Rob Goffee | Garetht Jones | Sterling Livingston | Pfeffe Jeffrey | David Thomas | Robin J. Ely | Jean-Frantois Manzoni | Jean-Louis Barsoux
1 Readable papers on broad topics in management
Whether you're just entering people management or have been doing it for years, this book grabs a selection of readable papers on a variety of topics from compensation to handling 'poor performers' to more effective (but non-manipulative!) means of persuasion.
Especially interesting were the two articles on the performance of individuals and the messages -- both explicit and implicit -- that managers give to their reports and how they affect performance. You should definitely give them a read if you think you have an average to poor performer that you're actively working with right now.
2 HBR Managing People
Definitely one of the better books in the series. Discussion of common corporate issues. Provides good solutions. I've read 4 in the series and like this one the most.