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Ann Handley's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Ann Handley recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Ann Handley's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1
Learn the crucial ins and outs of the world's largest market

The U.S government market represents the largest single market--anywhere. Government contract tracking firm Onvia estimates that government business--federal, state, local, and education--represents better than 40 percent of the nation's GDP. While anyone can play in this market, only those with the right preparation can win.

Selling to the Government offers real-world advice for successful entry into the biggest market anywhere. Get proven approaches, strategies, tactics, and tools to make your...
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Recommended by Ann Handley, Steve Ressler, and 2 others.

Ann HandleyIf you are selling to government (or hope to), you need to read this book! Actually, don't just read it. Do as Mark suggests: highlight it, mark it up, and use it for reference. It's a keeper. (Source)

Steve ResslerWhat Zig Ziglar is to selling, Mark Amtower is to government marketing. He is a master ofhis domain and can break it down and teach it like no other. Don't waste time andmoney trying to enter the government market blind. Let Mark Amtower's Selling to theGovernment be the guide as you traverse this unmapped but lucrative territory. (Source)

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2
In Branding Basics for Small Business, marketing expert Maria Ross shares real-life examples and expert interviews to show how organizations of any size can create a winning brand. Small businesses, start-ups, and non-profits enviously watch "the big guys" create tribes of loyal followers. How do they do it? What can time and resource-strapped organizations learn from them? The secret is starting with a strong Brand Strategy, which goes far beyond a logo. Brand is your core promise, personality and reason for being. Effective branding is not about how much money you spend but on how clearly... more
Recommended by Seth Godin, Ann Handley, and 2 others.

Seth GodinMarketing no longer means advertising, and brand no longer means logo. Your brand is the promise, the experience, the interactions, and the expectation people have for you. Maria Ross understands this, and teaches you how to think about this essential element of your business. (Source)

Ann HandleyCreating content that captivates customers, differentiates your organization, and drives sales is vital today. But the first step is getting crystal-clear on your brand strategy. Before you dive into random acts of content, read this book! (Source)

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3

The Elements of Style

You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. And now "The Elements of Style"-the most widely read and employed English style manual-is available in a specially bound 50th Anniversary Edition that offers the title's vast audience an opportunity to own a more durable and elegantly bound edition of this time-tested classic.
Offering the same content as the Fourth Edition, revised in 1999, the new casebound 50th Anniversary Edition includes a brief overview of the book's illustrious history. Used extensively by individual writers as well as...
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Tobi Lütke[My] most frequently gifted book is [this book] because I like good writing. (Source)

Bill NyeThis is my guide. I accept that I’ll never write anything as good as the introductory essay by [the author]. It’s brilliant. (Source)

Jennifer RockIf you are interested in writing and communication, start with reading and understanding the technical aspects of the craft: The Elements of Style. On Writing Well. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. (Source)

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4
"This is what the future of work (and the world) looks like. Actually, it's already happening around you." — Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

In bestsellers such as Purple Cow and Tribes, Seth Godin taught readers how to make remarkable products and spread powerful ideas. But this book is about you—your choices, your future, and your potential to make a huge difference in whatever field you choose.

There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team: the linchpins. These people figure out what to do when there's...
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Recommended by Sean Si, Armina Sirbu, Ann Handley, and 9 others.

Vincent PuglieseLinchpin by Seth Godin, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, and Rich Dad, Poor Dad had immediate effects on my life. (Source)

Marc MontagneThe corporate world is a crazy world to navigate, this book helps a lot, especially if you are starting a career. (Source)

Armina SirbuMy favorite book is Linchpin by Seth Godin. I think it's business, but it can very well be non-business as well because it's so much about life. I re-read fragments from time to time to get a jump-start when I need it. (Source)

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5
The international bestseller--now in a new edition When it comes to marketing, anything goes in the Digital Age, right? Well, not quite. While marketing and public relations tactics do seem to change overnight, every smart businessperson knows that it takes a lot more than the 'next big thing.'

The New Rules of Marketing & PR is an international bestseller with more than 375,000 copies sold in twenty-nine languages. In the latest edition of this pioneering guide to the future of marketing, you'll get a step-by-step action plan for leveraging the power of...
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Recommended by Ann Handley, Kyrylo Taranenko, and 2 others.

Kyrylo TaranenkoMake sure to pick up the revised edition. For my generation, most advice is pretty obvious (blogs are Social Media too - oh I didn’t know that already :D), but there are some interesting cases and thoughts on going viral. (Source)

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6
Clears out the mumbo jumbo and muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategy for the real world
 
Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader, whether the CEO at a Fortune 100 company, an entrepreneur, a church pastor, the head of a school, or a government official. Richard Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy packages of buzzwords, motivational slogans, and financial goals...
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John KayIt’s very well written and I see I am quoted on the back cover saying, ‘This is the only book about business strategy which I didn’t want to put down.' (Source)

Stephen KinsellaGood Strategy/Bad Strategy, by Richard Rummelt. The kindle edition has thousands of highlights for the first 2 chapters, then almost none thereafter. I find that telling. This a great, non-bullshit book on a topic usually full of bullshit. https://t.co/2xyeoZ4e7R (Source)

Louis GrenierIf you want to think about strategy, the proper strategy, how to understand what to do, what not to do, read: “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy”, “Good to Great” and “Blue Ocean Strategy”. (Source)

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