Reading List
Here's a list of books I've checked out of late. Most of these links point to Amazon.com and include my affiliate code, so if you purchase them I get a small cut. Or you can just do what I do and check your local library!
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The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime (MJ DeMarco)
Meh, I couldn’t buy what this dude’s selling. We get it, boss, you’re rich and like to brag about it. Save yourself some time and ask your favorite chatbot for a summary, then decide if it’s worth 14 hours of your time (based on the audio book version). -
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire (Dan Martell)
Mixed feelings on this one overall. Curious how well it’ll age as generative AI advances (for better or worse). That said, I like how the author chips in a little unscripted bonus content at the each chapter of the audio book; nice touch that takes advantage of the format. (Edit: I slogged my way through most of the rest of this one but gave up on it in the end.) -
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI (Ethan Mollick)
If you’re interested in AI and not sure where to begin, this book is a solid primer on what’s possible and what’s (maybe) to come. If you’ve already dismissed AI then Co-Intelligence probably won’t change your mind. All that said, by the time you stumble upon this entry in my reading list, AI technology may have advanced past this book, or totally popped as a bubble. In the meantime, recommended. -
Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours (Noah Kagan & Tahl Raz)
I didn’t love this book, but I like it enough to buy a copy (I read a library copy) to help guide me on some upcoming book projects and perhaps beyond. -
Learning to Think Strategically (4th Edition) (Julia Sloan)
Dense read, difficult for me as an audio book. May splurge for a (used) copy of the textbook once I’ve caught up on other reading. -
Take Control of iPhone Photography (Jeff Carlson)
Not really what I was looking for, but maybe ok if you’re really new to iPhone photography. -
Build Websites with Hugo: Fast Web Development with Markdown (Brian P. Hogan)
Started it, but maybe a little out-of-date for Hugo in 2024? Either way, I don’t think Hugo really jives with what I want to do with static site generators, but I may revisit down the road. -
Let's Go: A Step-by-step Guide to Creating Fast, Secure and Maintainable Web Applications with Go (Alex Edwards)
Excellent book that’s helped Go click for me through a pragmatic, project-based approach to learning. Highly recommended. -
Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters (Laura Vanderkam)
Nice set of tactical ways to gain back time. Recommended. -
The Life Fantastic: Myth, History, Pop and Folklore in the Making of Western Culture (Noa Menhaim)
Hard to listen to as an audio book; maybe better in print? -
Powerful Command-Line Applications in Go: Build Fast and Maintainable Tools (Ricardo Geraldi)
A nice, project-oriented introduction to the Go programming language. -
The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. (Robin Sharma)
I gave this one an hour of my time and still have no idea what the hell I was listening to. -
Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen (Zoe Chance)
Really enjoyed this book, especially the audio version. Don’t let the word influence throw you off; it’s not at all about being an influencer in the modern sense. And that’s a good thing. Recommended. -
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again (Johann Hari)
Heavy-handed hand-wringing. I wish I’d read up on Hari before giving any of my own precious focus to this book. Save your own time and skip it. -
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think (Brianna West)
I don’t think I’m in this book’s target audience, but it’s got wisdom even us old dudes could stand to hear. -
The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again (Catherine Price)
I felt more alive after giving up on this book a quarter of the way through and returned it to the library early. -
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion (Sam Harris)
I was intrigued by this book after hearing an interview with the author, but had trouble focusing on it or maintaining interest once I picked it up. -
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (Charles Duhigg)
I’ve enjoyed some of Duhigg’s other (subsequent?) work, but this one left me really disappointed. For one, it’s about three times longer than it needs to be. For another, some of the examples and advice are condescending at best, toxic at worst. The audiobook version’s narrator does not help matters. Bummer. -
How to Win Friends & Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
