I'd begin with 'The Milepost 2006 (Milepost)', as an essential mile-by-mile guide for anyone making the drive North.

If you're opting for the more luxurious journey, via cruise ship, try 'Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2006' as your guide to the ports of call along the Inside Passage.

For a more literary look at Alaskan tourism, I'd recommend 'How Heavy is the Mountain'. Reminiscent of Paul Theroux's travel writing, this book is thought-provoking, humorous, and very readable.

If opting to travel by foot, there are some excellent guides to Alaska's vast system of trails and parklands. Try 'Lonely Planet Alaska (Lonely Planet Alaska)', 'Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer (Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer)' and 'Chilkoot Pass: The Most Famous Trail in the North' for starters.

Finally, as a guide myself, I can't pass up recommending 'The Alaska Almanac: Facts About Alaska, 29th Edition' as a treasure trove of factoids about our largest (and perhaps most fascinating) state.

The People and the Land
I think it’s very important to understand the "inside" view of the places one visits. There have been quite a number of books written about Alaska, or by Alaskans—- but not so many which truly capture the essence of the place. The following is a small sampling of my favorites:

'Coming into the Country' is still the best description of the Alaskan "bush" country.

'Highliners: The Classic Novel about the Commercial Fishermen of Alaska', set in and around Kodiak, is the most entertaining, true-to-life account of Alaskan fishing I have read.

'Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899' is the definitive account of the Klondike Gold Rush: thorough, well-written, and never dull.

'Into the Wild', set in the country around Denali, is a harrowing account of Alaskan adventure gone wrong.

'Looking for Alaska' is an articulate expression of the awe and wonder that one feels upon spending a substantial time up North.

'Going to Extremes' artfully describes how, during the 1970s pipeline boom, Alaska was like the Wild West.

'As Far As You Can Go Without a Passport: The View from the End of the Road : Comments and Comic Pieces' is probably the best introduction to the wise, self-deprecating humor of Tom Bodett, Alaska’s Garrison Keillor. 'The End of the Road' and 'The Big Garage on Clear Shot: Growing Up, Growing Old, and Going Fishing at the End of the Road' are excellent as well.

For that long drive up the Al-Can, I’d also recommend 'The Tom Bodett Value Collection: The End of the Road, the Last Decent Parking Place in North America, Those Grand Occasions at the End of the Road (Value Collections)': Bodett’s spoken voice is just like his writing.

My love for Alaska began with Jack London. 'Jack London : Novels and Stories : Call of the Wild / White Fang / The Sea-Wolf / Klondike and Other Stories (Library of America)' is a great starting point. In the same vein, there's 'Collected Poems of Robert Service', for those frosty Yukon nights.

Finally, 'The Reader's Companion to Alaska' introduces readers to some of the classics of Alaskan literature not already mentioned here (John Muir, Margaret Murie, etc). Read and enjoy, and dream of the North!