanford Business Books)
2. BUSINESS COMMENTARY
GOLD
The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives by Ernest Scheyder (Simon & Schuster)
Silver
The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg (Mariner)
Bronze
The AI Lead: Overcoming Data Drag to Accelerate Digital Dominance by Brian Lambert, PhD (Koehler Books)
3. ECONOMICS
GOLD
Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality by Angus Deaton (Princeton)
Silver
Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places by Paul Collier (PublicAffairs)
Bronze (tie)
May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases and What We Can Do About It by Alex Edmans (University of California Press
Bronze (tie)
Making Sense of Chaos: A Better Economics for a Better World by J. Doyne Farmer (Yale University Press)
4. CAREER (job search, career advancement)
GOLD
Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: How LGBTQ+ People Can Thrive and Succeed at Work by Layla McCay (Bloomsbury Business)
Silver
Careers By the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals by Mike Wysocki (Wise Ink)
Bronze
At Ease: The Guide to a Smooth & Successful Military Transition by Emily King
5. SALES (sales skills, negotiating, closing)
GOLD
The Cultural Sales Leader by Richard Cogswell (Business Expert Press)
Silver (tie)
Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance by Mike Esterday and Derek Roberts (Page Two)
Silver (tie)
The Momentum Sales Model: How to Achieve Success in Sales, Exceed Targets and Generate Explosive Growth by Tim Castle (Known)
Bronze
The Revenue Operations Manual: How to Build a High-Growth, Predictable, and Scalable Business by Sean Lane and Laura Adint
6. LEADERSHIP
GOLD
Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human by Urs Koenig (Amplify)
Silver
Bold Kindness: A Caring, More Compassionate Way to Lead by Cathy Thorpe (Fast Company)
Bronze
The Leaders You Need: How to Create Diverse Leadership Teams for a More Dynamic Resilient Future by Karen Brown (The MIT Press)
7. LEADERSHIP: CULTURE
GOLD
Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations by Mary C. Murphy (Simon & Schuster)
Silver
Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture: A Road Map for Igniting High Performance by Eric D. Stone (Amplify)
Bronze
The Soil of Leadership: Cultivating the Conditions for Transformation by Dr. Britt Yamamoto (Amplify)
8. NETWORKING (social media, communication skills, etc.)
GOLD
GOLD: Connected: Building Relationships to Achieve Success and Make a Lasting Impact by Patricia Bathory (Amplify)
Silver
Give to Grow: Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your Career by Mo Bunnell (Bard Press)
Bronze
Tune In! How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World by Nuala Walsh (Harriman House)
9. BUSINESS ETHICS
GOLD
Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes by Dr. Sunita Sah (One World)
Silver
The Ethical Imperative: Leading with Conscience to Shape the Future of Business by Andrew C.M. Cooper (Wiley)
Bronze
How We Gather: Sustainable Event Planning for Purpose and Impact by Leor Rothchild (New Society Press)
10. BUSINESS ETHICS - FUTURE TRENDS
GOLD
The Venture Alchemists: How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power by Rob Lalka (Columbia Business School)
Silver
The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley by Marietje Schaake (Princeton)
Bronze
ESG Mindset: Business Resilience and Sustainable Growth by Matthew Sekol (KoganPage)
11. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE / INNOVATION
GOLD
Creativity in Large-Scale Contexts: Guiding Creative Engagement and Exploration by Jonathan S. Feinstein (Stanford Business Books)
Silver
The Illusion of Innovation by Elliot Parker (IdeaPress)
Bronze
Do Bigger Things: A Practical Guide to Powerful Innovation in a Changing World by Dan McClure and Jennifer Wilde (Fast Company)
12. BUSINESS DISRUPTION / REINVENTION
GOLD
Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future by MIke Maples & Peter Ziebelman (PublicAffairs)
Silver
Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future by Brian Solis (Wiley)
Bronze
The Demand Revolution: How Consumers are Redefining Sustainability and Transforming the Future of Business by Andreas Von Der Gathen, Nicolai Broby Eckert and Caroline Kastbjerg (The MIT Press)
13. HUMAN RESOURCES / EMPLOYEE TRAINING
GOLD
Men-In-the-Middle: Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority by Kori Reed (Pure Ink Press)
Silver
Good Team, Bad Team: Lead Your People to Go After Big Challenges, Not Each Other by Sarah Thurber & Blair Miller, PhD (Page Two)
