St. Teresa of Jesus put a great emphasis on the importance of wisdom in the spiritual life and then proved to be one of the great sources of wisdom for the life of the Church in the area of prayer and union with the Lord Jesus. Because the Carmelite way of prayer requires wisdom, I thought it would be helpful to share what some of the specifically Carmelite resources are that will enable folks to grow in their wisdom and understanding of that prayer. The following texts are highly recommended for folks who feel called to pursue this way of prayer according to the teachings of the Carmelite masters. Naturally, the most important works are the ones concerning the two founders themselves (St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross):

Kavanaugh, O.C.D., Kieran and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., trans. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Carmelite Studies, 1963. (or a later revision) This book is the best translation of the four major works of St. John of the Cross:
The Dark Night of the Soul,
The Ascent of Mt. Carmel,
The Spiritual Canticle, and
The Living Flame of Love.

Kavanaugh, O.C.D., Kieran and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., trans. The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Carmelite Studies, 1987 (Vol. 1), 1980 (Vol.2),1985 (Vol.3). This superb work is the best translation of the works of St. Teresa of Jesus. The work is in three volumes, covering her major works:
Volume 1: The Life,
Volume 2: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, and
Volume 3: The Foundations. Each volume has additional minor works, but these four major works constitute the bulk of her teaching on prayer and union with God.

Also of great help are works written by the Little Flower, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus:
Clarke, O.C.D., John, trans. The Story of a Soul The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Carmelite Studies, 1976. This translation is the most accurate one of this astounding Saint's autobiography.

Clark, O.C.D., John, trans. St. Therese of Lisieux Her Last Conversations. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Carmelite Studies, 1977. This excellent book picks up some of the final conversations of her young life, as this great Saint prepared to meet God.