Here are the review for the last 10 books I read, hope you enjoy the books as much as I did

And don't forget to leave the authors reviews as well, it really helps them with more sales, it only takes a few minutes and makes a big difference to them

 

Rebecca Homkes delivers a masterclass in strategic leadership with Survive, Reset, Thrive. In an era of rapid disruption and economic volatility, Homkes provides a clear, actionable roadmap for leaders seeking not just to endure uncertainty but to drive breakthrough growth. Drawing from extensive research and real-world case studies, she expertly navigates the balance between resilience and agility, showing how businesses can reset their strategies and emerge stronger. Her insights on decision-making, resource allocation, and execution make this book an invaluable resource for executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone responsible for steering an organization through turbulent waters.

What sets Survive, Reset, Thrive apart is its practical, no-nonsense approach. Homkes distills complex business challenges into clear, implementable steps, empowering leaders to take decisive action. Her writing is engaging and direct, making even the most intricate concepts accessible. Whether you're leading a startup or a multinational corporation, this book equips you with the mindset and tools to not only withstand uncertainty but to leverage it as a catalyst for transformation. A timely and indispensable read for anyone looking to future-proof their business.

Mike Schiller’s High Impact at Low Decibels is a refreshing and insightful guide for introverts and those who struggle with workplace anxiety, offering practical strategies to navigate professional environments without compromising authenticity. Schiller masterfully combines research, personal anecdotes, and actionable advice to help quieter professionals harness their strengths, build confidence, and thrive in high-pressure settings. The book challenges the outdated notion that success belongs only to the loudest voices, instead celebrating the power of thoughtful leadership, deep listening, and strategic communication.

What sets this book apart is its compassionate and encouraging tone, making it an empowering read for anyone who has ever felt overlooked or misunderstood in the workplace. Schiller’s advice is both realistic and achievable, providing tools for introverts to assert themselves without pretending to be extroverts. Whether you're an introverted professional, a manager looking to support diverse work styles, or simply someone seeking to improve workplace dynamics, High Impact at Low Decibels is an invaluable resource that proves success isn’t about volume—it’s about impact.

Anjali Sharma's "Strategic Storytelling" is a refreshing and insightful guide that cuts through the noise surrounding workplace narratives. Sharma doesn't just preach the power of stories; she meticulously dissects why certain stories resonate and drive tangible success while others fall flat. Her clear, practical framework, grounded in real-world examples and actionable strategies, empowers readers to craft compelling narratives that align with their professional goals. This isn't a book of fluffy anecdotes, but a strategic toolkit for anyone looking to leverage storytelling as a powerful tool for influence, leadership, and career advancement.

Sharma's writing is both engaging and accessible, making complex concepts digestible for readers at all levels. She skillfully balances theoretical understanding with practical application, providing clear guidance on identifying your audience, structuring your narrative, and delivering your story with impact. Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your career, "Strategic Storytelling" offers invaluable insights into harnessing the persuasive power of narrative to navigate the modern workplace. It's a must-read for anyone seeking to communicate more effectively and achieve greater professional success.

Lida Citroën’s The New Rules of Influence is a masterclass in authentic leadership and strategic personal branding. With clarity and precision, Citroën offers readers a roadmap for building trust and credibility in a world where transparency and integrity are more important than ever. Her practical approach, enriched by real-world examples and actionable insights, makes this book both inspirational and profoundly useful. Whether you're a seasoned leader or an emerging professional, her guidance on how to cultivate influence through authenticity feels refreshingly grounded and achievable.

What truly sets this book apart is Citroën’s emphasis on empathy and intentionality as cornerstones of influence. She skillfully demonstrates how driving change and making an impact are not about manipulation or playing a role but about aligning one’s actions with a clear set of values and purpose. Each chapter is a blueprint for leaders and changemakers looking to elevate their presence and leave a meaningful legacy. The New Rules of Influence is a must-read for anyone striving to lead with integrity, build lasting connections, and navigate the evolving landscape of influence with grace and confidence.

In Demand – Coping Skills: The Real Reason You’re Stressed and How to Fix It!, Paul B. Thornton tackles the modern epidemic of stress with clarity, practicality, and surprising insight. Rather than simply offering quick fixes or mindfulness platitudes, Thornton dives into the core issue: the mismatch between demands placed on us and our coping capacity. Drawing from both psychology and real-world leadership experience, he lays out a framework for understanding the different types of demands—internal, external, and perceived—and how they impact our mental bandwidth. His approach is refreshingly direct, peppered with self-assessment tools and actionable strategies that empower readers to regain control over their stress instead of being dominated by it.

What sets this book apart is its blend of academic rigor and accessible language. Thornton doesn’t just diagnose the problem—he equips readers with a practical toolkit to expand their coping capacity through mindset shifts, habit formation, and emotional regulation. His insights are especially valuable for professionals juggling multiple roles or those in leadership positions where the pressure to perform is relentless. By reframing stress not as an unavoidable burden but as a solvable equation—Demands vs. Coping Skills—Thornton offers a hopeful, empowering roadmap. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to transform their relationship with stress and reclaim their personal equilibrium.

