This e-mail subject line jumped out at me from my inbox.

It trumpeted “The Great 8 of 2007,” and it made me wonder: Was it a list of the eight greatest managers of 2007, or innovative HR practices, or maybe even the greatest workforce trends of the year?

No, it was much more mundane than that—simply the top-selling books of the year at the SHRM store.

Here are the “Great 8” books of 2007, which I offer them without comment, but would love to hear any thoughts you might have on the underlying message (if any) of this list:

U.S. Master Human Resources Guide (Ninth Edition), by Donald W. Myers, D.B.A.

Human Resource Management (12th Edition; textbook), By John H. Jackson and Robert L. Mathis, SPHR.

Effective Succession Planning: Ensuring Leadership Continuity and Building Talent from Within (Third Edition), by William J. Rothwell.

Auditing Your Human Resources Department: A Step-By-Step Guide, by John H. McConnell.

From Sex to Religion (Employee DVD version), G. Neil (publisher).

101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems: A Guide to Progressive Discipline & Termination, by Paul Falcone.

Performance Appraisal Sourcebook: A Collection of Practical Samples, by Mike Deblieux.

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent and Accelerate Performance, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton.