29 Books Like In the Line of Fire

I really love this book because it changed the trajectory of my entire career. I was a business major in high school and continued as a business major while working on my bachelor’s degree. However, I did not feel that working only in business was my true passion.

The book explored not only job-hunting tools but also provided tools for reflection on deciding what you really want to do as a career. After reading this book, I earned a master’s and doctoral degree working with adult learners, which is my true passion. I love the book because its advice and guidance were relevant for being my authentic self and thriving in a career that best fits my skills and passion. 

This workbook offers a quick and easy guide to help you understand your strengths and sell them effectively to an employer.

It covers all the tools of a job search: resumes, cover letters, networking, and more. It gives invaluable tips on job applications and how to effectively interview. It also covers how to negotiate about pay and working conditions- and when not to through easy-to-use worksheets.

However, it is somewhat outdated so it will not take to the next level that a 21st-century worker might need to succeed.

From a highly respected series and publisher, this book explains how to go about searching for your first job, changing careers, or looking for advancement in your current line of work, Job Interviews For Dummies shows you how to use your skills and experiences to your advantage and land that job.

This updated edition explores the new realities of the job market with scenarios that you can expect to encounter, an updated sample question and answer section, coverage of how you can harness social media in your job search, information on preparing for a Web-based interview, and the best ways to keep your credibility when applying for several jobs at once.

It is a great resource book for every level of applicant but is still 12 years behind the curve for a modern job seeker. 

This fill-in workbook for the career classic What Color Is Your Parachute? is a helpful tool for recent grads, workers laid off mid-career, and anyone searching for an inspiring work-life change.

Featuring new information for the pandemic era job market, the classic Flower Exercise organizing your skills and preferences in one place; the Party Exercise to help you discover who you work best with, and the Transferable Skills Grid that helps you discover your most valuable skills. 

Richard N. Bolles's helpful charts and activities allow job-hunters to dig in and discover how their unique interests, passions, and dreams will give them a picture of their dream job. 

This book is much more hands-on and, when completed by the user, but the format and exercises may not appeal to every job applicant. 

Why would I include a book on rhetoric right after a set of recommendations of titles covering philosophy, given the two-thousand-year rivalry between those two ancient disciplines? In contrast to other people who teach critical thinking, I place great value on persuasive communications, commonly referred to as rhetoric, given the need to see through the rhetoric of others when analyzing their arguments, and the ability of persuasive language to turn valid and sound arguments into unstoppable ones. In his recently updated bestseller Thank You for Arguing, author Jay Heinrich lays out a powerful case for why effective argumentation can bring people together to solve problems, providing potential offramps from today’s polarized, destructive pseudo-debates. Heinrich’s book is accessible and entertaining, drawing from pop culture and his own life experiences, alongside the wisdom of Aristotle and other great thinkers from history, to demonstrate how to productively argue out our disagreements,… show more.

Before I was an activist, my favorite audition monologue was from David Hare’s play, A Map of the World. Set at an international UNESCO conference (and, in a meta-framing, the set of a movie retelling the same story), the centerpiece is a Shavian debate between a young leftwing reporter and a celebrated rightwing author. “You will never ever understand any struggle unless you take part in it,” says the idealistic reporter in a speech that still speaks to me today, as it pits the messy, hard work and, yes, failures, of activism against the comfortable cynicism of those who criticize from the sidelines. I would later discover this same play inspired Larry Kramer to start writing The Normal Heart.

Why do I recommend a book on speechwriting? For the same reasons my book covers spoken communication. Good speeches base on the written word and in turn, yield many lessons for all writers. For example, “sayability” is a hallmark of writing that works, and a good way to check yourself. Noonan’s book also reminds us of what matters most: Deciding what you want to say—the substance. Fancy language never camouflages empty thought. Rather than trying to manipulate people, reach them with sincerity and specific language that’s “simple, unadorned, direct, declarative.” Noonan recommends appealing to the brain with logic. Psychologists, meanwhile, stress that we make most decisions based on emotion—but I think both are right: Persuasive writing reaches both heart and mind. 

What’s unique and valuable about Matt’s book is his use of scientific research to explain what makes so many of us nervous about public speaking and—knowing those triggers and minefields —how to manage and overcome it.

The book is short, physically small, and focused, but brilliantly so because it reads like a manual and even an ally in your ear, giving you the tips and support you need to speak confidently. Matt includes many “Try This” recommendations and an awesome appendix that reviews a wide variety of physical and psychological anxiety-management techniques.

I have lots of highlight marks and circled sections in my copy, which is a surefire sign that a book is extremely practical. 

Public speaking is one of the best marketing tools for authors. Good speakers sell books and can often supplement their incomes through paid speaking gigs.

From Page to Stage helped me hone my speaking points. It is loaded with tips to help even the most shy of authors give a good talk. The author is a psychotherapist who has worked with many clients to overcome their fear of public speaking. I loved that this book was written specifically for authors, and so it directly addressed the types of events and talks common in the book industry. 

Fun fact: public speaking ranks number 1 among human beings’ fears. Before death, heights, or any wild animal. Speaking in public exposes us to shame, failure, boredom, opposition, and so on. And with everything being recorded nowadays, there’s a great chance to leave indelible evidence of our performance somewhere. But regardless of their fear, millions of people want to share their ideas on stage. How to overcome this fear? With preparation. Lots of preparation, lots of patience, and the courage to ask for feedback, question ourselves, and edit our talk at will. Chris Anderson’s TED Talks is a brilliant resource. To anyone who wants to share a meaningful and impactful message, whether through speaking or writing, I can only recommend giving this book a go. It’s changed the way I write and introduce myself. Cherry on the cake: it’s really fun reading!