Bronze
Shaping a Winning Team: A Leader’s Guide to Hiring, Assessing, and Developing the People You Need to Succeed by Paul Fayad, MSA and Chak Fu Lam, PhD (Amplify)
14. ENTREPRENEURSHIP / SMALL BUSINESS
GOLD
Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.: Serial Entrepreneurs’ Secrets Revealed by Colin C. Campbell (Forbes Books)
Silver
Big Money in Franchising: Scaling Your Enterprise in the Era of Private Equity by Alicia Miller (Figure 1)
Bronze
Startup Different: The Myth-Busting Blueprint for Your Multi-Million- Dollar Business by David Sinkinson and Chris Sinkinson (Page Two)
15. PHILANTHROPY / NONPROFIT / SUSTAINABILITY
GOLD
Passion Isn’t Enough: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Leaders by David Rhode (Red Falcon Press)
Silver
Becoming a Public Benefit Corporation: Express Your Values, Energize Stakeholders, Make the World a Better Place by Michael B. Dorff (Stanford Business Books)
Bronze
Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World by R. Jisung Park (Princeton)
16. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS / GLOBALIZATION
GOLD
Atlas of Finance: Mapping the Global Story of Money by Dariusz Wojcik; graphics by James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti (Yale University Press)
Silver
From Click to Boom: The Political Economy of E-Commerce in China by Lizhi Liu (Princeton)
Bronze (tie)
Breaking the Mold: India’s Untraveled Path to Prosperity by Raghuram G. Rajan and Rohit Lamba (Princeton)
Bronze (tie)
The Chile Project: The Story of the Chicago Boys and the Downfall of Neoliberalism by Sebastian Edwards (Princeton)
17. PERSONAL FINANCE / RETIREMENT PLANNING / INVESTING
GOLD
The Soul of Wealth: 50 Reflections on Money and Meaning by Daniel Crosby (Harriman House)
Silver
The Heart of It: The Ten Pillars of Mindful Impact Investing by Rick Segal (Amplify)
Bronze
Trailblazers, Heroes, and Crooks: Stories to Make You a Smarter Investor by Stephen Foerster (Wiley)
18. BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
GOLD
Prompting Originality: The A.I. Handbook for Humans by Norty Cohen with Delaney Ehrhardt (IdeaPress)
Silver
The Consumer Insights Revolution: Transforming Market Research for Competitive Advantage by Steve Phillips, Ryan Barry, Stephan Gans, and Kate Schardt (ReThink)
Bronze
Power of Surge: Five Ways to Supercharge Your B2B Software Business and Unleash Hidden Value by Holly Rollo (Advantage Books)
19. EMERGING TRENDS / AI
GOLD
Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI by Ravi Bapna and Anindya Ghose (The MIT Press)
Silver
From Pessimism to Promise: Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech by Payal Arora (The MIT Press)
Bronze
Responsible AI: Implement an Ethical Approach in Your Organization by Olivia Gambelin (KoganPage)
20. WOMEN / BIPOC IN BUSINESS
GOLD
Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From- and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them by Anu Gupta (Hay House)
Silver
Closing the Gap: How to Include Black Women in any Gender Equity Strategy by Leanne Mair (Bloomsbury Business)
Bronze (tie)
Super Woman Wealth: How to Become Your Own Financial Hero by Regina McCann Hess (Greenleaf)
Bronze (tie)
Tread Loudly: Call Out the Bullsh*t and Fight for Equity in the Workplace by Kristine Cherek (BrainTrust Ink)
21. SUCCESS / MOTIVATION / COACHING
GOLD
You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) by Sabina Nawaz (Simon & Schuster)
Silver
Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love by Adam Dorsay, PsyD (Amplify)
Bronze
Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win by Anne Marie Anderson (IdeaPress)
22. ADVERTISING / MARKETING / PR
GOLD
Lean Marketing: More Leads. More Profit. Less Marketing. By Allan Dib (Page Two)
Silver
The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories that Inform, Influence, and Inspire by Karen Eber (HarperHorizon)
Bronze
The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life by Leslie Zane (PublicAffairs)
23. CORPORATE HISTORY / MILESTONE
GOLD
The Shopify Story: How a Startup Rocketed to E-Commerce Giant by Empowering Millions of Entrepreneurs by Larry MacDonald (ECW)
Silver
The Real Madrid Revolution: How the World’s Most Successful Club is Changing the Game- for Their Team and for Football by Steven G. Mandis (BenBella)
Bronze
A Horn of Plenty - The Abundant Life of Alan D. Horn by Rogers (Rogers)
24. REAL ESTATE
GOLD
Rhythms of Change: Reflections on the Regent Park Revitalization by Mitchell Cohen (Page Two)
Silver
