Quick Read

Slackonomics: Generation X in the Age of Creative Destruction
by Lisa Chamberlain

Not only have those born between the baby boomers and the boomers' kids had to struggle to make themselves felt as a cultural force, they've also got stuck on the wrong side of every big economic trend in the past 30 years. Stagflation of the 1970s meant their parents couldn't afford to indulge them as children. Graduation from college during the "jobless recovery" of the '90s got many careers off on the wrong foot. Boomer-driven bubbles pushed homeownership out of reach just as Xers were looking to settle down. But fortunately, as freelance journalist Chamberlain shows, what her generation lacks in luck has been more than made up for with creativity and a do-it-yourself ethic that should earn the respect of even the most self-absorbed members of the boomer or millennial generations.

Money Wise: How to Create, Grow, and Preserve Your Wealth
by A. Michael Lipper, with Douglas R. Sease

Lipper's ratings of mutual funds are as ubiquitous and trusted as the Zagat Survey's appraisals of restaurants. But just as nobody would confuse Zagat with M.F.K. Fisher, readers shouldn't expect too much of Lipper's foray into books. While he tells some interesting tales about the growth and development of the mutual-fund industry, Lipper fails to shine enough light on how the average folks who rely on funds—rather than on the private wealth managers favored by the rich—can become better investors.

Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work
by Stephen Viscusi

If previous economic downturns in the United States are any guide, this autumn will be as much a season of pink slips as it is of colored leaves, football and Thanksgiving parades. Career consultant Viscusi offers specific advice about how to avoid becoming a statistic. "Be visible, be easy, be ready," he says. But many of his suggestions, such as dressing better than you need to, are equally applicable to good times and bad—and aren't necessarily bulletproof. Still, it's probably better than wearing body armor to the office.