Michael Burne, founder of Carbon Law Partners, discusses why Robert Flint’s Working with Strangers has joined his all-time list of business books 

Books are part of how Michael Burne has grown his business, Carbon. ‘They fire the imagination and give you the neural connections to think differently. That’s what we want here,’ he says. ‘Want different. Think different. Be different.’

Founded in 2014 and now billing £8 million a year, Carbon takes its name from the most adaptable element in the periodic table. ‘It's the basis of life and the ultimate bond format. When you join something to carbon, you get something completely new, which is the antithesis of most law firms. So we are creating a deliberately organic environment. When someone comes in, we like them to stand out.’