Best Career Books — 71 Honest Reviews
Every book below was read and judged on one question: will it change what you do on Monday morning? Each review tells you who should read it, who should skip it and the three ideas worth keeping.
Designing Your Life
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans · Career
The most practical career-change book of the last decade.
CLICK TO SEE
What Color Is Your Parachute?
Richard N. Bolles · Career
The durable standard for job hunting; dated in spots, sound in method.
CLICK TO SEE
The Defining Decade
Meg Jay · Career
Blunt, useful and best read at twenty-three; a solid gift for one.
CLICK TO SEE
From Strength to Strength
Arthur C. Brooks · Career
Compassionate, well-researched and useful for the second half of any career.
CLICK TO SEE
StrengthsFinder 2.0
Tom Rath · Career
A useful tool with a short manual attached; buy new for the code.
CLICK TO SEE
So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Cal Newport · Career
Contrarian and convincing; the best career book for the first decade of work.
CLICK TO SEE
Range
David Epstein · Career
Reassuring, well-researched and a bit sprawling; important for restless learners.
CLICK TO SEE
Never Eat Alone
Keith Ferrazzi · Career
High-energy and practical; a good networking book for the willing.
CLICK TO SEE
Lean In
Sheryl Sandberg · Career
Influential and contested; the practical advice holds, the frame is debated.
CLICK TO SEE
The Good Enough Job
Simone Stolzoff · Career
Measured and timely; a healthy corrective for workaholics.
CLICK TO SEE
Working with Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman · Career
Practical and influential; hold the claims lightly.
CLICK TO SEE
How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling
Frank Bettger · Career
Old, honest and useful.
CLICK TO SEE
The Pathless Path
Paul Millerd · Career
Honest and reflective; a companion for the questioning stage.
CLICK TO SEE
Designing Your New Work Life
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans · Career
Practical and realistic; a good book for staying and improving.
CLICK TO SEE
The Squiggly Career
Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis · Career
Practical and current; a good career workbook.
CLICK TO SEE
Yes!
Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B. Cialdini · Career
Tactical and bite-sized.
CLICK TO SEE
Now, Discover Your Strengths
Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton · Career
Influential origin.
CLICK TO SEE
Becoming a Person of Influence
John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan · Career
Warm, people-first.
CLICK TO SEE
Impact Players
Liz Wiseman · Career
Specific and practical; a career book for contributors.
CLICK TO SEE
The First 90 Days
Michael D. Watkins · Career
The transition handbook; structured and reliable.
CLICK TO SEE
Soar with Your Strengths
Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson · Career
The root of the strengths movement.
CLICK TO SEE
The Closer's Survival Guide
Grant Cardone · Career
A catalogue of closes, with judgement needed.
CLICK TO SEE
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo · Career
Jobs's keynotes, reverse-engineered.
CLICK TO SEE
The Start-up of You
Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha · Career
Strategic and clear; career as enterprise.
CLICK TO SEE
Working Identity
Herminia Ibarra · Career
Research-based and practical; career change done right.
CLICK TO SEE
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.