Best reads of 2014: How many have you seen?

It’s been a strong year for business and management books. Here are some of our favorites in no particular order.

How to be a Power Connector

How to be a Power Connector has been described as being like an “MBA in Networking”. We have to agree. Crucially, Judy Robinett gets us away from the binary way of thinking about networking. Rather than having one list of people whom you consider to be valued connections, the author recommends a tripartite system of three distinct “power circles” with differing levels of contact and intimacy. What this book does so well is that it provides a framework for thinking about building a network, as well how to use your network to achieve the biggest results.

The Gen Z Effect

The Gen Z Effect  deals with a complex subject matter: Generation Z which has grown up in an age of unparalleled economic, social, political and in particular technological upheaval. This book unpacks what these changes mean, not only for workers and teams within a company, but also for society more broadly.

Factory Man: How One Man Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local — and Saved an American Town

Factory Man is a powerful inspiration and it’s no wonder that this true story of grit, determination and integrity has proved a bestseller. This is the story of John Basset III’s attempt to steer his family’s third generation furniture firm through the turbulence of increased globalization and competition. As instructive as it is heart-warming.

Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We When We Think No One’s Looking)

Dataclysm is a fascinating tour through the possibilities on offer to demographers and marketing whizzes from the enormous pool of data people provide about themselves online. It unravels the connections between our Facebook Likes and our purchases. It explains the phenomenon of Twitter trends and the snowball effect. This is a great read for those who work in marketing, as well as those who want to get deeper insights into consumer behavior in the Internet Age.

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Creativity, Inc. is the work of Ed Catmull, president of both Walt Disney Animation and Pixar. Described by Steve Jobs as “really, really smart” Catmull book charts the successes and near disasters of Pixar’s journey to success and presents a blueprint for how to manage creative individuals in a focused and yet not restrictive manner: in effect to build a creative culture. The honesty and insights on offer in this book are so rich that managers in any industry will benefit from reading it.

How many of these have you already read? If there are some you haven’t read, why not see what everyone else is talking about?

Get in touch with us through Twitter to make your own suggestions. And, if you’ve read every one of these books already, fear not, we will very soon be offering our selection of the most hotly anticipated management books to come in 2015.