I’m kind of surprised I never read this before. Even though some of the language and references are dated, a lot of the foundations still apply today. What really struck me, though, is how much this book served as a template for the likes of Gladwell and Pink: Hit upon a simple truism, find a way to break it up into a couple dozen chapters, then share example after example to prove a point. -
Ansible for DevOps: Server and configuration management for humans (Jeff Geerling)
Solid overview of Ansible from “geerling.guy” himself. I really like the recipe-style chapters that cover setting up a full tech stack with Ansible. -
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (Cal Newport)
Not sure why I keep giving Newport the benefit of the doubt. I quit this one halfway through. Maybe I don’t have the problems he’s trying to solve with what amounts to a fad diet for the brain? -
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention (Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer)
I don’t have plans to ever work at Netflix, and I haven’t been in a managerial role for the better part of a decade. But I think this is still worth a read for anyone working somewhere that wants to be innovative or creative. -
Technical Blogging: Amplify Your Influence 2nd Edition (Antonio Cangiano)
I’ve been working on reviving my own technical blog, and wanted to like this book. It’s got some good suggestions, but spends too much time on tools and not enough time on writing. Writing’s the hard part. And, unfortunately, another title off the Pragmatic Bookshelf with way too many “you should”s. I don’t know why that makes me bristle the way it does, but here we are. -
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know (Adam Grant)
I made it partway through the audiobook version, but couldn’t help but think this was a rehash of Grant’s previous book with different points of emphasis on the same (or very similar) stories. -
Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning (Tom Vanderbilt)
Comes off as a little privileged at times, and (maybe) tone deaf in a time when travel is a really stupid idea (like, maybe don’t talk up trips to Costa Rica to learn surfing, or Greece to learn deep-water swimming), but overall I appreciated the message. And it’s always nice to see the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition get a shout-out. -
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Adam Grant)
I’m glad I stuck with this book–lots of examples you probably have heard, but a few you probably haven’t. And solid, reasonable, actionable takeaways that aren’t always a given in this genre of book. -
A Philosophy of Software Design (John Ousterhout)
I saw this on a list of recommended alternative to Clean Code. While this one comes off a little bit academic at times, I appreciate that it treats the reader like a grown-up and the profession of software development, like, you know, professional. I found myself agreeing with a lot of it, rethinking my stance on some of my opinions (the role documentation, particularly as code gets more domain-specific), and flat-out disagreeing with a couple of Ousterhout’s assertions. My experience with test-driven development has been vastly different than the process he describes and dismisses. I’d love to see a future... -
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (Matthew Walker, Ph.D.)
This book scared me, man. If you’re not convinced that you and your body need sleep, you likely will be within a few chapters. I wish I’d been a more responisble sleeper in college and my early career–I have a feeling I would’ve been much more accomplished. -
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both for its insider’s perspective of several now-iconic films, and Catmull’s takes on creativity and leadership. Lots of applications outside of what’s traditionally thought of as creative work these days, including software engineering. A little cringeworthy at times–the MeToo fallout at Pixar happened a couple of years after this book’s release–but otherwise highly recommended. -
Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web (Lukas Mathis)
An ok primer on the practice of usability, but dated references, even for 2016 (webOS?), and way too many “you should”s for my taste make this book kind of a tough read now. -
A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills (Jay Wengrow)
I was a big fan of the first edition of this book, and the second edition is even better. Highly recommended for anyone who doesn’t have a traditional computer science background, or needs a refresher on some fundamentals. -
Easy Running Plans: Total-Body Training for Speed, Strength, and Endurance (Jeff Gaudette)
I picked up this book to explore alternatives to Jeff Galloway’s method for distance running training, particularly for elements like strength and flexibility that I think Galloway dismisses too readily. I might pick up a thing or two from this book, but I suspect it’s not a great plan for beginning runners to just, well, run with. -
Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python 3.6, 3rd Edition (Paul Gries, Jennifer Campbell, Jason Montojo)
I once had a long conversation with a computer science professor, in which I posited that it’d be possible to teach enough computer science fundamentals to build a simple web or mobile app to motivated learners. I was rebuffed–it’d take at least two years of dedicated study, I was told. And then bootcamps happened. I wish I’d trusted my gut. Anyway, this book is more approachable than any computer science textbook I’ve seen, if still rather dry. -
100 Side Hustles: Unexpected Ideas for Making Extra Money Without Quitting Your Day Job (Chris Guillebeau)
Repurposed content from the Side Hustle School podcast Guillebeau did a few years ago. Some good ideas, but I’ve noticed several of them not aging well post-pandemic. -
Visual Studio Code: End-to-End Editing and Debugging Tools for Web Developers (Bruce Johnson)
I’ve been trying to get on board with Visual Studio Code for awhile. This book is a very thorough tour of the application’s feature set, but I’m still having trouble applying it to my use cases. I don’t blame this book for that, I blame so-so Ruby tooling and my occasional resistance to change. -
Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World (Richard Snow)
I make no secret about my love of Disney parks. This is a really fun look at the early history of the first, and making me want to get to Disneyland all the more. Recommended. -
Learning React: Modern Patterns for Developing React Apps, 2nd Edition (Alex Banks & Eve Porcello)
I’ve been reading through this book to learn how React has changed since the last time I learned React. Hands-down, the best reference I’ve read on React, functional JavaScript, and how the two combine for effective application development. Highly recommended. -
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life (Jen Sincero)
I listened to this on a drive while I was out of other things to listen to. Seems like maybe it’s helped a lot of people, but I wasn’t one of them. Maybe useful if you just need a pep talk? -
The Pragmatic Programmer: your journey to mastery, 20th Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition) (David Thomas, Andrew Hunt)
The first edition of this book was extremely influential in my growth as a professional software developer, and I have been enjoying reading through the updated version. I recommend it for developers at all levels. -
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time (Arianna Huffington)
This book’s a slog. I don’t think anyone picking up a book about sleep has to be convinced of its importance, but I listened to the first 90 minutes or so of the audiobook version, and had yet to get to any solutions. Gave up after that. -
How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety (Ellen Hendriksen)
Lots of sound, practical advice about handling social anxieties, presented in a friendly, straightforward way. Recommended. -
Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
As someone who respects Springsteen a ton but has mostly been a casual fan, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The audio version is read by the author and recommended. -
Ansible: Up and Running: Automating Configuration Management and Deployment the Easy Way (Lorin Hochstein, Rene Moser)
I really want to like Ansible, but it seems like every resource I find on it favors getting deep into the weeds over just getting stuff done with the tool. Are tools like Ansible still in high demand in an age of containers and orchestration? And if so, should I write my own book about it? -
Jump Start Vue.js (Nilson Jacques)
I gave up after a couple of chapters, will read through the official Vue.js documentation instead. -
Docker for Rails Developers: Build, Ship, and Run Your Applications Everywhere (The Pragmatic Programmers) (Rob Isenberg)
A good introduction to Docker as it pertains to Rails–this book helped me mentally sort some particular issues I’ve had. Maybe not as thorough as I was hoping coming in, but I don’t think my expectations were realistic. -
Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business (Paul Jarvis)
It took me months to actually finish this book. I have mixed feelings about it, as I do with most in this genre. This Twitter thread sums up a lot of the book’s shortcomings (especially the handwaving over stuff like healthcare in the United States). But I have seen these tactics work in the alternate scenario Jarvis proposes, being a company of one within a larger organization. -
A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills (Jay Wengrow)
As someone who didn’t go through a computer science education, I really enjoyed this book. Far more approachable and to-the-point than any other resource I’ve seen on the topic. Highly recommended. -
The Cucumber Book: Behaviour-Driven Development for Testers and Developers (Matt Wynne, Aslak Hellesoy, Steve Tooke)
