Redfront: Creative and Cultural Strategy and Technology

Malcom Gladwell is always good value and this book, in some ways, treads a similar path to that of Freakonomics in that it aims to debunk received wisdom. Outliers, however, focuses specifically on success, looking at the way in which external factors such as society and community impact on what makes someone successful. It should be of particular interest to creative individuals, especially when it comes to areas such as convergent and divergent thinking. Buy from Amazon

This book is particularly good at putting creativity and "play" at the heart of our economic future. Its detractors doubt its relevance to vast sections of the working public but for those engaged in creative work it offers a fascinating viewpoint. Buy from Amazon

Seth Godin is a real marketing visionary and this, a collection of some of his most profound articles on marketing in the 21st century, is a worthwhile read for any sort of business, from a global corporation to a creative individual. Given his general attitude we think he rather favours the latter. Buy from Amazon

OK, it is a book about war. But twenty-five hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought and it became one of the most influential books on strategy of all time. If you want to be really clever with your business it's well worth thinking about its lessons. Buy from Amazon

The London 2012 logo aside(!), Wally Olins is a branding genius. This very readable book sets out the ground rules for branding success in the 21st century with some great background on what it's all about. Buy from Amazon