I would try to learn both at least to know how to use them, but choose 1 you want to use primarily, and learn it inside out. I use Maya primarily for example, but i know how to use Max too, and sometimes use it for very specific things.
If the company you *want* to work at uses Maya, possibly look at going to a college that will teach you the basics of it that you can grow upon, or learn max and teach yourself maya. Do you have any 3D application experience? You have to keep in mind any college may not teach you how to use Maya or Max all the way through. I remember my college taught Maya, but on a very rudimentary level... but then asked big things of us such as "model and texture a character", and we would have to teach ourselves to know how, but then that may have just been my college....
There's no final answer here, just remember, if you're quite computer literate, and have learned a large program like Photoshop well, you can learn either of these applications. Just look online for help, and you'll pick it up; all 3D applications are similar, although i would personally argue that max is different from most others in that maya and softimage work very similar ways for example.
As for books, i always found the cheap thinner maya books like "maya at a glace" were more useful than the thick books. The stuff found in thick books always seemed quite specific and detailed, but then those sort of tutorials seem easier to find online instead to me.