books to buy
selection of inspiring books

Brand It Like Beckham

We know that more and more celebrities are using their fame and success and turning themselves into brands. None more so than David Beckham. After reading this book I saw David Beckham in a new light. A man who has branded himself to the extreme... Read more

The Personal Branding Phenomenon

From the schoolroom to the boardroom, everyone succeeds - or fails - by the rules of Personal Branding. Understand why, and how, in this guide to shaping your life. Personal Branding isn't the product of ad agencies or corporations; it's a continuous process that's as old as society. A Personal... Read more

The Brand You 50: Reinventing Work

If Dilbert and Tom Peters ever attended the same party, they'd probably find themselves in opposite corners. The cynical cartoon character would have a hard time in Peters's upbeat, high-energy world of "Cool-Beyond-Belief." The Brand You 50 is Peters's manifesto for today's knowledge workers. It... Read more

Branding Yourself: How to Look, Sound...

This guide aims to give the reader the tools and techniques to make the right impact first time, every time. Looking for your first job? Reinventing yourself for promotion or a fresh start? Going back to work? Whether you're a freelance, corporate employee, CEO or entreprenuer, the principles are... Read more

'E-myth Revisited' Michael E. Gerber

No, I haven't gone all e-commerce on you. 'E' stands for 'Entrepreneurs'. If you are a small business and you want to get some new insights into how you could run your business more efficiently, this book is a must read. Gerber writes in a clear way, without complex jargon or too many statistics... Read more

'Purple Cow' Seth Godin

Finally; a marketing book I could take on the tube and not fall asleep! Seth Godin Purple Cow, is not only an enjoyable read, it is thought-provoking throughout; challenging the standard five Ps of marketing, and explaining why they just are not working any more... Read more

'Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not' Robert Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter

If there is one thing I took away from this great book it is that let your 'assets buy you luxuries' meaning once you have worked out how to build assets then it is time to spend on the things you really want, not the 'buy now pay later' attitude we all now have created as the norm. (How many debt ads are there in each break?) But it is all about pure self-discipline, if you don't learn it now, then when? 30-40 years time when you are still working hard to pay taxes? By then it's just too late... Read more

'Creative Business Presentations'

As I mentioned, I have been presenting a lot over the last month. I picked up 'Creative Business Presentations' a while back and it is great for complete novices as well as experienced speakers... Read more

Maximum Achievement" Brian Tracy

This book really could change your life - in so much as it will almost certainly change the way you perceive things, and will teach you how to rid yourself of the baggage that's holding you back and keeping you in your "comfort zone"... Read more

In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement is...

'Heralding a 'wake-up call' to a world obsessed with speed and doing everything faster and faster - this book simply leapt off the shelf and into my arms as soon as I spotted it. Following a couple of years where I have taken a stance and refused to hurry through my life, work and relationships, it simply resonated so deeply... Read more

The Rules of Work - A Definitive Guide...

'So many times in my career I have thought 'Why did they get that promotion?' I felt I had worked harder than them; I had more talent, more experience and expertise. We've all met them; the ones who just land that job without doing anything... Read more

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good...

"It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be" is a handbook of how to succeed in the world - a pocket "bible" for the talented and timid to help make the unthinkable and the impossible possible. Advertising guru Paul Arden offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving... Read more

'7 Habits of Highly Effective People'

I am not going to go into depth about this book as it is all in the title. This is one to read if you are constantly saying, 'where has my day gone' or 'I just don't have the time to do...' There is no better time than now to take time out and invest in getting the tools to be effective. Covey's insights are the core principles that will help give you more creative time to work on your brand. Enough said!... Read more

Anyone can do it: Building Coffee Republic...

"Anyone can do it: Building Coffee Republic From Our Kitchen Table" is a really enjoyable read written by Sahar and Bobby Hashemi - a sister and brother team who built Coffee Republic from a background in the corporate world... Read more

Against the Odds: An Autobiography...

This is a book against the traditional way of doing business... Read more

Losing My Virginity: The Autobiography

Love him or loathe him, you've got to admit it, Richard Branson has drive. And guts. And enough ambition to sink a battleship--or perhaps that should be a jumbo jet--or even a whole company of jumbos if the Virgin Atlantic/British Airways debacle (which takes up a huge chunk of this already huge... Read more

Ben and Jerry's Double-dip: Lead with...

Commercial success need not come at the cost of human value. Just ask Ben and Jerry, whose first ice cream shop in an abandoned Vermont gas station grew into a $160 million business. In this book they explain what they call "value-led business"... Read more

Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks...

Since 1987, Starbucks's star has been on the rise, growing from 11 Seattle, WA-based stores to more than 1,000 worldwide. Its goals grew, too, from the more modest, albeit fundamental one of offering high-quality coffee beans roasted to perfection to, more recently, opening a new store somewhere... Read more

Wally Olins on B®and

The author draws upon a lifetime's experience to reveal the way in which the most successful brands in the world triumph by making insiders believe in them and consumers buy into them. But now branding has moved so far beyond its commercial origins that consumer response has entered uncharted... Read more

Brand Gap

"Bridge the gap" between strategy and creativity to develop an enduring brand as you rebuild your website or business strategy. Presents a quick, easy approach that gives readers a solid understanding of the topic. Contains real-world case studies of good and bad branding... Read more

Beyond Branding: How the New Values of...

In response to the growing "anti-globalisation" movement and the perception that brands are manipulative and demeaning, this text argues that branding is neither inherently good nor evil. It aims to show that branding can benefit employees, customers and investors if managers rethink their... Read more

Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands

For those who are interested in the branding, the evolution and the predictions for it's future, this is a fantastic book to read... read more

'Change the World for a Fiver: We Are What We Do'

This book is the best way you could spend £5 this year. Cleverly presented with cool, fun designs and inspirational ideas, it shows you how you can make a difference to the world without it being difficult, boring or costing you anything... Read more

The Invitation: Experience the Challenge...

Cult bestseller 'The Invitation' is more than just a poem. It is a profound invitation to a life that is more fulfilling and passionate, with greater integrity. Oriah Mountain Dreamer invites readers to get a life instead of buying into a lifestyle. This book is a word-of-mouth sensation, whose truths... Read more

Wear Sunscreen: A Primer for Real Life

The book; Wear Sunscreen, is perfect for a little encouragement. It is great advice for young people or people of any age. It reminds us all to think a little more positively. The contents of this book are definetly true; perfect guidelines to live by... Read more

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following...

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book -- a magical fable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life's path and, above all, follow your dreams. This is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian... Read more

The Balancing Act: Work Life Solutions...

Lynne Franks, entrepreneur and author of THE SEED HANDBOOK. 'Terrific... if you are looking for balance in your life, then Fiona Parashar has found the way'... Read more

Take Yourself to the Top: The Secrets...

A recent trend in personal development is life coaching: it's somewhere between having a personal trainer and a therapist, someone to check up on you and make sure you are doing what you need to do to achieve your personal and professional goals. Life coaches focus on the future not the past, they... Read more

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

A book of advice on how to cope with fear of various kinds of experience, such as public speaking, self-assertion, decision-making, intimacy, being alone, ageing, losing a loved one, and ending a relationship... Read more