This book gave me a new appreciation for Cucumber. I probably won’t be swapping out existing test suites to use it, but it’s driven my thinking about acceptance testing in general, and how to improve tests as meaningful documentation of an application’s functionality. Recommended to anyone who’s comfortable with RSpec or MiniTest and wants to stretch their thinking. -
Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist's Guide to Getting--and Staying--Organized (Amanda Sullivan)
A much-needed, realistic response to the Marie Kondos and haughty minimalists of the world. I’m preparing for a big move, and I don’t want to take a big mess with me, and I don’t want to start a new big mess once I’ve settled in. Amanda Sullivan’s FLOW approach (Forgive yourself, Let it go, Organize what’s left, Weed constantly) looks to be a great solution for the chronically cluttered (like me). Recommended. -
How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships (Leil Lowndes)
I checked this out for a quick listen on one of my many drives between Illinois and Kansas. Not much comes off as more dated as a book released a couple of years before the explosion of smartphones and social media. There are some clever tricks in here, but there are also just a lot of tricks that probably don’t work well in a post-using-telephones-to-call-people age. -
From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars) (Renée Ahdieh, Meg Cabot, John Jackson Miller, Nnedi Okorafor, Sabaa Tahir)
I’m not into reading sci-fi, but I like Star Wars. A lot. So I decided to check it out. I like the concept of this book, but like anthologies in probably any genre, it’s uneven at best, painful at worst. Especially as an audio book. But hey, not my thing in general. -
Runner's World Complete Book of Running: Everything You Need to Run for Weight Loss, Fitness, and Competition ()
I spent more time with this book than I should’ve. At best, it seems somewhat out-of-date compared to newer things I’ve read and learned about running. At worst, it belittles those of us who aren’t–and never will be–elite runners. Disappointing. -
Praise the Lard: Recipes and Revelations from a Legendary Life in Barbecue (Mike Mills, Amy Mills)
I’m from the south part of Illinois, a couple of hours from Murphysboro, but I’ve never been to 17th Street Barbecue. This book didn’t make me want to make the extra drive next time I’m visiting the area. I prefer the keep-it-simple approach espoused by Aaron Franklin in his book and television series over the recipes here, and the essays in between are too high-and-mighty for me. -
What to Talk About: On a Plane, at a Cocktail Party, in a Tiny Elevator with Your Boss's Boss (Chris Colin, Rob Baedeker)
I have read more serious books on the general topic of conversation, and this is like any of them. I’m not sure how genuinely helpful it is, but it’s damn hilarious, and recommended. -
Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days (Chris Guillebeau)
I noticed this at the library and have been skimming it. I listened to Guillebeau’s podcast on the topic for several months, before it seemed to repeat itself. This is a nice follow-up to that, and his earlier book The $100 Startup. If you’re looking for a step-by-step action plan to try a “hustle” (still hate that word) of your own, this is a good place to start. -
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy (Cathy O'Neil)
I finally checked this out, strongly agree with its thesis, and wanted to like it. But I’ve heard the author interviewed so many times at this point that I didn’t feel the need to read a 200+ page rant. -
Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self (Manoush Zomorodi)
Couldn’t get into this, just like I couldn’t get into the podcast version of it a few years ago. That said, I think some people do need to be told to put down their phones every once in awhile. -
Knowing the Score: What Sports Can Teach Us About Philosophy (And What Philosophy Can Teach Us About Sports) (David Papineau)
Enjoyable book, even if I didn’t get any of the cricket references. -
Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools (Asa Christiana)
This is a fun little book. I really like how each chapter builds on the previous in terms of skills and tools used (I also like that it focuses on power tools, because power tools are fun). Some of the instructions may be a little hand-wavy for the very beginners, but that’s probably part of the fun. Recommended. -
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment (Robert Wright)
Fascinating book, but dense and a little over my head in a lot of places. I read the first few chapters, then switched to the audiobook version to see if I might absorb things better. I really enjoyed Wright’s writing style, and was bummed that he didn’t read it himself for the audiobook. -
React and React Native (Adam Boduch)
