Books for graduates setting out on that next big adventure

After ceremonies called commencement, graduates must start something new, perhaps a journey toward a career or on to further study. High school and college graduates' road maps may come in many forms, including some excellent books.

Elizabeth Sher, a bookseller at Politics & Prose, is a 2008 Brown graduate who helps coordinate the bookshop's book-a-month gift program. Among her picks:

-- "A Hope in the Unseen," by Ron Suskind. It follows a young man to the Ivy League and "should be required reading for all high school graduates heading off for college," Sher says.

-- "Shop Class as Soulcraft," by Matthew Crawford. It tells how the author quit a think tank to open a motorcycle repair shop in Virginia, providing "a lucid, thoughtful meditation on manual versus knowledge work," she says.

-- "What Should I Do With My Life?," by Po Bronson. A collection of stories from people who have "found bliss in every setting," including a large number from inside and around the Beltway.

Barbara Winter, author of "Making a Living Without a Job," runs seminars for living "joyfully jobless." She suggests these books:

-- "Roadtrip Nation," by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard. A tale of college friends on a cross-country trip to interview people doing unique things. They discover their own futures.

-- "Make the Impossible Possible," by Bill Strickland. It tells of the author's big dreams, struggles and successes making his Pittsburgh ghetto a better place.

Jim Pawlak, a former Ford Motor Credit manager, reviews business books for several newspapers. Among his selections:

-- "Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It," by Marshall Goldsmith. The book is designed to get you into the "make it happen zone."

-- "101 Things I Learned in Business School," by Michael Preis. Strickland says this is "ideal for the liberal arts grads" who skipped B-school.

NEED MORE IDEAS? Freelance writer Vickie Elmer has more book recommendations on her blog, WorkingKind.com.