Six of the Best: Lessons in Life and Leadership, by Ed Peppitt (Hodder Education, £9.99)

Based on the experiences of six of the UK’s most renowned leaders and business minds, each chapter contains a dialogue between the author and one of the subjects, discussing how they met a particular management challenge. Sir Michael Bichard discusses leading people, Sir John Tusa looks at managing change, Lord Bilimoria focuses on meeting customer needs, Sir Digby Jones talks about managing information and knowledge, Dianne Thompson discusses managing activities and Andy Green focuses on managing yourself. Conclusions and recommendations are drawn at the end of each chapter, each of which also provides practical checklists.

Six of the Best is available exclusively to readers of The Times at the special price of £6.99, with free postage and packing. Order from www.pressoffers.co.uk/bsh330 or call the order hotline, 0870 7552122, quoting offer code BSH330.

Instant Manager: Finance for Nonfinancial Managers, by Roger Mason (Hodder Education, £8.99)

In this book the author offers concise, practical guidance to individuals on business finance, including the basics of profit statements, cash management, dealing with budgets and how to make sound investment decisions. Each chapter provides explanations and diagrams to simplify financial models and there is a pull-out card at the back so that readers can take ten top finance tips around with them wherever they go.

Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management, by Mark Forster (Hodder and Stoughton, £7.99)

The author explores how to achieve a day’s work in one day without giving way to “urgent” e-mails, telephone calls and other distractions. He advises on prioritising and managing time so that we do the important things in a firm way and stand by our decisions. The author’s principles for time management are given and subsequent chapters deal with different aspects of, and techniques for, managing your time to become more creative, ordered and effective. Exercises and tests are included throughout.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: How to Involve Others to Get Things Done, by Richard H. Axelrod and others (Berrett Koehler, £11.99)

This book is designed to help readers to involve others in accomplishing tasks and achieving objectives. A five-step plan, which can be applied in many different contexts including family, community and workplaces, is set out. The five steps include assessing the kind of involvement needed; choosing the people to include; inviting people to get involved; keeping people involved; and completing the job. Checklists and assessment tools are included, together with suggestions for further reading.

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