1. Don’t Be That Boss. I met Mark Wiskup a few years ago, when he spoke to my Vistage group. I remember not wanting to go to that particular meeting because Mark was billed as a speaker on communication techniques and, being a bit too big for my britches, I thought he couldn’t teach me anything. Boy was I wrong! Not only did he teach me a thing or two, he quickly became a friend. He is the author of two additional books, but I think “Don’t Be That Boss” is his best.

A book that follows two managers through the same day, he teaches you the right and the wrong ways to communicate with your direct reports. He puts things in perspective; so much so, that some of the scenarios have actually happened to you and you realize how much differently you should handle some situations. It changed the way I communicate with my direct reports and it will you, too.

2. Groundswell. I don’t know if I love Groundswell as much as I do because it was the first (smart) book I’d read about social media or if it’s because I wholeheartedly agree with the philosophy. What I do know is that I’ve read it and re-read it and keep it on my desk as a bible of sorts. I love it because it talks about how to build a community of brand ambassadors by using the available technologies. It’s not about Twitter and Facebook and Google Wave. It’s about having better relationships and using what’s available today to make you more efficient.

3. Crush It. I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m a book snob. It’s not something I can help; my education is to blame. So when a book hits the bestseller list or a random person on the street tells me a book is good, I’m skeptical. Which is how I was with “Crush It.”

But last week I traveled with Blair Minton to a board meeting and he read it on the plane. He finished the entire thing on the flight out and the overwhelming need to have a discussion with him about it overruled my snobbery. I downloaded it to my Kindle immediately and read it on the flight home.

It’s a simple read and it’s a fast read. If anything, it makes you think about how your personal and professional lives are intersecting even more. The premise of the book is that, no matter what we do for a living, we all have personal brands and we have to care for them above all else. I agree with this. I’m going to have my staff all read it so they understand how they can use their personal brands at Arment Dietrich.

4. When Growth Stalls. I met Steve McKee at the PRSA Counselors Academy conference in Palm Springs this past spring. He owns an ad agency in Albuquerque, he is a speaker, he writes for BusinessWeek, and he wrote this book to discuss how to bust your business back into growth mode when it’s stalled.

He wrote the book when his own company stalled and he had to figure out what to do next. He uses real examples on recognizing the signs and what to do about it. I’m a big fan of authors who have lived their advice and this book does just that. If you’re building a business and have hit a plateau, it has some helpful tips in there for you. Now I just need him to sign my copy for me.

5. Small Is the New Big. As evidenced above, I’m not a big fan of books that the entire world reads and raves about, which is why I was very hesitant to read Seth Godin’s latest book, “Small Is the New Big.” I decided to pick it up because a very good friend told me I’d like parts of it and, he said, my boutique agency is the new big.

It’s a compilation of many years of blog posts, arranged by topic. There are some that make no sense for you and there are some that really get you thinking. I think what I found interesting may not be of interest to all of you, but you will find some things in there of interest. What I liked best about the book is his style of writing. It taught me how to blog better – you don’t have to have a really well written blog post every day; sometimes it’s just about what you saw on the street that taught you something about what you blog about.

Which business books do you recommend? And why?

So in honor, following are my recommendations for business holiday gifts:

1. Westone: My friend Lynn Kehler is the CEO of Westone, a company that makes custom ear plugs and headphones for the hearing impaired and musicians. He’s always talking about how great they are, but I didn’t realize what a big deal they are until I got a pair of my own. The difference between the sound quality of Westones as compared to the Bose I owned is night and day. I had no idea how much I was missing . I love them so much I’d like to marry them. They are, hands down, worth every penny.

2. Groundswell: If you’ve not read Groundswell, get it for yourself. And then buy copies for everyone you know. It’ll change the way you think about social media and how you incorporate digital communication into your business and personal lives. If you’ve already read it, you know what I mean. Buy it for as many people as you can!

3. Kindle: An expensive gift, but one of the best electronics I own. You can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books on the Kindle and it’s smaller (and lighter) than a paperback. If you have clients or senior-level staff who travel a lot, this is the perfect gift. It also works for parents and in-laws.

4. Joyful Bath Co.: I always say the bath salts from Joyful Bath Co. are magical elixir because, after a hard bike ride, I soak my legs with these and they magically feel better. A great gift for women colleagues and/or clients, though I have yet to convince my male counterparts that it’s good for them too.

5. Good to Great: An oldie, but a goodie. A great book for any business leader wanting to take things to the next level. It’s worth reading multiple times and makes an excellent (and thoughtful) gift.

6. Chocolate Gourmet: I received a goodie basket from Clockwork CEO, Nancy Lyons, a few years ago full of Chocolate Gourmet cookies and truffles. Holy cow are they good! They make an excellent gift for any office because you can send an assorted arrangement of treats that are sure to suit everyone.

What recommendations do you have to add to this list?

What prompted my question, “Is the corporate Web site about to die?” was an article on Mashable about social media making corporate Web sites irrelevant.

I am here to tell you, the corporate Web site is about to die.

Do I think corporate Web site URLs are going to go away? No.

Do I think corporate Web sites are going to change and be more interactive and engaging? Yes.

In the offline world, we had the ability to write PR canned messages and push our brands to the masses without getting any feedback.  Our experts were reporters and influentials and we had to have relationships with a handful in order to affect how our messages were delivered.

With new media, the brand we’ve paid (in some cases millions of dollars) for doesn’t always equate what people think about us. People now have the ability to change behaviors as soon as they see something better, which creates less loyalty than in the offline world. In one of my favorite books, Groundswell, they say “Your customers have always had an idea of what your brand signifies; online they now have a forum to discuss it.” Today we have to have relationships with ALL of our customers.

So how does this relate to the death of the corporate Web site?  Your static, PR canned message Web site is dying.  Your new Web site must allow connection and engagement with your customers – the evangelists and the detractors. A great example of how this should look is Gary Vaynerchuk’s site.  It’s fluid, you can comment and connect, and you have multiple choices to engage with him.

During last night’s debate, I was challenged to shut off armentdietrich.com. Not yet, @stevecunningham! While our home page is static (for now), the innards are fluid, engaging, and allow people to connect with us. By the end of 2009, our entire site will be set for new technologies so we can focus on relationships with our current clients, prospects, and potential candidates. Mark my words.

Do you think the corporate Web site is taking its last breath?