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Most highly recommended |
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Sun Tzu, Demna Translation. Publisher: Shambhala Publications Inc. ISBN: 1570629781 Unsurpassed - a superb translation. Reflects a deep understanding of the world Sets out what victory means, and how to achieve it, and more. |
The Fifth Discipline Field book Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization ,Peter Senge / Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd, ISBN: 1857880609 Systems thinking and personal development for organizations, and people working in them. Serious, but fun to read. See also "The Fifth Discipline" |
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A Handbook for People Meeting with a Purpose , Dale Hunter,Anne Bailey, Bill Taylor Pfeiffer Wiley ISBN: 1555611001 Everything you need to know about working in groups. |
Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play & Do it Tomorrow and other secrets of time management. Mark Forster. Publisher: Help Yourself, ISBN: 0340746203 / 0340909129 Best "time management" books I've found. Practical and helpful. More profound insights than you might expect, given the apparently innocuous subject. I also recommend his seminars if you get the chance. |
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Evolution and the Meanings of Life Daniel C Dennett. Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN: 014016734X Wider applications of the concept of evolution and selection. |
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The Book of Sand
Jorges Luis Borges Penguin Books ISBN: 0141183829 / 0141184841 Sublime. Short, elegant stories and essays. As close as you’ll get to turning sharply and discovering a new dimension. |
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Influence: The
Psychology of Persuasion
Must read. All the social psychology you need to know. And you do need to know. Invaluable, if a bit horrifying. |
The Master and His Emissary
The science behind bicameral minds, and left and right brain thinking. And a whole lot more. |
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Also excellent |
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The Prince
Niccolo Machiavelli The primer on politics with a small 'p'. |
The Selfish Gene
Richard Dawkins,
Oxford Paperbacks;
ISBN: 0192860925
The
implications of Darwin’s theory. Yes, it simplifies, but so
does Newtonian physics - and
for most purposes, both work. |
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Zen Flesh, Zen Bones |
Why Freud Was Wrong Sin, Science and Psychoanalysis Richard Webster Fontana Press; ISBN: 0006384285 What’s wrong with Freudian psychoanalysis |
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Type Talk The 16 Personality Types, Otto Kroeger, Janet M Thuesen, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, ISBN: 0440507049 Psychometrics: tried and tested. Similar to the “Big 5 Personality traits” (mainstream psychometric testing theory), but more user friendly. See also "Type Talk at Work" |
The Wooden World
Anatomy of the Georgian Navy OK, it's a book about the Royal Navy of the Georgian period. But it also says a lot about human nature, and the nature of leadership and management - which is more than many books that claim to be about those subjects achieve. A real gem. |
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Shadow and Claw / Sword and Citadel Gene Wolfe Gollancz; ISBN: 1857989775 and ISBN: 1857987004 Fantasy that puts many creative precepts into practice - particularly good examples of creative swiping! |
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Very Good - worth reading, if not necessarily 'must buy' |
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101 Great Games and Activities Arthur B. VanGundy Publisher: Jossey Bass Wiley ISBN: 0787941387 Some more excellent team activities from Mr VanGundy |
Orchestrating Collaboration at Work: Using Music, Improv, Storytelling, and Other Arts to Improve Teamwork. Arthur VanGundy, Linda Naiman Publisher: Jossey Bass Wiley ISBN: 0787962589 Good collection of group activities - now hard to find, sadly. |
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The Art of Looking Sideways Alan Fletcher / Phaidon Press; ISBN: 0714834491.
Visual Creativity in action
-great for provocations. |
Crucial Conversations, Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, and & Crucial Confrontations Tools for Talking About Violated Expectations and Broken Promises by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN: 0071401946 / 0071446524Surprisingly practical guides to holding difficult conversations - don't be put off by the Tom Peters quote! |
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In Sheep's Clothing Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People George K Simon Publisher: A. J. Christopher & Company ISBN: 096516960X Excellent "how to" guide. A "must buy" if facing manipulation - or think you might be. |
The Blank Slate Stephen Pinker Penguin Books ISBN 014027605X Our brains have pre-existing structures: this book sets out some of the implications of "the selfish gene" |
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The Magic of Metaphor Nick Owen, Crown House Publishing, ISBN 9781899826703 Stories with meaning, and how to use them - great resource for training |
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Richard Carlson (ASIN 0340708018). Simple but good tools to avoid getting tripped. Let go of the baggage! |
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Honourable mentions (try from library or friend before you buy) |
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The Mind Map Book Tony Buzan / BBC Consumer Publishing (Books), ISBN: 0563487011 H ow-to guide for mind mapping |
The Real Frank Zappa Book Frank Zappa, Peter Occhiogrosso Picador; ISBN: 0330316257 An adept of Musical creativity. |
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Left Brain, Right Brain. Sally P. Springer, Georg Deutsch W H Freeman ISBN: 0716723735 |
The Seven Habits (of Highly Effective People) Stephen R Covey, Franklin Covey Co, ISBN 0684858398 Good principles, if somewhat Americanized and overblown. (would be excellent if half the length - some editing might help) |
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The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Betty Edwards, HarperCollins, ISBN: 0007116454Original ways to get into drawing - a classic. |
Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman, Bantam Books ISBN: 055338371X Introduction to the topic |
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Beyond Words Milly R Sonneman, Ten Speed Press, ISBN 9780898159110
Practical ways to start drawing for people who wouldn't
normally
- good to kick start mind mapping or rich pictures, and for
presentations
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Six Thinking Hats Edward de Bono, Penguin, ISBN 0140296662 "Safe" techniques for using different thinking styles - very usable in organisations. |
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A Whack on the Side of the Head Roger Von Oech, Warner Business Books , ISBN 044667455Readable and fun coverage of all the basic approaches |
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