10 career books for summer reading

They might not be your typical beach reads, but this isn't any typical summer. Unemployment numbers are stubbornly high, and books offering career advice and tips for landing jobs are up there on this season's list of hot reads. They might not be the juicy books you're used to buying for summer, but at least you can soak up the sun while learning something useful.

• Get the Job You Want Even When No One's Hiring: Just released in June, this timely book, Get the Job You Want Even When No One's Hiring ($14), "explains the special strategies necessary to land a job during an economic crisis," and "addresses the realities of this job market with real-world, actionable steps."
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Career counselor Mark N. New recommends The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ($10) for those who have recently lost jobs and told the New York Times, "You have to emotionally be in the right place to put your best foot forward."
• Fired, Laid-Off or Forced Out: According to The New York Times, Fired, Laid-Off or Forced Out ($7) has been a big seller in recent months. The book offers "a complete guide to severence, benefits, and your rights when you're starting over."
• Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment: Green collar jobs are growing and if you're interested in getting into an eco-friendly industry, Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment ($10) could be a good book for you. It explains things like how to break into the fastest growing eco-friendly fields and where to go for extra training if needed.
• Knock 'Em Dead: Claiming to be the ultimate job search guide, Knock 'Em Dead ($10) has been reviewed as a helpful tool in mounting a successful job search. With comprehensive tips on job searching and interviewing, the book claims to "give readers all the tools they need to make a dynamic, lasting impression."
• Me 2.0: Career counselor Mark N. New told The New York Times that books like Me 2.0 ($12) can help job-seekers "to become more adept at social networking and personal branding."
• What Color Is Your Parachute?: This manual for job-hunters and career-changers What Color Is Your Parachute? ($13) is a classic - it has remained on best-seller lists for three decades. Fortune magazine even called it, "the gold standard of career guides."
• The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide: Author Richard Bolles created The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide ($10) for those who might not have the time for his 400-page Parachute book. It's a concise guide of job-hunting essentials, written to help readers find "hope and rewarding work, even when 'there are no jobs'."
• How to Win Friends & Influence People: There's a reason this book has sold over 15 million copies and is still relevant since it was first published in 1937. How to Win Friends & Influence People ($9) is known as "the grandfather of all people-skills books."
• Escape From Cubicle Nation: f you're daydreaming of getting away from corporate office culture and becoming an entrepreneur, this is the book for you. Escape From Cubicle Nation ($17) is described as encouraging and practical, and will help you find out if entrepreneurship is in the cards for you.