I was asked recently which business books I rated most, as a result I put together the following list. They are pretty eclectic and as a selection are part academic, part practical - I took an MBA a few years ago and this has coloured the choices a little.

1. 'The Balanced Scorecard' - 'what gets measured gets managed' etc. every month at The Book Depository we produce the four quadrant measures so we can look at indicators which mean more than just backward looking financial measures.

2. ' Leading the Revolution' - Gary Hamel has written a couple of excellent titles about getting organisations to achieve amazing things - this one is more tech oriented, the previous (and probably more famous title) was 'Competing for the Future'

3. 'Human Resource Management' was said for many years to be Personnel management in new bottles. With a more critical approaches John Storey takes a fascinating and helpful look at getting the most from the people in any business.

4. 'Strategy Bites Back' - Strategy is the hardest academic element to an MBA (in my experience) and also getting it right can make or break a busienss. Mintzberg is a canadian academic who has made this subject his own, and presents readable and helpful books that really do advance understanding and offer some practical ideas.

5. 'Guerrilla Marketing' cheap, dynamic marketing ideas targetted at smaller businesses.

6. 'The New Age of Innovation' - C K Prahalad sadly died earlier this year, he was a superb business writer, and also worked alongside Gary Hamel he took a uniquely global business view - seeing opportunities and ideas in workforces and customers that span the globe - something close to our hearts at The Book Depository.

7. Not strictly business, but what digital innovation should be about today, Cory Doctorow's 'Makers' can't get more of a start up feel than that.

8. 'The Future of the Internet - and how to stop it' - Zittrain's book on the web's future, quite heavy going and densly written but well worth it he presses the dangers or appliantization and the need to defend a generative internet.

9. 'Convergence Culture' not a new book, however a great title that examines new culture across the globe.

10. 'Getting Real' book from the 37Signals crew, they have a new title out too - this one is very focused on how to develop fast, effectively with nothing getting in the way.

I hope you share some of my favourites - I'd be interested to hear yours too.

Kieron - MD The Book Depository

Bestsellling cult author Chuck Palahniuk is back with Tell-All... and we've got 5 free copies to give away...

Email editor AT bookdepository.co.uk, with the subject line 'Tell-All', and tell me, in less than 50 words, why you should be singled out for the honour of a free copy... and I'll let you know the five winners next Friday...

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Via the Guardian:

The Little Ships are heading back to Dunkirk again today, a celebratory jaunt marking the 70th anniversary of the desperate nights when coal boats and barges, luxury private launches and paddle steamers built for holiday trips around the lighthouse joined naval and military craft in an eccentric fleet of 900 vessels which repeatedly crossed the Channel to evacuate more than 338,000 troops from the beaches around the French port.

Operation Dynamo, carried out between 27 May and 4 June 1940, under continuous German bombardment, was described by Winston Churchill as "a miracle of deliverance" and put the phrase Dunkirk spirit into the language. At least 5,000 died in the operation.

This morning more than 50 of the original little ships, many with children of the original crew members on board, were seen off from Dover in style, escorted by HMS Monmouth, and with a flypast by the Royal Navy Historic Flight of planes from the period (more...)

More compelling Dunkirk-related titles.

My goodness, do we have an amazing prize for you!

A beautiful boxset from the New Naturalist Library of ten superb books, a gorgeous Corbet and Brooksbook volume on dragonflies in a handsome slipcase, and 4 Collins nature books (Collins Bird Guide, Collins Butterfly Guide, Collins Tree Guide and a Collins Flower Guide). Altogether, the prize is worth over $1,000!

So, how can you get your hands on these goodies?

Wild reading, that's how!

I'd like too see a photograph of you (or a friend) reading in the wild, reading next to nature, being in nature and reading! Up a mountain, down in a valley, by a beach... I don't mind one bit. I just want to see you wild reading!

Send your photographs to me (Editor AT bookdepository.co.uk) with the title "New Naturalist Library competition" and I'll pick a winner in the middle of July (comp ends last day of June; all competitions rules here). Also, please include your name and address. Overseas entries welcome -- of course!

Good luck!

My goodness, do we have an amazing prize for you!

A beautiful boxset from the New Naturalist Library of ten superb books, a gorgeous Corbet and Brooksbook volume on dragonflies in a handsome slipcase, and 4 Collins nature books (Collins Bird Guide, Collins Butterfly Guide, Collins Tree Guide and a Collins Flower Guide). Altogether, the prize is worth over £1,000!

So, how can you get your hands on these goodies?

Wild reading, that's how!

I'd like too see a photograph of you (or a friend) reading in the wild, reading next to nature, being in nature and reading! Up a mountain, down in a valley, by a beach... I don't mind one bit. I just want to see you wild reading!

Send your photographs to me (Editor AT bookdepository.co.uk) with the title "New Naturalist Library competition" and I'll pick a winner in the middle of July (comp ends last day of June; all competitions rules here). Also, please include your name and address. Overseas entries welcome -- of course!

Good luck!

UPDATE: you can see some of the great entries on our Flickr set.