Interested in product marketing books? That’s fantastic. While there are any number of great product marketing blogs, videos and websites out there (and I’m far from one to dismiss them as not being valuable resources), there are even greater books. There’s just something good about a solid, complete and informative book on a topic. In a blog, you often have to abridge and summarize, meaning that you can never say everything you feel you need to, and you can never fully cover what you like. As a blog writer, I can vouch for that. Oh, blogs are great for staying informed and getting a good flow of continuing information and thoughts, but first, you need a good grounding. Product management books are the place to get this. So, let’s take a look at some of the best. #1 – 101 Ways to Promote Your Business Online & Offline (E A Champion) The name of the writer is fitting for this book; he’s going to see to it that you spot all the possible ways to market your product or your business so that you end up a champion. How often do you read of people suddenly becoming huge successes after trying some marketing tactic; that seemed so obvious in retrospect? You thought “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” Champion’s book will help you be the successful guy, the person others react to. Champion paints you a good picture of all modern marketing opportunities. He covers the emergence of technology, as well as the new cultural trends of the 21st century. #2 – Marketing (Charles W. Lamb) Lamb draws you in to marketing as a complete science; from understanding product positioning and identity, to the human elements of psychology and perception. He’s been around the block more than a few times, and his experience and intrinsic understanding of the field is very valuable. This is a definite must, as far as books on the topic go, whether you’re marketing a product, a service or anything else. ‘Marketing’ gives you a grip on all the aspects of the science of marketing – in one central place. #3 – The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (Al Ries) Ok, this one’s a little different, and you have to see Ries’ writing to believe it. A bit of a wildcard and a bit of a joker, he makes you smile and laugh while at the same time helping you understand one of the tougher aspects of product marketing – branding. Branding is a fickle science, and it’s where things often go awry – missing the mark, misidentifying the product to the wrong demographics, and all sorts of calamitous mistakes. Ries will entertain you while strengthening your grasp of branding so that you’re ready for the challenges of branding when you enter product management. If you’re already in the field, you’ll be a step ahead next time your product’s marketing lifecycle rolls around. These are some of the better must read product marketing books. I suggest reading them all in order to get a well-rounded introduction and understanding of the changing product marketing world.