Skimmed parts of this as a prerequisite for a course. Fairly thorough, but I think it’d be hard to follow if you didn’t have some previous knowledge of React. Not my favorite book on the subject. -
Mind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days (John Hargrave)
I listened to this on a whim on a recent long drive. More self-helpy than I expected (I was expecting something more along the lines of Gina Trapani’s book on lifehacks), but the application of programming concepts to self improvement was kind of neat. That said, I had a little trouble taking the book that seriously, possibly due to the author’s background as a prankster, or the tone in which the book is read. -
Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away (Tim Leong)
Fun little book for Star Wars fans who also happen to like data charts (guessing that Venn diagram’s got a lot of overlap). I noticed a couple of minor errata (<redacted> did appear in season three of Rebels, right?), but I’ll let the nerds sort that out on Reddit or wherever that sort of thing happens. -
Designing Bots: Creating Conversational Experiences (Amir Shevat)
Emphasis on design, and pretty general overall–probably more useful to management than developers. That said, I attended a very well-organized live training with the author after reading, and came away with a new appreciation for designing for conversation, and for user input in general. -
Design Sprint: A Practical Guidebook for Building Great Digital Products (Richard Banfield, C. Todd Lombardo, Trace Wax)
Read part of this as a prerequisite for a class. I think Sprint by Knapp, Zeratsky, and Kowitz is a better book on the subject. -
Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success (Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness)
Quick-read book that does a nice job summarizing a lot of other books in my reading list on the general topics of productivity and creativity. Gets a little self-helpy toward the end, but good overall. -
Driving across Kansas: A Guide to I-70 (Ted Cable, Wayne Maley)
This is a neat little book. It points out the significance of the otherwise overlookable on what can be a long drive. -
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking (Samin Nosrat)
Such a wonderful book; Samin Nosrat does a great job explaining conceptual stuff about cooking that I either thought I knew, but didn’t; or never knew I had to know. I only scratched the surface before I had to return it to the library, but it’s on my wishlist now. -
The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months (Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington)
Man, this book is intense. I like the general concept of compressing goals to maintain some velocity, but I wasn’t ready to commit to the process at the time. May revisit it someday. In the meantime, anybody doing this? I’d love to hear about your experiences with it. -
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport)
I read this one for a study group at work. It’s got some nice ideas, but I suspect they’re easier to follow for an academic than those of us who have to keep an eye on Slack while also trying to get things done. That said, it didn’t make me angry, like his previous book did. Read it with an open mind and adopt what makes sense. -
Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything (Ulrich Boser)
A nice, pop science look at metacognition. The resources at the end of the book seem particularly actionable. -
Inventology: How We Dream Up Things That Change the World (Pagan Kennedy)
I really enjoyed this book, especially reading it alongside books like Learn Better and Deep Work. The patterns espoused in those books result in the outcomes documented in this one. Recommended. -
Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives (Tim Harford)
I like Harford, but I had trouble getting into this one. -
The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work (Scott Berkun)
Read this for a study group at work. We were interested in its take on remote work, but that’s just a small part of this book’s look at the inner workings of Automattic. -
The Run Walk Run Method· (Jeff Galloway)
Probably not a whole lot that you wouldn’t find online, but nice to have everything in one convenient package. -
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto (Aaron Franklin, Jordan Mackay)
I’ve never eaten at Franklin Barbecue, but I enjoyed the television series and am enjoying this book–less about the recipes and more about the history and art and craft of the cook. -
Project Smoke (Steven Raichlen)
Raichlen’s Barbecue! Bible was my first cookbook that got me attempting to cook outside, low and slow. Project Smoke is focused more on that, but reads more like a cookbook than some of the other titles on this list. -
Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop (Nick Offerman)
Recommended for fans of Nick Offerman and/or Parks and Recreation and/or craftsmanship of any kind, not necessarily just woodworking. -
Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More (Dustin Hansen)
Targeted to kids, but still a fun, quick read for anyone interested in reminiscing about classic video games. -
Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two (Jim Koch)
One of the better business books I’ve read in a long time–a fun, down-to-earth look at how Koch built the Samuel Adams brand. Highly recommended. -
Serverless Single Page Apps: Fast, Scalable, and Available (Ben Rady)
This book covers a lot of ground I didn’t expect it to: framework-free JavaScript apps, testing, AWS management, and more. I personally dislike the serverless buzzword, but Rady does a nice job explaining the real meaning (and tradeoffs) behind the term. -
The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World (Dan Ackerman)
Enjoyable read. I remembered some of the details of how Tetris made its way to the West, but never knew the whole story. I also never knew how relatively rare that Tengen version of the game is–wish I’d held on to my copy. -
The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future (Kevin Kelly)
I was really looking forward to this, but had trouble getting into it once it arrived. -
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling (Meathead Goldwyn, Greg Blonder)
Adapting Meathead’s ribs recipe resulted in some of the best ribs I’ve ever cooked. Not sure I agree with all of his assertions, but the book has gotten me rethinking some things I’ve always just assumed about smoking. A little cheesy in some places, but worth checking out. -
The Big Thing: How to Complete Your Creative Project Even if You're a Lazy, Self-Doubting Procrastinator Like Me (Phyllis Korkki)
Got about a chapter through this, but couldn’t figure out where it was heading. -
Reinventing Ikea: 70 DIY Projects to Transform Ikea Essentials (Isabelle Bruno, Christine Baillet)
I don’t think anything in this book is not available in a blog post somewhere online, but Bruno and Baillet have curated together several neat projects. -
Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business (Charles Duhigg)
Among other things, this book includes one of the better explanations/examples I’ve seen of agile methodologies used outside of a software development context. Good read. -
Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby: An Agile Primer (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby) (Sandi Metz)
Re-reading as part of a study group at work. I’ve recommended this one ever since it came out, and am still learning from it! -
Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art (Virginia Heffernan)
This is a beautiful book and recommended to anyone who’s played a part in building the Internet over the years. -
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future (Chris Guillebeau)
I’m pleasantly surprised by this book. Practical advice for people who are looking to blaze their own path. -
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool)
Peak made me reflect on my own learning habits, as well as my attempts to teach others. I’ll admit to wondering what-if more than once while reading this book–what if I’d taken school more seriously, or been given more of a chance to participate in out-of-school activities? We’ll never know, but at least I know I can keep improving myself. Recommended for lifelong learners and the people who aspire to create them. -
Master of the Grill: Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science ()
I’ve read a lot of books on outdoor cooking, but this one is one of the better ones. Recipes progress from basic to advanced, making this a good one for people at all levels. I also like the insight the authors provide into how they arrived at these recipes. Recommended, and looking forward to trying some of these out this summer on my own grill and smoker. -
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days (Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, Braden Kowitz)
An easy-to-read overview of the design sprint process. I don’t see myself participating in a full-tilt version of this any time soon, but I did come away with several ideas for improving my own idea-to-code-and-beyond workflow. Recommended. -
The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time (Howard Megdal)
Interesting topic, but difficult read. I’ll wait for the inevitable 30 for 30. -
I, Spy: How to Be Your Own Private Investigator (Daniel Ribacoff, Dina Santorelli)
I don’t know how seriously I should be taking this book–but it’s a riot. -
Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (Scott Barry Kaufman, Carolyn Gregoire)
Eh, couldn’t get into this one. -
A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age: Scientific Habits of Mind (David J. Helfand)
A “science appreciation” course in a book. Interesting, but a little sad that we need a book like this in this day and age. -
