We're living in a technological age, with septuagenarians on the net, students glued to mobiles, five-year olds able to programme the class video more effectively than their teacher and communication by fax and e-mail ubiquitous, a fact which John Seely has taken into account in The Oxford Guide to Writing and Speaking .

Seely's book is intensely practical, concerned with the effective use of speech and writing in day-to-day business and academic life. Not only does Seely cover everything from the best way to write a job application to giving a presentation or chairing a meeting, but he also embraces modern technology, including in his opening section, Communicating in Everyday Life, simple guidelines for setting out faxes and e-mails. Rather than lamenting the widespread use of technology, Seely celebrates it, seeing in e-mails a return to the ancient tradition of communication by letter--it's just that ISDN lines and modems are faster than a runner and wax tablet, coach and horses or postman and bike.

His chapters on the English language, its development, grammar, vocabulary and spelling are a very handy reference source for A/S and A2 Level (the old A Level) English Language students--and their teachers! And, for those students beyond A2 Level, grappling with unwieldy arts dissertations or a plethora of lab results, Seely offers practical advice on how to go about planning, researching, writing, drafting and revising reports, papers and essays. There is no longer any excuse for not meeting a coursework or business report deadline. -- Amanda Cameron

With their inextricable links to history, mystery and war, codes and ciphers offer a rich seam of material for any author. The relative dearth of non-technical books on the subject may be a reflection of its technical foundations, which compel hard decisions about what to include and what to gloss over. Few are better qualified to take on the challenge than Simon Singh, the particle physicist turned science writer whose book Fermat's Last Theorem , recounting the dauntingly complex story behind the proof of this mathematical conjecture, deservedly became a No. 1 bestseller.

The Code Book contains many fascinating accounts of code-breaking in action, from its use in unmasking the Man in the Iron Mask and the defeat of the Nazis to the breaking of a modern cipher system by a world-wide army of amateurs in 1994. It is especially good on the most recent developments, such as quantum cryptology and the thorny civil liberties issues raised by the advent of very secure cipher systems over the Internet. But Singh's mathematical prowess sometimes gets the better of his journalistic instincts, leading to technical descriptions that unnecessarily disrupt the narrative flow. So buy it--and have a shot at the 10,000 pound mystery cipher--but be prepared to skip. -- Robert Matthews

How management can effectively rid themselves of 'monkeys' -- other people's responsibilities that cling to them and prevent them managing efficiently.

This light-hearted self-help book for brides-to-be tells the modern woman the truth about weddings. It is packed with down-to-earth tips and guidance on how to plan for the big day, cope with family and friends and achieve your own goals.

Examines the efforts of more than 100 companies to remake themselves into better competitors. This book identifies the common mistakes leaders and managers make in attempting to create change and offers a step-by-step process to overcome the obstacles and carry out the firm's agenda.

Successful NLP teaches you how to use powerful psychological techniques to help you have more of what you want and less of what you don't want, across work, sport and relationships.

Now with new coverage of authentic leadership and servant leadership, the Fifth Edition of Peter Northouse's Leadership remains the market-leading survey text for leadership courses across disciplines.

First, businesses discovered quality as a key competitive edge; next came service. Now, Donald A. Norman, former Director of the Institute for Cognitive Science at the University of California, reveals how smart design is the new competitive frontier. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how--and why--some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

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Walks you through the fundamental topics of organizational behaviour and management, with a focus on key issues globalization and culture, ethics and corporate social responsibility, competitive pressures, and organizational change.

Following on from their book, The Machine that Changed the World , Womack and Jones have developed their ideas further with Lean Thinking . This book is aimed at any manager interested in sustaining growth within their industry. They define"lean thinking" as the elimination of unnecessary waste in business, and by outlining the principles and applications of this they link their theories to value for the customer.

Womack and Jones demonstrate the effectiveness of their approach through their research in both the U.S. and Europe. Citing examples from both simple and complex manufacturing processes, and from traditional technologies to high-tech companies, they show how their theories have been put into action.

They develop their ideas further by suggesting the application of lean thinking to the whole product cycle, from suppliers to customers. Taking the travel industry as an example, the authors show how their methods could eliminate long queues and waiting times for customers.

Based on the belief that companies should compete against perfection rather than each other, Lean Thinking provides a valuable new insight into methods of production management. And by applying the theories outlined in this book, managers across all sectors of the economy will be able to reduce waste and increase profitability.

In today's time-pressured, cost-conscious global business environment, tight project deadlines and stringent expectations are the norm. Project Management For Dummies shows business professionals what works and what doesn't by examining the field's best practices.

The battle for the control of RJR Nabisco in the Autumn of 1988, which became the largest and most dramatic corporate takeover in American history, sent shock-waves through the international business world and became a symbol of the greed, excess and egotism of the eighties. This title recounts this two-month battle.

A guide which explains how to create advertising that works, how to run an agency, how to write successful copy, and what the future holds for the advertising industry.