As AI continues to reshape industries at remarkable speed, business leaders, marketers, and technologists are under pressure to innovate responsibly, build trust, and stay ahead of the curve. The titles in our book selection offer clear, practical frameworks and fresh perspectives to help readers navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape with confidence and purpose.
Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock Its True Potential
Ray Eitel-Porter, Dr Paul Dongha and Miriam Vogel (Bloomsbury Business, 23/10/2025)
Best read for: AI Governance
In Governing the Machine, three leading voices in responsible AI deliver a timely and practical roadmap for leaders deploying AI while managing legal, operational, and reputational risks.
Drawing on decades of global experience advising multinational companies and governments, the authors present a structured, step-by-step framework for managing AI responsibly. They address nine core risk areas - from fairness and bias to privacy, accountability, security, intellectual property, and workforce impact - grounding their insights in real-world case studies, interviews with senior AI executives, and the latest regulatory developments.
Far from alarmist, this book cuts through the noise with clarity and optimism. With a foreword by AI pioneer Reid Hoffman, Governing the Machine shows how responsible AI isn't just a technical challenge, it's a leadership imperative. It's an essential guide for anyone seeking to harness AI's transformative potential while safeguarding trust, ethics, and innovation.
The Means of Prediction: How AI Really Works (and Who Benefits)
Maximilian Kasy, ( University of Chicago Press, 4/11/2025)
Best read for: AI & Society
In The Means of Prediction, economist Maximilian Kasy cuts through the hype to show that AI is ultimately shaped not by technology, but by the human decisions of those who control it.
Kasy explains the fundamental principles behind AI in a clear and accessible way, revealing that the true tension is not between humans and machines, but between those who own the systems and the rest of society. He explores the 'means of prediction' - data, computing power, expertise, and energy as the essential resources that define how AI operates and who benefits from it.
This book offers both a deep understanding of AI's capabilities and a framework for public oversight, arguing that democratic control over AI objectives is essential to mitigate risks and ensure ethical, equitable outcomes. The Means of Prediction is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand AI's societal impact and who truly holds power in the AI-driven world.
Transform!: The 14 Behaviors Driving Successful Digital Transformation in the Age of Gen AI
Ian Murrin, Rajesh Jethwa, Mike Wright (John Wiley & Sons Inc, 06/11/2025)
Digital Transformation & AI Leadership
Drawing on over 30 years of transformation experience, authors Ian Murrin, Rajesh Jethwa, and Mike Wright distill proven leadership behaviours that cut through complexity and accelerate meaningful results.
Blending real-world case studies with actionable tools and insights, Transform! reveals 14 high-impact behaviours that enable organisations to deliver measurable outcomes, from framing and adapting for continuous improvement to managing risk and communicating effectively. The authors demonstrate how these behaviours, amplified by the intelligent use of Gen AI, can turn ambition into lasting competitive advantage.
Packed with frameworks, lessons and examples from both transformation failures and successes, Transform! is an essential guide for leaders navigating the challenges of digital change. Endorsed by global business figures including Jim Hagemann Snabe and Ron Dennis, this book equips executives with the mindset, behaviours, and confidence to lead bold, effective transformations in the Gen AI era.
AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing: Connecting Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience (2nd Edition)
Katie King, (Kogan Page, 03/11/2025)
Best read for: AI in Business Strategy & Marketing
AI is transforming how companies engage customers, personalise experiences, and drive revenue. In AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing, Katie King provides senior leaders with a practical, research-backed guide to harness AI across marketing, sales, and customer experience functions.
Drawing on interviews with executives from L'Oreal, Salesforce, and UOB, this authoritative guide blends frameworks, tools, and real-world examples to show how AI can drive organisational change, improve team productivity, and generate measurable business growth. King also addresses ethical governance and customer trust, offering a comprehensive roadmap for leading AI adoption responsibly and effectively.
This book equips senior professionals to apply strategic models, leverage data-led decision making, and implement AI initiatives that align with business objectives. AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing is a must-read for leaders who want to deliver sustainable ROI while navigating the evolving AI landscape.
AI and Productivity: Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Processes and Unlock Potential
Donald Clark ( LinkKogan Page, 03/11/2025)
Best read for: AI & Workforce Productivity
As AI adoption accelerates, organisations risk creating distractions rather than real productivity gains. In AI and Productivity, Donald Clark provides a strategic guide for business leaders on how to harness AI to improve efficiency, strengthen workforce capability, and protect long-term business performance.
Drawing on extensive industry experience, Clark offers practical frameworks to assess where AI adds value and where it may undermine critical skills such as problem-solving, communication, and curiosity. The book provides governance-led approaches for integrating AI effectively across recruitment, HR, and learning and development, balancing efficiency gains with talent development and cultural health.
Packed with real-world examples and actionable strategies, AI and Productivity equips decision-makers to implement AI initiatives that deliver measurable results while sustaining human capabilities essential for future success.
AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand
Adam Brotman and Andy Sack (Harvard Business Review Press, 24/06/2025)
Best read for: : AI & the Future of Branding
When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told authors Adam Brotman and Andy Sack that AI would handle 95 per cent of what marketers currently use agencies and strategists for "nearly instantly, and at almost no cost" it sparked an urgent exploration into what this transformation means for brands. In AI First, the authors tackle the existential challenge facing marketing leaders: in a world where AI democratises creative capability, how do brands compete and remain relevant?
Drawing on exclusive interviews with tech visionaries including Altman, Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman, alongside practitioners already navigating this shift, Brotman and Sack deliver a structured playbook for becoming an AI-first organisation. They address critical questions around job design, skills development, customer expectations, and how to achieve early wins in an environment where nearly anyone can build engaging brands quickly and cheaply.
Brotman, former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks who pioneered the company's mobile payment and loyalty platform, and Sack, a tech visionary and former adviser to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, bring both strategic insight and practical implementation experience. Together, through their consultancy Forum3, they provide a comprehensive framework for leaders who recognise that in the AI-first arena, the question isn't whether to adapt, but how to lead the transformation.
Listed in "5 AI books to read in 2025" by Next Big Idea Club, AI First is essential reading for marketing leaders, brand strategists, and business executives who need to understand not just how to deploy AI tools, but how to fundamentally rethink their approach to brand building in an era of unprecedented technological change.
More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead
Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter (Harvard Business Review Press, 18/03/2025)
Best read for: : Human-Centred AI Leadership
In an era when AI adoption often emphasises speed and efficiency at the expense of connection, More Human makes a compelling counter-argument: the leaders who will thrive are those who use AI to become more, not less, human. Authors Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter present a practical roadmap for leaders seeking to blend technological capability with the essential human qualities of awareness, wisdom, and compassion.
Rather than positioning AI and humanity as competing forces, Hougaard and Carter advocate for a both/and mindset. In other words, one that maximises AI's analytical power whilst deepening the core strengths of empathetic leadership. Through rigorous research and practical strategies, they demonstrate how thoughtful AI adoption can free leaders to focus on what technology cannot replicate: authentic presence, ethical judgement, and genuine human connection.
As The Financial Express notes, "With deep insight and rigorous research, More Human will help leaders navigate our AI-enabled future." This book is vital reading for executives and senior leaders who recognise that the greatest competitive advantage in an AI-enabled world lies not in replacing human capabilities, but in amplifying them.