Books On Board
author Reading Order

Betty Liu Books in Order

1 Books
2021 Published
Jump to reading order
Affiliate links: We may earn a commission on purchases made at no extra cost to you.
Reading order

A Tale of Two Authors: Clarifying the Betty Liu Bookography

When searching for books by Betty Liu, readers frequently run into a major point of confusion: database listings often conflate two entirely separate, highly accomplished women who share the same name. To help you find the right books and understand where to begin, here is the breakdown of who wrote what, along with the best reading order for their respective works.

1. Betty Liu: The Financial Journalist and Business Leader

The first Betty Liu is a veteran business journalist, media entrepreneur, and former morning anchor for Bloomberg Television (where she hosted In the Loop with Betty Liu). She later founded the executive education startup Radiate and went on to serve as the Executive Vice Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Her books focus on career advancement, leadership advice from global CEOs, and healthy aging strategy.

2. Dr. Betty Liu: The Surgeon and Cookbook Author

The second Betty Liu is a Boston-based general surgery resident, food writer, photographer, and recipe developer. Her books focus on traditional Chinese culinary techniques, seasonal cooking, and stories from Shanghai's food culture. Her work is celebrated for its transportive food photography and highly detailed guides to home cooking.

Recommended Reading Paths: Where to Start

If You Want Career and Business Growth

If you are looking for professional guidance, executive insights, and actionable career advice, you should start with Work Smarts: What CEOs Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead (2013). This book distills the lessons Betty Liu gathered from interviewing top business leaders—including Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, and Jamie Dimon—offering practical tips on negotiating, managing, and climbing the corporate ladder.

If You Want to Explore Chinese Culinary Traditions

If you are a home cook or a culinary enthusiast, start with My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water (2021). This book serves as an excellent introduction to Shanghainese cuisine, organizing 100 recipes by season and detailing the cultural history of Shanghai's food ways. From there, you should progress to her second cookbook, The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors (2024), which focuses on foundational skills, tools, and versatile techniques that can be applied to any Chinese home cooking setup.

Publication Order of Books by Journalist Betty Liu

  • Age Smart: Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond (2006) – Co-authored with Jeffrey A. Rosensweig, this book combines financial planning and health insights to guide readers through vibrant aging.
  • Work Smarts: What CEOs Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead (2013) – A career development manual packed with real-world advice from top executives.

Publication Order of Cookbooks by Dr. Betty Liu

  • My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water (2021) – A seasonal journey through the culinary heritage, family recipes, and history of Shanghai.
  • The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors (2024) – A cookbook focused on mastering traditional Chinese cooking techniques, knife skills, and ingredient pairings.

What to Know Before You Start

Since both authors write in entirely different genres (business non-fiction versus culinary literature), there is no narrative continuity between any of their books. You can read them completely out of order based on your current interests. If you enjoy career developmental guides, Liu's journalist work is direct, conversational, and filled with primary interview quotes. If you are reading the cookbooks, they are highly visual and require a kitchen setup capable of traditional Chinese cooking techniques like steaming, braising, and stir-frying.

Frequently Asked

QAre the business books and the Chinese cookbooks written by the same Betty Liu?

No. The business books (Work Smarts, Age Smart) are written by the financial journalist and former NYSE Vice Chairman Betty Liu. The cookbooks (My Shanghai, The Chinese Way) are written by the Boston-based surgeon and food photographer Dr. Betty Liu.

QWhere should I start reading Betty Liu's career books?

You should start with Work Smarts: What CEOs Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead (2013), as it contains her most widely applicable professional advice gathered from interviews with leading global executives.

QWhich cookbook should I read first by Dr. Betty Liu?

Start with My Shanghai (2021) to learn the seasonal philosophy and cultural stories of regional Shanghainese food, then read The Chinese Way (2024) to dive deeper into general Chinese cooking techniques and kitchen setups.

QIs My Shanghai suitable for beginners in Chinese cooking?

Yes. My Shanghai features step-by-step photographic illustrations for complex techniques, such as forming dumplings and wrapper rolling, making it accessible for home cooks of all skill levels.

QWhat is the focus of the book Age Smart?

Published in 2006, Age Smart is a collaboration between Betty Liu and financial expert Jeffrey A. Rosensweig that focuses on navigating physical health, mental sharpness, and financial security during midlife and retirement.