Workplace

Forget fluffy novels and teen vampire thrillers, said Amy Cortese in The New York Times. The hottest books on the beach this summer may be those “dishing out career advice and inspiration.” At a time when the overall book market is in a slump, sales for “career-burnishing” tomes are up. The best-selling books seem to be more practical than philosophical. “Customers are focusing on what is going to help them get a job, rather than, as in better times, finding the perfect career,” says Dave Hathaway, the business-book buyer at Barnes & Noble. And “there are books for most every situation.”

Consider Richard Bolles’ new book, The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When “There Are No Jobs”, said Patricia Baldwin in the Columbia, S.C., State. The author of the career classic What Color Is Your Parachute? has produced this slim volume for anyone “looking for gainful employment in these economically challenged times.” Its job hunting advice includes everything from where to scare up jobs to how to write your résumé for an online marketplace. But the most unique thing about it may be the recession-friendly price tag: $9.99.