 

Jim MacLeod’s The Visual Marketer is a practical, no-nonsense guide for marketers who want to cut through the clutter and make a lasting visual impact. With an accessible, conversational tone, MacLeod demystifies the principles of visual communication and design, making them approachable even for those without a graphic design background. He effectively bridges the gap between marketing strategy and creative execution, offering real-world examples, tool recommendations, and quick-start templates that empower marketers to elevate their brand storytelling. Whether you’re building a slide deck, a social media campaign, or a product one-pager, this book gives you the framework to do it with purpose and clarity.

What sets this book apart is its focus on why visuals work, not just how to create them. MacLeod emphasizes the psychology behind visual decision-making and guides readers on aligning visuals with audience expectations and brand objectives. It’s a refreshing, immediately actionable read for time-strapped marketers who need to make their content stand out in a visually saturated world. The Visual Marketer is both a crash course and a long-term reference — a must-have on the desk of any modern marketing professional.

 

Brady Dahmer’s Blindspots Handbook: How to Prepare for What You Don’t See Coming – Marketing Edition is a sharp, insightful guide for marketers and business leaders navigating the often unpredictable terrain of campaign strategy and agency collaboration. Dahmer dives deep into the unseen pitfalls—those “blindspots”—that derail marketing efforts, offering practical frameworks to anticipate and overcome them. The book is written with clarity and a no-nonsense tone, making it an accessible yet authoritative resource for both in-house marketers and entrepreneurs. With real-world examples and a focus on proactive thinking, Dahmer helps readers build marketing systems that are agile, resilient, and grounded in strategic foresight.

What sets this book apart is its dual focus: it not only helps readers improve their own marketing campaigns but also teaches them how to better engage with marketing agencies—an often-overlooked source of wasted time and money when not managed properly. Dahmer brings his industry expertise to life with checklists, diagnostic tools, and cautionary tales that feel both instructive and immediate. Whether you're launching a product, revamping a brand, or scaling your outreach, this book equips you with the questions you didn’t think to ask—and the answers that might just save your budget. A must-read for anyone serious about getting marketing right the first time.

 

In Your Voice Matters – Present from the Heart, Tiina Jarvet and Gillian Whitney deliver an empowering and refreshingly human guide for first-time presenters. With a compassionate tone and practical insights, the authors break down the emotional and logistical barriers that often hold people back from speaking in public. The book is less about perfecting your performance and more about embracing authenticity—helping readers understand that their unique voice is not only enough but essential. Jarvet and Whitney offer gentle coaching that speaks directly to the fears and doubts of beginners, reminding them that connection, not perfection, is the goal.

What sets this book apart is its emphasis on heart-led communication. Rather than overwhelming readers with jargon or rigid formulas, the authors provide encouraging stories, mindful preparation strategies, and grounded advice that demystify the process of standing in front of an audience. Whether you're preparing for your first conference, a team meeting, or a virtual talk, this book feels like a supportive friend by your side. Your Voice Matters is more than a guide—it’s a confidence-building companion that helps new speakers find courage, clarity, and their true voice.

Erik Seversen’s The AI Mindset is a timely, thoughtful, and surprisingly optimistic exploration of how individuals and organizations can navigate—and thrive within—the seismic shifts brought on by artificial intelligence. Rather than focusing on fear-mongering or technical jargon, Seversen (with 32 global AI experts) offers a human-centered approach to embracing AI as a tool for growth, reinvention, and long-term relevance. Drawing on real-world examples, personal insights, and accessible frameworks, they makes a compelling case that mindset—not just technology—will be the decisive factor in whether people succeed in this new era.

What sets this book apart is its practical wisdom and approachable tone. Seversen (and the 32 AI experts) blends philosophical reflection with actionable guidance, encouraging readers to cultivate adaptability, curiosity, and emotional intelligence. Whether you're a business leader, educator, or simply someone trying to future-proof your career, The AI Mindset serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap. It’s not just about surviving the disruption—it’s about finding purpose and opportunity within it. Highly recommended for anyone looking to lead with intention in a rapidly evolving world.

In Judgement at Work, Sir Andrew Likierman distills decades of leadership insight into a compelling and highly practical guide to improving one of the most elusive qualities in business: judgement. Drawing on his vast experience in government, academia, and corporate boardrooms, Likierman dissects judgement into clear, actionable components—context, intelligence gathering, options, and delivery—making a once-vague concept feel both tangible and trainable. What sets this book apart is its balance of intellectual rigor and accessibility; it doesn’t just tell you to "trust your gut" or "follow the data," but rather shows how good judgement comes from disciplined thinking and asking the right questions at the right time.

Whether you're a CEO navigating high-stakes decisions or a team leader making daily calls under uncertainty, this book offers a framework to sharpen your decision-making muscles. Likierman illustrates his points with real-world examples and offers diagnostic tools that readers can immediately apply in their own contexts. It’s not just a book to read once—it’s a reference to return to again and again. Judgement at Work is a must-have for leaders serious about making better choices in today’s fast-moving and ambiguous business environment.

 

And now a little bit about my books that you might like … 

 

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