J.K. Lasser's Tax Deductions for Your Small Business
by Barbara Weltman

From the back cover:
"Written by an expert, this is an excellent home reference tax guide for the small business owner."—Martin Edelston, President, Boardroom, Inc.

Taking Charge When You're Not in Control: A Practical Approach to Getting What You Want Out of Life
by Patricia Wiklund, Ph.D.

Randi S. Brenowitz says:
Wiklund provides clear examples and case studies for every concept she introduces. At the end of every chapter, there are a series of exercises that show how to integrate these concepts into our daily lives.

Mompreneurs : A Mother's Practical Step-By-Step Guide to Work-At-Home Success
by Ellen H. Parlapiano, Patricia Cobe

From barnesandnoble.com:
It is packed with good tips on writing a business plan, getting a loan, setting fees, creating office space, and finding the right mix of child care.

Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales
by Wendy Weiss

From barnesandnoble.com:
Wendy Weiss clearly and succinctly outlines the what, why, and how of cold calling, dealing step-by-step and specifically with issues faced by women in sales.

A Crash Course in Marketing
by David H. Bangs and Andi Axman

Laurie Kretchmar says:
Covers the basics such as determining your customer base, positioning your company, growing it, plus helping you think about such things as why certain clients are your favorites. It cuts to the chase.

Free Agent Nation
by Daniel H. Pink

Laurie Kretchmar says:
Daniel Pink explains the rise of free agents, which he defines as soloists (aka independent consultants), temps and microbusinesses. Each chapter has a concise summary of highlights, statistics and quote. Pink also discusses the challenges of being a free agent, including dealing with health insurance, taxes and zoning.

Getting Started in Consulting
by Alan Weiss, PhD

Laurie Kretchmar says:
He covers the basics such as how to finance a consulting practice, write strong proposals and set fees (he's a big proponent of "value pricing" and, in fact, believes it's far smarter than charging by the hour). Highly recommended! Weiss's web site: http://www.summitconsulting.com

Soloing
by Harriet Rubin

Rosemary Brisco says:
Rubin covers the trials and tribulations of going it alone from the financial to the life changes that occur during this process. You'll find more about what led the author to becoming a consultant, than the normal guidebook "3 easy steps" to becoming a consultant that you might expect.

Guerrilla Marketing Handbook
by Jay Levinson and Seth Godin

Laurie Kretchmar says:
Good but very thick, over-sized book on how to handle various types of marketing including advertising, direct mail, trade shows and how-to's for each. Some might find it handy as a resource.

Marketing Management - The Millennium Edition
by Philip Kotler

Laurie Kretchmar says:
Considered the bible of marketing, this is a serious, comprehensive classical book. Good as an academic overview of advertising, sales promotion and public relations but other books such as A Crash Course in Marketing cut to the chase with practical ideas that may be far more relevant to independents.