Mike you are the only person I have heard encourage powerlifters to become true students of the sport, which I think is great.

I spent a lot of time studying golf before I got into lifting, and it took me a LONG time (~12 years) before I found the information that I think was extremely good.  If I had found that information earlier I probably would have been much better off--assuming I would have been ready for it.

So my question is: Are there specific resources that you would unequivocally recommend?  Are there sources of information that you would consider to be great beginner texts, and others that are better for the more advanced?  Outside of people mentioning the Russian texts and Supertraining, I rarely hear recommendations.  I suppose Issurin's book on Block Periodization is now on people's radars.  And I suppose Practical Programming by Rippetoe and Kilgore.

Of course everyone's recommendations are encouraged.  It might be helpful whether you consider the information to be beginner, intermediate or advanced.  Example: I consider Practical Programming to be a beginner book because I don't think you need much previous knowledge to understand it.

"Maximum Muscle" is nearly unreadable, somewhat like "Supertraining."  Matt Perryman, when writing "Maximum Muscle," must have been suffering from ADD when he was writing the book because he rarely stayed on topic.  The information in the book is great, but it's not written very well.  The book is supposed to be about the science behind and training for hypertrophy, but he writes about just about EVERYTHING strength training related in a not so organized manner.

I think Christian Thibadeau's "Black Book of Training Secrets" and maybe "Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods" are good beginner books.  Arthur Dreschler's "Weightlifting Encyclopedia" is also a great resource.  Although it's written for Olympic Weightlifters, it has a chapter on just strength training and much of what's in the book applies to strength trainin in general.  It also has chapters on periodization, physiology, stretching, etc.  I think "Weightlifting Encyclopedia" is the most comprehensive and most readable book on strength training.   

I'm a believer in becoming a "student of the body" as well.

Tom Meyer's, "Anatomy Trains" is a great introduction to anatomy from a fresh perspective.

Stuart McGill, "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance".  Great stuff about the role of "core" in athletics.

Lyle McDonald - just about anything he's written on nutrition is top-notch.