sydesigner

I'm a recent graduate, and I've just received a job offer for a small, but well established startup. Stock options are part of the renumeration package. What should I understand about them, and how should I go about effectively making best use of them? Also, can anyone recommend any advice on decent books to read to get acquainted with personal finance and budgetting, I've been in school so long, I need to understand how the real world works.

Many thanks, Sydesigner