The National Business Book Award has announced the shortlist for the annual literary prize awarded to the most outstanding Canadian business-related book.

The finalists will be evaluated by a seven-member independent jury according to five criteria: originality, relevance, excellence of writing, thoroughness of research, and depth of analysis.

The finalists are:

• The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures, Jim Leech and Jacquie McNish (Signal/McClelland & Stewart)
• The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest to End Poverty, Nina Munk (Signal/McClelland & Stewart)
• Harrison McCain: Single Minded Purpose, Donald J. Savoie (McGill-Queen’s University Press)

The winner will be revealed on May 26, and be awarded a $20,000 prize.