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I’m a bookworm. My boyfriend has even nicknamed me ‘The Bookinator’. So it figures that I have a fair few usability, ux, psychology and design books on my bookshelf. In the photo below are just some of my ux books (they don’t all fit on my bookcase!).
I’d recommend for ux beginners:
Don’t Make Me Think!: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
Excellent introduction to usability explained simply with clear and fun diagrams. Short book that you can read in a couple of hours.
My personal favourite:
Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click? (Voices That Matter)
Very clever techniques for web design. Uses lots of persuasion principles and social proofing elements. I have about 20 post-it notes stuck in this one!
Prettiest book:
Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands
This book is beautiful. Large inspiring pictures, brilliant graphic design work, key points easy to identify… The only downside is the book’s message seems to be duplicated quite a lot within the content. It’s still a joy to dip into and has good examples to demonstrate the points it makes.
I wish I hadn’t bought:
Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods
Warning! This book will bore the pants off you. It’s written in the most long winded technical manner that aims to bore even the most devoted ux professional.
The book i’ve had the longest:
Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour
This book is like an old friend. It’s been with me since university and has all the damage to prove it, including lots of crinkley pages where my old uni windowsill leaked all over it. This book saw me through my coursework and exams and I just find the content fascinating. Timeless.
So that’s what’s on my ux bookshelf. Now it’s your turn.
What’s on your ux bookshelf?
Lisa Marie Ortega 
I’m still near the start of my career as a UX designer, but my book shelf includes:
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design by Jenifer Tidwell (this book is my go to book)
Universal Principles of Design: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design
About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design
CSS: The Definitive GUide
CSS Cookbook
The Design of Everyday Things (doesn’t pertain specifically to software user interfaces, but it is a really good read and I can’t look at a door the same way again after reading it)
Absolutely Recommend anyone starting to think about Interaction Design and User Experience Reads Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things (Formally known as The Psychology of Everyday Things).
As Melissa says you will never look at a door the same way again and it explains the fundamentals of the Cognitive psychology of interacting with the world in a really good way.
‘Designing Interactions’ By Bill Moggridge is a fantastic Book + DVD with Case studies and interviews of Fantastic Interaction and Industrial design: Its Essentially a Practical history of our Discipline.
‘Sketching User Experience’ By Bill Buxton Describes a great methodology for being creative and producing great design, along with advice on how to show design early on without people thinking its finished because its visually appealing, or too basic because its just wireframes or sketches.
Agree with Lawrence above on The Psychology of Everyday Things
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201608421/TogA
altho this is 20 or so years old, many of the principles still apply and dont make me think actually stole errrm brrowed a lot of concepts from it.
http://www.amazon.com/Tog-Software-Design-Bruce-Tognazzini/dp/0201489171/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
show iphone gesture based interfaces that steve jobs admits he nicked from this book.
This is a great (quick read) book for learning how copywriting can influence people. Helped me a lot on error messages and calls to actions
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Change-Your-Mind-Persuasive/dp/0713678496
and you know doubt know this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocket-Surgery-Made-Easy-yourself/dp/0321657292/ref=pd_sim_b_3
This book is rubbish tho:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Effective-UI-Building-Experience-Software/dp/059615478X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298563357&sr=1-1
bye!