With the onslaught of bad economic news recently, most workers just want to hold onto their jobs and ride out the storm. That's not bad advice, but how do you hang on — and maybe even improve a bit — when there's so much pressure to perform?

Any consultant can give you that answer (as can any cousin at a holiday dinner; this advice is cheap!): You have to work smarter, not harder. Here are four books that aim to help you do just that.

"The Executive Guide to E-Mail Correspondence" by Dawn-Michelle Baude (Career Press, 2007, $15.99). Containing "model letters for every situation," as the cover states, this book is primarily a how-to for conducting concise, informative electronic communications. And how do electronic communications differ from the old-fashioned print version?

The primary difference, according to Baude, is that "e-mail is designed to move or transact information as rapidly as possible [and] usually produces immediate action, often in the form of another e-mail." On the other hand, hard copy (printed letters, etc.) is "designed for contemplation over time." As she says: "E-mail is a transaction; hard copy is a reflection."

That's a good point, and it applies to more than just executives. In fact, not much here is particularly executive in nature, which makes this a good reference tool for anyone who works at a computer. This or another book like it would be a good addition to your "work smarter" library.

"The Hard Truth About Soft Skills" by Peggy Klaus (Collins, 2007, $14.95). This list of books is like one of those tests that get more challenging as they go along. If you've mastered the art of sending e-mails, you are ready for a "work smarter" look at your work personality.

Soft skills — such as communication, discipline and attitude — are more than "warm-and-fuzzy people skills," according to Klaus. As she says, "While hard skills refer to the technical ability and the factual knowledge needed to do the job, soft skills allow you to more effectively use your technical abilities and knowledge."

In essence, hard skills may get you a job, but soft skills will help you keep it or move up in the company. Klaus' book is filled with anecdotes and divided into eight chapters on topics such as dealing with office politics and handling critics.

Every page is dotted with ideas such as "No one likes a whiny kid, but a whiny grown-up is intolerable" and "Maybe the short definition of common sense is simply this: Not being stupid."

This is a good book to read with a notebook at your side, in case you spot anything you've been doing to hold yourself back in the workplace.

But it's probably not a book you'll read more than once, so a library copy might do the trick.

AMY LINDGREN

WORKING STRATEGIES

"Take Yourself to the Top" by Laura Berman Fortgang (Penguin, 2005, $15.95). OK, as these books are getting harder, this is the advanced level. This author means business, and she expects the same of her readers.

A career coach, Berman Fortgang brings forward common career snags experienced by her clients: being stuck in a midlife rut, feeling overqualified and underutilized, having it all but really wanting something else . . . Does any of it sound familiar?

I have a like-dislike reaction to this book.

On one hand, I think the author is exactly on target in discussing the ways we sabotage our careers.

Her anecdotes are helpful, and her insistent tone is refreshing.

But I'm not a fan of coach-speak, and I get a real block when someone tells me to "Go out and play in the rain!" or "Operate on a FULL life tank!" Maybe it's just the exclamation points.

Even so, I'm going to keep my copy — for those days when I need someone to alternately yell and chirp at me in print.

"A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way Into the Hidden Job Market" by Katharine Hansen (Ten Speed Press, 2008, $14.95). If all else fails, and the working-smarter thing doesn't do the trick, then this is the book you want.

Actually, this is the book you want anyway, no matter how your current job goes. Extensive chapters on informational interviewing and Internet networking — as well as solid advice on talking to people you haven't met yet — make this a must-have book for job-seekers and others trying to connect with people in the workplace.

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecaree rservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.