In celebration of books: World Book Day

Even in our digital age, there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in a brilliant book.

To celebrate World Book Day for 2024 and the joy, knowledge and wisdom a great book can bring we asked our global members and hard-working team to send us their favourite marketing, business and growth mindset books that have inspired, informed and propelled them in their careers and beyond.

From well-known thought leaders and inspiring thinkers (many of whom you’ll recognise as having spoken at our events or are members or fellows of the Society), there are titles on strategy, productivity, ambition and transformation – pretty much everything for any ambitious marketer wanting to accelerate their career, faster and further.

To make the list easier to navigate, we’ve loosely grouped them into categories but there are lots of crossovers so make sure you read through to the end and we have a sample chapter for you to devour from Thomas Barta of Marketing Leadership Masterclass fame, so read on! 

Marketing and Business

Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders by Adam Morgan

The Marketing Leader's Code: Unlock your potential - Learn the secrets of successful marketing leadership by Gareth Helm

The Customer Copernicus: How to be Customer-Led by Charlie Dawson and Seán Meehan

Go Luck Yourself: 40 ways to stack the odds in your brand's favour by Andy Nairn

Copy, Copy, Copy: How to Do Smarter Marketing by Using Other People's Ideas by Mark Earls

Sustainable Marketing: How to Drive Profits with Purpose by Michelle Carvill and Gemma Butler

This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin

Digital Business Transformation: How Established Companies Sustain Competitive Advantage From Now to Next by Nigel Vaz

Leadership and Management

The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader Thomas Barta (Read chapter 1 here)

The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C Edmondson

Leadership Plain and Simple by Steve Radcliffe

Business Recoded: Have the Courage to Create a Better Future for Yourself and Your Business by Peter Fisk

Strategy Is Your Words: A Strategist's Fight For Meaning by Mark Pollard

Marketing in the Boardroom: Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Board by Ruth Saunders

Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike by Greg Hoffman

How to Have the Energy: Your nine-point plan to eating smarter, improving focus and feeding your potential by Colette Heneghan and Graham Allcott

Gender

Why Men Win at Work: ...and How We Can Make Inequality History by Gill Whitty Collins

Brandsplaining: Why Marketing is (Still) Sexist and How to Fix It by Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts

Wonder Women: Inspiring Stories and Insightful Interviews with Women in Marketing by Katy Mousinho and Giles Lury

Innovation, Creativity and Behaviour

Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity by Rory Sutherland

The Rebuilders: Going from Setback to Comeback in Business and Beyond by Sara Tate and Anna Vogt

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking by Matthew Syed

We, Me, Them & It: How to write powerfully for business by John Simmons

Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy by Phil Barden

Omnichannel Retail: How to Build Winning Stores in a Digital World by Tim Mason and Sarah Jarvis

So, there you have it – thoughtful and hopefully useful selection of all the best marketing-related reads as recommended by our community. And if your favourite is not on the list, send the details to me and we’ll add it on, let's keep the inspiration growing.

Published 6 March 2024 by Rachel Letham Head of Brand and Communications at The Marketing Society