Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Howard Schultz

Former CEO, Starbucks

Starbucks operator who scaled the company from a regional coffee retailer into a global consumer brand.

Wikipedia

Operator Consumer Retail

1Book recommended

2Books written

Books Howard Schultz recommends

1 book, each linked to the source where Howard Schultz recommended it.

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Just Mercy

by Bryan Stevenson · 2014

The New Yorker reported that Howard Schultz read Just Mercy, said he was so moved that he contacted Bryan Stevenson, and then displayed the book at Starbucks counters.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: The New Yorker

Evidence details

Bryan Stevenson and the Legacy of Lynching

Schultz's action went beyond a private reading note: after reading Stevenson's book, he used Starbucks retail space to put Just Mercy in front of customers. This is cataloged as a reported recommendation/promotion rather than an exact recommendation quote.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

The New Yorker · 2016-08-15 · accessed 2026-06-21

Article · Reported book promotion

The New Yorker reports that after reading Just Mercy, Howard Schultz was moved enough to contact Bryan Stevenson and display the book at Starbucks counters.

Amazon Audible Bookshop.org

Books by Howard Schultz

Written by Howard Schultz. Not counted as recommendations.

Retail Turnaround Leadership

Onward

by Howard Schultz & Joanne Gordon · 2011

Howard Schultz's account of returning to Starbucks and rebuilding the company through an operational turnaround.

Amazon Audible Bookshop.org

Consumer Retail Founder Memoir

Pour Your Heart Into It

by Howard Schultz & Dori Jones Yang · 1997

Howard Schultz's account of Starbucks, brand building, culture, and the operating choices behind its growth.

Amazon Audible Bookshop.org