There's never been a shortage of job hunting books on the market, and, during the past four years of economic slowdown, there's been a veritable flood. From perennial favorites such as What Color Is Your Parachute? to esoteric guide books like What Should I Do With My Life?, the unemployed have a veritable bounty of manuals from which to choose.

Chandra Prasad's Outwitting the Job Market is a practical, thorough guide for job seekers. The book is well organized and indexed, covering all of the bases, from resumes and cover letters to negotiating salary and benefits. The style is straightforward and somewhat pedantic, addressing each aspect of the search for work with an excruciatingly practical bent. Prasad makes frequent use of examples and anecdotes to address key points, and every chapter ends, much like a textbook, with a summation of the most important takeaways.

Of particular use should be sections on research. Far too many novice job seekers simply apply to every position they come across blindly, sending the same resume and cover letter to every prospective employer. Prasad does a superb job of detailing how and why to research any company and position you apply for, and offers excellent tips on customizing your communications for each and every job.

Additionally, comments from hiring managers in a variety of fields add practical value to some of the more vague suggestions. The most useful part of the book by far is the chapter on interviewing, which contains a comprehensive list of the most frequently asked interview questions, as well as a more detailed look at difficult questions and how to answer them.

The only truly major failing of the book is a dearth of examples. For resumes and cover letters, suggestions on editing are numerous, but only two specific cases are presented: one for a recent graduate and one for a middle manager. Anyone who falls outside these categories or is looking for more specific examples will be out of luck. The short anecdotes interspersed with general commentary come from a variety of industries, but this specificity does not extend to the meat of the book.

Recent graduates or workers still in their first or second professional position could do far worse than Outwitting the Job Market. The book is thorough enough for entry-level workers in nearly any industry, as the guidelines and suggestions are invariably quite general.

Unfortunately, those with more experience in the job market will find little new or useful here. Much of the advice will be old hat to anyone who's picked up similar books before, and for those with more extensive work experience, whole chapters may come across as nothing more than simple common sense. Though it is billed as a guide for workers at any point in their careers, seasoned job hunters would do better looking elsewhere.

Prasad hasn't reinvented the wheel. There are countless other books detailing the exact same strategies for finding employment. Additionally, there are far better options for experienced workers looking for guidance, particularly in industry-specific references. However, the succinct presentation, clear organization, and comprehensive content make Outwitting the Job Market at fine choice for anyone just starting out.