For everyone currently undertaking or considering graduate study:

Linchpin: Are you Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Smart analysis of the changing nature of the modern workplace, and how to choose which skills to acquire.

Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Multitasking often produces a false feeling of productivity. A few simple habits can make this feeling real.

SuperCrunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers is the New Way to be Smart by Ian Ayres

Many job skills have been altered or devalued by information technology, or will be soon. You need to be aware of this before choosing a field. This book will help.

For those who do academic research

http://vlsicad.ucsd.edu/Research/Advice/network.html

This note brought me a conscious awareness of what it is I am actually employed to do. Highly recommend.

For those who teach

Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone

Most human communication is nonconscious, but nobody prepares teachers for the nonconscious aspect of teaching. Good improv actors learn to modify their nonconscious communication to elicit the appropriate reaction from the audience. Teachers can alter student retention and motivation using similar techniques.

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