In putting our website together we’ve tried to include as many resources and ideas as possible. We’re often asked for the best business books by those who have been on our courses. So, we compiled this list. The below books should be available on Amazon and via other well known booksellers.
Personal Development
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey , Sound general principles, a starter for 10 on personal development.
General Business
Brain Rules -Professor John Medina Medina is an expert on how the brain works and his book is full of useful rules that help you understand how to be most effective in terms of working with the flow of brain when communicating, presenting and running a business.
Presentation
Presence – Patsy Rosenberg, Patsy is a well known voice coach and acting coach to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and The Royal Shakespeare Company. In this book she talks about how to be present, not withdrawing energy inward, not being pushy and projecting energy outward, just being present through focus and breathing. Quite fascinating!
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint – Edward R. Tufte, A small but powerful book from a Yale Professor who is considered the guru of technical data presentation. Includes fascinating stuff on why the space shuttle disaster was caused by a PowerPoint presentation!
Killer Presentations – Nicholas B Oilton, Top tips on using PowerPoint properly 
Speak to influence – Susan Berkeley. Using voice and presentation in the most persuasive and influential ways.
The right to speak – Patsy Rosenberg. A top voice and acting coach gives insight into the best use of your voice.
Unspeak – Steven Poole The use and abuse of English by business people and politicians.
Women and Speaking
Brave, not perfect – Resham Suarani. How we raise girls to be perfect and boys to be brave and the impact of that on women.
Lean In – Cheryl Sandberg. The definitive book on women in business from Facebook’s COO
Women and power – Mary Beard. A look at the history of women’s power (and lack thereof!)
Why do so many men become incompetent leaders – Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic. Why society mistakes confidence for competence, and why this favours men but does not necessarily make them good leaders.
Mindset – Carol Dweck. How the way you think impacts what you achieve in life
Gravitas – Caroline Goyder. The essential quality to cultivate in order to be taken seriously
Difficult Women – Helen Lewis. A history of feminism through the lens of the major campaigns
Good time to be a girl – Helena Morrissey. Her take on women in business
Yes she can – Ruth Davidson. Ruth’s take on female advancement via case studies of successful women
She Speaks – Yvette Cooper. A compilation of great female speeches
Presence – Patsy Rosenberg. Finding your centre and creating presence from within.
The Right to Speak – Renown voice coach, Patsy’s book on speaking out
The moment of Lift – Melinda Gates. How empowering women can change the world
Women of Westminster – Rachel Reeves. A history of female MPs
Invisible women – Caroline Criado-Perez. Why man is the default human, why there is a massive data gap around women and how it effects us day to day
The myth of Mars and Venus – Deborah Cameron explores the myths around the differences between men and women and how they communicate
A brief history of misogyny – Jack Holland. What causes misogyny? Where does it come from?
Equal – Carrie Gracie. The story of the fight for equal pay for women @ the BBC
