The Art of Being Indispensable at Work: Win Influence, Beat Overcommitment, and Get the Right Things Done

Bruce Tulgan

Harvard Business Review Press, 256 pp., $28

Establishing yourself as a go-to person can position you for success with your employer and beyond. Tulgan says go-to people in the workplace earn a reputation for delivering and can lead from any level. He spotlights their common characteristics and divulges secrets of how they manage additional demands without becoming overwhelmed. Earning a reputation that gets you noticed throughout the company isn't about being everyone's best friend. Those seeking indispensable status should focus on work first and relationships second, Tulgan advises. Ultimately, being indispensable is about serving others, and Tulgan explains how to do so with strategy.

The Case for a Job Guarantee

Pavlina R. Tcherneva

Polity, 140 pp., $45

Even in a thriving economy, millions are left unemployed. "Loss of one's job and livelihood is not just a consequence of unusual circumstances," Tcherneva writes. "It is a regular occurrence." As a leading economist, she challenges readers to imagine a world in which everyone who wants a job that pays a living wage could find one, regardless of experience, training, or personal history. In advocating for job guarantee, Tcherneva explores the varied issues associated with today's labor market and highlights the dangers of unemployment. She outlines the steps society could take to design and implement a transformative macroeconomic policy and the associated costs. She also connects economic security with environmental justice.