Ogilvy on Advertising

• By David Ogilvy

• Suggested by Andy Curry, Creative Manager

Ogilvy is a legendary ad man, nailing marketing and advertising to a wall. It’s great fun to read –loads of nostalgia and behind the scenes stories, but the real pull is his totally uncompromising way of writing about his experiences and discoveries – nothing is sacred

Rework

• By Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

• Suggested by Andy Curry, Creative Manager

One of the things I love about the book is the author's enthusiasm for machine-gunning sacred cows in almost every chapter. There's a great deal I agree with, a great deal I will apply to my working (and home) life and a great deal that sounds great but is, in truth, utterly impractical in my version of the real world. However, the sentiment is great

Start With Why • By Simon Sinek

• Suggested by Laura Crimmons, Head of PR & Social

It’s a fantastically inspiring book that helps you to think completely differently about marketing as a whole, with great case studies to prove why the method works. There’s also a great accompanying TED talk on the same subject, which is a must-watch

How to Win Friends and Influence People

• By Dale Carnegie

• Suggested by Laura Crimmons, Head of PR & Social

Although much of it is common sense, it really helps you to evaluate all of your interactions and understand how to get the best out of people. The simplicity combined with the examples throughout the book really helps to nail the point home

Rocket Surgery Made Easy • By Steve Krug

• Suggested by Emma Barnes, Senior Insights and Analytics Analyst

It’s peppered with really good and clear usability ideas. It’s a fairly quick read that gets the point across quickly with some good examples

Cult of Analytics

• By Steve Jackson

• Suggested by George Watson, Insights Analyst

The writing style is really good and, in my opinion, it’s not filled with too much technical jargon. It gave a different perspective compared to other books on the topic that I’ve read

Don’t Make Me Think

• By Steve Jackson

• Suggested by George Watson, Insights Analyst

This book is really short, but manages to pack a lot of information in. It states in the intro that it was written in such a way that an exec could read it over a two-hour flight

Jab Jab JabRight Hook• By Gary Vaynerchuk

• Suggested by Stephen Kenwright, Head of Search

Gary doesn’t talk about how, he talks about why. As a result, you’re probably better equipped to do it

Predatory Thinking

• By Dave Trott

• Suggested by Stephen Kenwright, Head of Search

It provides short, sharp anecdotes that actually stay with you

Brand New

• By Wally Olins

• Suggested by Stephen Kenwright, Head of Search

I never thought much about how the inferred concept of “brand” plays into digital. I thought it was someone else’s job until I read this

Creativity Inc

• By Ed Catmull

• Suggested by Matthew Jackson, Planning Director

It’s a great read for anyone in a management role within a creative environment, especially when discovering how to get the most out of people without stifling their creativity

Essentialism

• By Greg McKeown

• Suggested by JJ Grice, Search Strategist

It’s really great for those who say “yes” too much and get distracted by things that don’t hold much value in the long run. It’s perfect for strategy, as it helps you to focus on the work that really matters

Gravitas

• By Caroline Goyder

• Suggested by JJ Grice, Search Strategist

It’s awesome for people who are involved in public speaking. It also really helps with day-to-day communication as well (in meetings, interviews etc.)

The Virgin Way

• By Richard Branson

• Suggested by JJ Grice, Search Strategist

This gives some really profound examples of innovation throughout the Virgin brands and gives a good insight into the fine line between success and failure