The New American Dream: A Simple Roadmap to Purchasing Investment Properties by Steven Andrews (Smith Publicity)
Bronze
The Realtor Investor: Why Hiring the Right Realtor is Key to Success by Erica West, Toni Boer, Karen Chenaille, and Ryan Duffy
25. BUSINESS REFERENCE (legal, how-to, industry-specific)
GOLD
Drawing Your Future: Solve Problems, Explain Ideas, Sell Anything by Patti Dobrowlski (IdeaPress)
Silver
Community Led Housing: A Cohousing Development Approach by Ronaye Matthew and Margaret Critchlow (Page Two)
Bronze
Price Writer: The Nine-Step Method to Becoming a Highly Successful General Insurance Pricing Leader by Jeremy Keating (ReThink)
26. MEMOIR / BIOGRAPHY
GOLD
Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys by Payam Zamani (BenBella)
Silver (tie)
Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher (Simon & Schuster)
Silver (tie)
Unlimited Heart: How to Transform Your Pain Into Purpose by Jim Kaveney (IdeaPress)
Bronze
No Big Deal: Chasing the Indie Music Dream in the Last Days of the Record Business by Dean Brownrout (Guernica World Editions)
27. BUSINESS STORIES & FABLES
GOLD
Streetwise to Saleswise: Become ObjectiveProof and Beat the Sales Blues by Jeff C. West and Bob Burg
Silver
Game of Teams: Discover How to Become a Collaborative Leader by Winsor Jenkins
Bronze
What If You Tried This at Work? A Field Guide of Possibilities for Becoming an Invaluable Manager by Mark E. Haskins (KoehlerBooks)
28. WORK-LIFE BALANCE / TIME PRIORITIZATION
GOLD
The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Your Work Performance and Mental Health by Marie-Helene Pelletier, PhD, MBA (Page Two)
Silver
The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries by Maria Ross (Page Two)
Bronze
The Natural Advantage: How More Time Outside Reduces Stress, Improves Health & Boosts Social Connection by Dr Jenny Brockis (Major Street)
29. INDEPENDENT THOUGHT LEADERS
GOLD
The Neurodiversity Edge: The Essential Guide to Embracing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and other Neurological Differences for Any Organization by Maureen Dunne (Wiley)
Silver
Inside the Invisible Cage: How Algorithms Control Workers by Hatim A. Rahman (University of California Press)
Bronze
What If There’s More? Finding Significance Beyond Success by Traci Schubert Barrett (Lioncrest Press)
30. DIGITAL MEDIA (eBook or audiobook)
GOLD
Seeking Fairness at Work: Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement Retention & Satisfaction by Hanna Hasl-Kelchner, MBA JD (Business M.O. LLC)
Silver
One Coin. Two Coin. What Coin? Bitcoin. Crypto: The Easiest Guide Ever by Elaine Wilkes, Dan Hollings and Daniel Hall
Bronze
The Resilient Culture: How Collective Resilience Leads to Business Success by Chris Tamdjidi, Liane Stephan, Silke Rupprecht and Michael Mackay Richards (Kogan Page)
D1. GENERAL BUSINESS
GOLD
Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society by Arun Gupta, Gerard George, and Thomas J. Fewer (Stanford Business Books)
Silver
The Corporation in the 21st Century: Why (Almost) Everything We are Told About Business is Wrong by John Kay (Yale University Press)
Bronze
Explicit Expectations: The Essential Guide & Toolkit of Management Fundamentals by R. Karl Hebenstreit, PhD., PCC (Perform & Function)
D2. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (leadership, career advancement, success)
GOLD
The Creative Way Forward: A Guide for Navigating Change in Work and Life by Jen Martin (Fast Company)
Silver
Your Grass is Greener: Use What You Have Get What You Want at Work and in Life by Jason Silver (IdeaPress)
Bronze
The Power Play Journal: Battle-Tested Strategies & Reflections for Impactful Leadership by E. Tinna Jackson
D3. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS (industry-specific topics)
GOLD
Skip the Waiting Room: How Telehealth Will Transform Medicine for Patients and Doctors by Chris Rovin, Jared Sheehan, Talib Omer, MD with Michael Ashley (Fast Company)
Silver
The Flagship Experience: How AI and Software-Defined Vehicles Will Revolutionize the Automotive Customer Experience by Evangelos Simoudis, PhD. (Amplify)
Bronze
Entrepreneur: Heretic or Hero of Innovation? Lessons from Two-Time Successful AI Tech Startup Entrepreneur by Dr. Suhayya Abu-Hakima
D4. BUSINESS HISTORY (memoir, corporate history, financial history)
GOLD
Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas by Karen Pinchin (Knopf Canada)
Silver
A Nation’s Paper: The Globe & Mail in the Life of Canada edited by John Ibbitson (Signal)
Bronze
Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire by Alexandra Posadzki (McClelland & Stewart)
