Five business books you should read

A well-written and informative business book can be a surprisingly entertaining read for your spare time, and may even give you some insightful advice that will help you achieve more at work - a win/win situation. Here are our top picks from the best new business books:

A Mind for Business: While we all know the benefits of eating well and exercise on our bodies, how many of us take the time to keep our minds healthy?

Andy Gibson's book, A Mind for Business shares the most effective insights from psychology and neuroscience to help people work smarter, manage their minds and thrive under pressure. Andy is the founder and Head Gardener of Mindapples.org, an innovative not-for-profit organisation that helps everyone take care of their minds, in the same way they would take of their bodies, in order to make a genuine difference to their lives.

When Digital Becomes Human: We all rely on digital devices, for work and our personal lives. For businesses, increasingly, the lines between online and offline relationships are blurred, with slick digital processes an expected standard. Establishing an emotional relationship with customers is still key, however.

When Digital Becomes Human reveals how businesses can set themselves apart from the competition by combining the efficiency of the digital world with the creativity, empathy and passion of human interaction. The author, Steven van Belleghem, is an academic and an entrepreneur and is widely regarded as one of Europe's thought-leaders in the fields of social media, customer relationships and digital marketing.

Copy, Copy, Copy:'Copying' often has negative associations, when in reality, seeing what works, replicating and building on it, is just a smart and efficient approach, one that has seen the human race succeed across the board, not just in business.

Teaching businesses how to copy well, as opposed to merely replication is Copy, Copy, Copy, by Mark Earls, which challenges the stigma behind copying and reveals why it is ok to copy and exactly how this should be done.

The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Success doesn't come easily to most people - it's hard. The Hard Things about Hard Things looks at why 'hard things' are hard and how to overcome these obstacles.

Author Ben Horowitz explains what 'the hard thing about hard things' is, namely that they don't have a formula, there are no easy recipes, with often a conflict between emotions and logic. Tackling 'hard things' head on separates the 'winners' from the coasters-along, or losers. Ben is a sought after investor, formally the CEO of software management company, Opsware.

Rework: A must-read for any startup who wants success without the bureaucratic trappings of the corporate world: a huge team, massive overheads and the meetings and paperwork that go with this type of business model. Rework explores how the digital, homeworking age has made it easier than ever to become and entrepreneur.

Co-authored by Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, which has remained at a tiny 37 members while still staying profitable, Rework will inspire and encourage anyone with dreams of starting their own business.

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