Here are the ten business books that have shaped my thinking most recently, a mix of bold ideas, sharp insights, and a few genuine game-changers

I’ve pulled together short reviews for each, and I hope they spark your curiosity as much as they did mine

And a small favour: if you read any of these books, please leave a review

It makes a bigger difference to us authors than you might imagine

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Plenty more ideas and inspiration waiting there

Matthew Egan’s The Failure Advantage is a refreshing and deeply insightful exploration of one of life’s most misunderstood experiences, failure. Rather than treating setbacks as obstacles to avoid, Egan reframes them as essential ingredients for growth, innovation, and lasting success. Through a blend of research, real-world stories, and personal reflection, he reveals how the most successful people and organizations use failure as a catalyst for creativity, resilience, and reinvention. His writing is clear, engaging, and honest, making complex ideas about mindset and performance accessible and immediately actionable.

What sets this book apart is Egan’s ability to turn what often feels like defeat into a strategic advantage. He doesn’t glorify failure but instead shows readers how to extract meaning, build strength, and cultivate confidence through it. Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply navigating personal challenges, The Failure Advantage will change how you see your setbacks, and perhaps even make you grateful for them. It’s an empowering, thought-provoking read that belongs on the shelf of anyone serious about personal growth and success.

Peggy S. Bud and Tamara L. Jacobson's Conversations Lead to Consensus is a refreshing, insightful guide for anyone who believes communication is the heartbeat of leadership. Drawing on their deep expertise in language, psychology, and organizational behavior, Peggy and Tamara demonstrate how the right conversations, intentional, empathetic, and well-structured, can transform not just teams, but entire workplace cultures. They don't just talk about communication; they show how it can build trust, resolve conflict, and create alignment even in the most complex environments.

What makes this book stand out is its practicality. Every chapter offers tools and frameworks that leaders can apply immediately, whether in one-on-one meetings or across global teams. In a world where miscommunication often derails performance, Peggy and Tamara's message is both timely and timeless: great leaders don’t dictate, they converse. This book is a must-read for managers, executives, and anyone who wants to elevate their influence through the art of conversation.

Governing the Machine by Ray Eitel-Porter, Dr. Paul Dongha and Miriam Vogel is a timely and essential guide for leaders, policymakers, and technologists seeking to understand how to harness the power of artificial intelligence responsibly. The authors move beyond the hype and headlines to deliver a thoughtful, structured approach to AI governance, one that balances innovation with accountability. Through a comprehensive risk framework covering issues such as bias, explainability, data privacy, and sustainability, they provide readers with a practical blueprint for building governance programs that safeguard both organizations and society.

What sets this book apart is its clarity and relevance. The authors don't just describe the risks, they explain how to manage them through actionable processes, controls, and leadership principles. The authors also provide insight on generative and agentic AI which are particularly valuable, helping readers anticipate emerging challenges while remaining adaptable to rapid technological change. Governing the Machine is an indispensable read for anyone serious about unlocking AI’s true potential without losing sight of ethics, transparency, and trust.

Now What – How to Ride the Tsunami of Change is a timely and thought-provoking exploration of how exponential technologies are reshaping every aspect of our world. Dr. Mark Van Rijmenam brings clarity to the chaos of AI, blockchain, and the metaverse, offering readers not just a forecast of what’s coming, but a practical guide to navigating it. His ability to connect technological change with human behavior, leadership, and ethics makes this book essential reading for anyone who wants to understand, not fear, the future.

What sets this book apart is its balance of vision and pragmatism. Van Rijmenam doesn’t just tell us that change is coming, he shows us how to ride the wave with agility, responsibility, and purpose. Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about what the next decade holds, Now What delivers the insights and frameworks needed to adapt and thrive in a world of accelerating disruption. A must-read for those who want to lead with foresight and stay ahead of the curve.

The High-Performing Key Account Manager (KAM) is an outstanding and deeply practical guide for anyone managing strategic customer relationships. Javier Marcos (and his co-authors) brings clarity to what separates an average account manager from a truly high-performing one, the ability to create sustained value for both the client and the business. Drawing from extensive research and real-world case studies, Marcos (and his co-authors) outline how to shift from transactional selling to becoming a trusted strategic partner. Their framework blends academic insight with pragmatic tools, making it immediately applicable to those navigating complex B2B environments.

What sets this book apart is its focus on mindset and collaboration. Marcos (and his co-authors) show that successful key account management isn’t about chasing short-term wins, but about building long-term trust, alignment, and mutual growth. Whether you’re new to KAM or leading global accounts, this book will challenge how you think about customer value and help you elevate your impact. A must-read for sales leaders, account managers, and anyone serious about turning key relationships into lasting partnerships.

Data as the Fourth Pillar offers a clear and compelling framework for understanding how data underpins every successful AI initiative. Sujay Dutta and Sidd Rajagopal cut through the noise of AI hype to deliver a pragmatic guide that speaks directly to executives. They explain not just why data matters, but how to build a culture, infrastructure, and governance model that truly treats data as a strategic asset. The book is rich with real-world examples, actionable insights, and a structure that helps leaders connect data strategy with measurable business outcomes.

What makes this book stand out is its executive mindset.
Rather than diving into technical jargon, the authors focus on leadership decisions how to align teams, measure progress, and scale AI across an organization with trust and purpose. It’s both strategic and practical, showing that success with AI isn’t about tools or technology, but about people, process, and the data that binds them together. A timely, insightful, and essential read for any leader navigating the AI transformation era.

