Thanks for the questions, madbrad!
1) As for Disney books . . . yeah, I have a lot and the list I would recommed is pretty lengthy. (For today's purposes, and since it is early and I have to get to work soon, this will be a partial, rambling list!)
I have read the biographies by both Neal Gabler and Michael Barrier ("The Animated Man").
I enjoyed "How to be like Walt" by Pat Williams and "The Gospel According to Disney" because of my work at the church.
I have the three "Imagineering Field Guides" and enjoy them as well (When is one coming out for the Studios? Anyone?).
"Be Our Guest" by the Disney Institute is a great piece on customer service, and "The Imaginneering Way" is one of the most creative and fun books to have lying around.
Jason Surrell's books on The Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and The Disney Mountains are wonderful for some back story and fantastic photos.
The two books I would most highly recommend for fans of the parks, however, are "Designing Disney" by John Hench with Peggy van Pelt and "Walt Disney Imagineering - A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real" by The Imagineers. Both are published by Disney Editions and include amazing pictures, original sketches and artwork, and insight from the people who were really there when the decisions were made. "Designing Disney" is a particular delight because John Hench was truly a master of so many design elements and just may have had more of an impact on the parks than any one person outside of Walt himself. To "hear" directly from someone like him is pretty incredible.
Of course there are others, but that's a pretty good starting point for this time in the morning!