The 7 books you must read this Christmas

We insist you turn off the technology for a while, but you don’t have to turn off your brain in the Christmas break. When you’ve read the trashy novel, the sporting biography and the cookbook, and you want some inspiration to get you all set for 2015, try one of these, recommended by your franchising fellows:

Want to feel inspired? Try Lisa Messenger's Daring and Disruptive

Are you struggling with work life balance? Read what Arianna Huffington has to say in Thrive

Ready to learn more about awareness and leadership? Susan Cain has some ideas in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

When you’re relaxed and ready to rediscover your grrrrr, pick up The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte

Need some retail tricks up your sleeve? Look out for Angie Bell’s Retail Rebranded – 27 secrets of market leaders

Wanting something heavyweight? It was enough to inspire Barack Obama to list as his desert island book choice, and it’s written by a Pullitzer Prize winner: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is a biography that examines the iconic US president’s leadership style.

In the New York Times Bestseller Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel looks at innovation and how to think for yourself.

Happy reading!