I just received an amazing gift of a 454 chevy big block  that apparently puts out 550hp. The engine is in a couple of pieces and the heads need to be replaced. I do know a fair amount about engines and what not but i want some good reading for performance, engine overhaul step by step, and an expanded knowledge of what the different parts do and how they do it.  

First off, let's go through a little checklist of what a 550 horse 454 would include...

It is possible with stock heads, but you would need a "performance" pocket-ported oval port with open chambers, larger than stock valves, and at least 10:1 compression. Most likely a roller cam with more than .600" lift and around a 800 CFM modular carb on an effective "high rpm" dual plane or a mild single plane intake.

Now, onto the books. I am a huge David Vizard fan and you would really appreciate his series of books entitled "How to Build Horsepower," also may want to take a look at "Building Max Performance Small Block Chevys on a Budget." But, just as last title would suggest, you aren't going to find any of this writings focusing on a big block Chevy engine. The trends of a performance engine could easily be applied elsewhere but if you want a detailed book on rebuilding a big Chevy you may want to take a look at some writings by Dave Emanual or Ed Staffel.