Personal Impact - what it takes to make a difference

A very good overview of a wide range of aspects of making a bigger personal impact. Also with a good suggested reading list and cross reference to further material
Personal appearance and body language
Presentation skills and prescence
Rapport building and networking techniques
Finally getting the job you want (and then getting a raise)

Some of the materail is a little superficial but overall a good introduction

13 Things that don't make sense

A collection of chapters on 13 scientific anomolies that don't make sense and are possibly where the next big breakthrough will come from.

Ranging from astromony, cold fusion, life itself, death, sex and free will. Thought provoking and entertaining. I especially liked the overview of the free will debate.

Management & Machiavelli

Whilst moving offices I cleared out my bookcase and it caused me to reread this book from the late 1980's. By Antony Jay (of Yes Prime Minister' fame), it made me think how little has changed since the 1980's in the political struggles for power inside organisations. In fact little has changed since Machiavelli write his book much earlier than that!

Well worth a read if you can get hold of a copy. ISBN 0 09 169941 X

Purple Cow

A book on getting your product (or you) noticed. Primarily written for non-Marketeers the book doesn't have too much content but does make you think about the messages we are all bombarded with every day and how little we now take notice of them.

p80 Products differ but the characteristics of early adopters stay the same.
p73 get the email addresses of the 20% of your customer base that loves you and then give just them something really special.
p132 you can't out-Amazon Amazon so go to a market space where they are not.