There are thousands of work search-related books out there.  If you've been in the job market for more than a week, you probably already know this.  Heck - you probably have even read a few.

But with so many books offering career guidance, which ones should you read?  Which ones should you invest your hard-earned money into and refer back to again and again?

That's where today's post comes in.  While there are some very good books out there, there are only a few that are truly excellent - worthy of your time, mind and money.  Here are the five best:

1) Richard Bolles' "What Color Is Your Parachute? 2007" is a must for the serious job hunter.  Through the years, "Parachute" has sold eight million copies - and with good reason.  It's the gold standard for everyone looking for work, facing layoffs, or losing their jobs due to outsourcing (yep - that's pretty much everybody).  An easy read with minuscule fluff, this year's edition is a personal library must-have.

2) Keith Ferrazzi's "Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time" is the definitive volume on professional and job search-related networking for this decade.  Ferrazzi dishes up advice on networking over lunch, warming up cold calls and research.  He preaches what he calls the "deep bump" - a quick, meaningful rapport - as a means to display uniqueness.  While sometimes Ferrazzi falls into overstatement, his advice is rock-solid.

3) Dan Miller's "48 Days To The Work You Love" is perfect for those who don't know what they want to be when they grow up.  It isn't necessarily about finding a job, but rather a guide to finding a career that you'll love - one that fits you.  Sure, it's a tad touchy-feely, but Miller's advice can help you avoid dead-end, mind-numbing jobs you'll hate.  Sometimes the prescribed introspections and self-evaluations can be painful, but short-term pain now can eliminate long-term pain later.

4) William Ury's "Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way from Confrontation to Cooperation" offers solid info nuggets for job seekers, employees and even employers.  There are concrete, proven methods to maintain composure, defuse anger, probe for what others want, reach agreeable agreements and more.  If negotiation is currency, then Ury is the Federal Reserve Chairman.  After all, everyone needs to negotiate for raises, management and co-worker buy-ins, and even for peace in the home.  The definitive volume on the subject.

5) Ira Chaleff's "The Courageous Follower: Standing Up to and for Our Leaders (2nd Edition)" lets you know it's alright to be a follower.  After all, Chaleff points out, aren't we all leaders sometimes and followers at other times?  He challenges the notions that followers are weak and/or docile.  Instead, he presses forth the valid point that followers are essential to any leader's success.  Given leadership is often distributed amongst team members, Chaleff provides insight on how to simultaneously be both leader and follower.

IN THE CARAVAN: While there are thousands of job hunting books on the market, some are good, and these five are the best.

NEXT WEDNESDAY: Achieving Balance

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Check out last Wednesday's post on the Top 10 Job Seeker Traits

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