In Beyond Chaos, Oleg Konovalov delivers a timely and deeply insightful guide for leaders navigating today’s unpredictable world. Rather than viewing chaos as a threat, Konovalov reframes it as a powerful opportunity for growth, creativity, and clarity. Drawing on years of leadership experience and research, he explores how uncertainty reveals the true essence of leadership, the ability to create meaning, direction, and confidence when everything else feels unstable. His writing blends practical frameworks with profound wisdom, offering both a compass and a mindset for those determined to lead through disruption rather than be overwhelmed by it.

What sets this book apart is its balance between the philosophical and the practical. Konovalov doesn’t just tell leaders to “stay calm” or “adapt” he shows them how to think clearly, communicate with purpose, and inspire stability when it matters most. Beyond Chaos is not just a leadership manual; it’s a call to elevate our awareness, courage, and humanity in the face of complexity. A must-read for any leader, entrepreneur, or change-maker seeking to turn confusion into clarity and chaos into opportunity.

Roderick Jefferson’s Stroke of Success is a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of what happens when ambition goes unchecked. With honesty and humility, Jefferson shares his own life-altering experience, a literal stroke that forced him to pause and reconsider the cost of relentless success. This isn’t just a story about recovery; it’s a wake-up call for anyone who has ever equated achievement with self-worth. Through vivid storytelling and hard-earned wisdom, Jefferson challenges readers to rethink what it truly means to “make it” in life and business.

What makes this book stand out is its blend of vulnerability and actionable insight. Jefferson doesn’t preach; he invites readers into his journey, showing how balance, self-awareness, and compassion can coexist with drive and excellence. Stroke of Success is a must-read for leaders, professionals, and high achievers who want to thrive without losing themselves in the process. It’s a powerful reminder that success means nothing if it comes at the expense of your health, happiness, and humanity.

Move. Think. Rest. is a refreshing and timely reimagining of what productivity truly means. Natalie Nixon dismantles the outdated belief that success comes from constant busyness and replaces it with a more human, sustainable model built around movement, deep thinking, and intentional rest. Her blend of research, storytelling, and practical guidance makes the book both inspiring and highly usable. Nixon’s core message, that creativity is our greatest competitive advantage, feels especially urgent in a world where efficiency is increasingly automated.

What sets this book apart is its ability to shift your mindset almost instantly. Nixon invites readers to cultivate a healthier relationship with time, one that prioritises curiosity, reflection, and embodied wisdom. Move. Think. Rest. isn’t just a productivity book; it’s a blueprint for working and living with more clarity, creativity, and purpose. Whether you’re a leader, a creator, or simply someone seeking a more meaningful rhythm to your days, this book will change the way you operate.

"The RevOps Advantage" is a game-changing guide for anyone serious about transforming their revenue engine. Amy Osmond Cook, Ryan Westwood and Bala Balabaskaran take a notoriously complex discipline, Revenue Operations (RevOps) and make it both accessible and actionable. The book shines in how clearly it breaks down the barriers between sales, marketing, and customer success, showing exactly why alignment is no longer optional in a modern go-to-market organisation. Their frameworks, case studies, and real-world insights give leaders a clear roadmap for turning chaos into consistency and ad-hoc wins into predictable, scalable growth.

What sets this book apart is how practical and immediately applicable it is. Cook, Westwood and Balabaskaran don’t just discuss theory, they provide tools, processes, and mindset shifts that any team can implement to improve performance right away. Whether you're a CRO, CMO, RevOps leader, or founder, this book will change how you think about your revenue organisation. The RevOps Advantage is an essential read for anyone who wants to build a high-performing, data-driven, customer-centric revenue engine in today’s competitive landscape.

And now a little bit about my books ....

I wrote the first edition of "social selling - techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 1st edition" (the one with the white cover) back in 2015 and it was published in 2016. It was the first book on social selling to be published. With so many changes that have taken place in social media over time, when Kogan Page, my publisher, approached me and asked for a second edition (the one with the yellow cover), I agreed.

This second edition, has been totally updated from 187 pages to 306. I explain how the world of business has changed with digital and how that impacts the modern buyer and it's a business imperative that we change our sales and marketing.

Many people often think that social selling is some sort of future state. It's not, it's the here and now. DLA Ignite, my company, for example, has clients doing $multi-million deals using social media. If your not doing $multi-million deals on social, your competition are and you are losing market share and revenue.

With this book, I contacted people I knew that were using social media to drive revenue and got them to tell their story. Chris Fleming the CEO of Cyberhawk, shares how he transformed his business to social and digital 3 years ago. Putting that another way, if you haven't transformed to a social selling methodology by now, you are 3 years behind the market.

In my second book, "Smarketing - How to achieve competitive advantage through blended sales and marketing" published through Kogan Page, we looked at the age old problem of marketing and sales working together. At the time there was a lot of conversations on social media about how on earth do we get sales and marketing to be one team?

The book, takes a case study, which we cannot mention, it works through the strategy, how to implement a program to implement sales and marketing, the political risks and measures and governance. The book finishes with a look into the future of sales and marketing.

I would admit that if we wrote the book today, we would probably call it Rev-ops (revenue operations).

Please note that some reviews (but not all) I had Chat GPT or Google's Gemini to help me