According to Todd Derfren, co-founder of the Social Media Club. There are three types of knowledge: foundational understanding, contemporary intelligence and street smarts. I can’t help you the last two but I can tell you there are five books you must-read if you want to acquire foundational knowledge.

1.  Good to Great by Jim Collins is a great book that reads as well as a fast-paced novel.  It’s full of vital ideas and new concepts such as the Big Hairy Audacious Goal, the Fox and the Hedgehound, and the Flywheel.  Read this book and you will start to question what you are doing right/wrong.

2.  New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott. There are literally hundreds of great Social Media Marketing books out there but David Meerman Scott got there first. 

3.  Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout.  No doubt you will know almost everything in this book already but always worth reminding yourself of well-known concepts.

4.  Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith. A less well-known work, it was influential to me in coming to understand the rising importance of marketing in a service- oriented economy.

5.  The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen.  Arguably the most important book in our hyper competitive age.

 Also remember we are surrounded by a wealth of intelligence every day!  Don’t forget to read the papers, top magazines and blogs. Try and avoid checking Facebook every ten minutes for a week and instead invest your time wisely and I bet you’ll benefit tenfold.