In this page, I compiled a list of books that I believe they are capable to form the way of thinking of any IT consultant and are necessary for the industry.
Software Engineering:
Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach, by Roger S. Pressman,
Agile ALM: Lightweight tools and Agile strategies, by Michael Hüttermann
Project Management:
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBok) 4th Edition, PMI
IT Architecture:
Business Metadata: Capturing Enterprise Knowledge, by William H. Inmon, et. al.
This is an excellent book about metadata management and its relation to business. Inmon is a well-known author in data management and data warehousing arena. This book provides a new perspective for information architecture subject.
Software Quality:
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship, by Robert C. Martin.
This is an enjoyable book going through object-oriented languages. It provides example how you could make your code vivid and live through organization and commenting. Your end code should be like a story telling. This book will change your code engineering perspective.
Effective Software Testing: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Testing, by Elfriede Dustin
Practical Software Testing: A Process-Oriented Approach, by Ilene Burnstein
Software Testing (2nd Edition), by Ron Patton
Software Documentation:
This is one of the most neglected arena by software practitioners. Even if the importance of documentation is apparent, the know-how is not available.
Agile Documentation: A Pattern Guide to Producing Lightweight Documents for Software Projects, by Andreas Rueping.
This is a nice book and relatively small that give you a good ideas about what to document and why.
Information Technology (IT) Management:
CIO Best Practices: Enabling Strategic Value With Information Technology, by Joseph P. Stenzel.
ITIL Version 3 at a Glance: Information Quick Reference, by John Long
Time Management and Productivity:
Time Management: Proven Techniques for Making Every Minute Count, by Richard Walsh
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
21 Great Ways to Manage Your Time and Double Your Productivity, by Brian Tracy
Software Requirements Analysis (Business Analyst IT Analyst)
Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements Practices for Teams, Programs, and the Enterprise, by Dean Leffingwell
Business Strategy, Modeling and Startups:
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.
This is a seminal book in business strategy and marketing planning. It helps any IT consulting firms (or others) starting up thinking about marketing. It helps a lot for any company how to create a competitive and differential edge over other competitors. It is a brilliant book that you will enjoy reading.
The One Minute Entrepreneur: Reinvent Your Life for Fun and Profit, Discover Your Entrepreneurial Strengths, by Ken Blanchard, et. al.
This is a very good book. it is also available as an audio book that you can read during commuting. I used the audio book version.
Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, by Alexander Osterwalder
This is a really wonderful simplified business book I have ever read!
Communication, Negotiation, and Presentation Skills:
Creating Communication: Exploring and Expanding Your Fundamental Communication Skills, by Randy Fujishin.
Stories That Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations, by Martin Sykes, Mark D. West, Nick Malik
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton
Leadership:
The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization, by John C. Maxwell.
Organization Change Management:
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & Techniques of Organizational Change, by Esther Cameron, Mike Green
I hope this compiled list would help toward getting an IT consultant with 360 degree awareness. You can see that I did not talk much about normal things like programming languages since I believe it is mandatory to be in the IT field (regardless of your position at management ladder).