Barbecue Lover's Kansas City Style: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions (Ardie A. Davis)
Great barbecue is why I stick around the Kansas City area. This is a wonderful tribute to the restaurants, people, and recipes that make the regional cuisine so special. Recommended for anyone living in or visiting the Kansas City metro. -
The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest (Michael VanderBrug)
This is becoming my favorite gardening book. Great advice on what to do, and when, targeted to where I live. Recommended to gardeners (and would-be gardeners like me). -
UX for Beginners: A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons (Joel Marsh)
Irreverent and blog-like in tone, but surprisingly full of information. I’m personally a bigger fan of UX books from Rosenfeld Media. -
Learn Game Programming with Ruby: Bring Your Ideas to Life with Gosu (Mark Sobkowicz)
A broad overview of using the Gosu library in Ruby to create relatively simple, 2-D games. I wouldn’t make this my first book if I were getting into programming or even Ruby, but it’s a fun diversion for people who want to do something with Ruby besides web apps and system automation. -
The Golden Rules Of Blogging (Robin Houghton)
Maybe of interest to people new to blogging, but probably not if you’ve been at it awhile. -
Programming Phoenix: Productive |> Reliable |> Fast (Chris McCord, Bruce Tate, Jose Valim)
I haven’t been this excited about a new language-plus-framework since I first started working with Ruby on Rails, ten years ago. Expect more out of me on Elixir and Phoenix in the coming months. -
Pomodoro Technique Illustrated (Pragmatic Life) (Staffan Noteberg)
There are better books on the Pomodoro Technique, but this one was accessible at the time when I realized I needed to get back to more structure in my day. I always thought Pomodoro was a bit pedantic, but dammit, it can be effective when you do it right. -
Work Reimagined: Uncover Your Calling (Richard J. Leider, David Shapiro)
Ugh. Remind me that I should be writing books like this instead of reading them. -
Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It (Dorie Clark)
Couldn’t get into it–no matter how hard I try, I just can’t remove the thick, incumbent layer of smarm on the term thought leader. -
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (Peter Thiel, Blake Masters)
I expected to find this book annoying, but it was anything but. A good insight on the mentality it takes to even begin to create world-altering change. Read this, then ask yourself again if that big idea of yours is truly the next Facebook. Recommended. -
Kanban in Action (Marcus Hammarberg, Joakim Sunden)
I couldn’t get around this title’s focus on a fictional development team of South Park characters. If you know a little about kanban, then you probably won’t glean anything from this book. If not, you can find what you need online, without the annoying storyline. -
Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency: DIY Projects to Get Your Self-Reliant Lifestyle Started (Chris Peterson)
I worried this might be a heavy-handed, all-or-nothing, for-the-preppers-style book. It’s not at all. Worth a read-through for ideas. And I kind of want to build a hand-powered washing machine now. -
Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want (Tess Vigeland)
Don’t read too much into the fact that I read this book, okay? -
The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect on America's Pastime (Kirk McKnight)
Did not enjoy the parts I read. -
The Ruby Way: Solutions and Techniques in Ruby Programming (3rd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series) (Hal Fulton, André Arko)
A thorough reference for getting specific tasks done in the Ruby ecosystem. It lacks the corresponding discussion pieces that other cookbook-style books from O’Reilly and the Pragmatic Programmers have, but makes up for it by covering more specific scenarios. It’s like a well-written, well-vetted Stack Overflow, without all the baggage. -
Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving of a Wider Audience (Shaun Usher)
Denser than I expected, but enjoyable. -
Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet (DK Publishing)
Sort of like a colorful, infographic version of the venerable Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. -
Color Concrete Garden Projects: Make Your Own Planters, Furniture, and Fire Pits Using Creative Techniques and Vibrant Finishes (Nathan Smith, Michael Snyder)
Read enough of it to realize I don’t want to get into concrete as a creative medium. -
Sharpie Art Workshop: Techniques and Ideas for Transforming Your World (Timothy Goodman)
Worth a skim if you’re interested in doodling and sketchnoting. Sharpie is my pen of choice! -
Why Information Grows: The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies (Cesar Hidalgo)
Couldn’t get into this one. -
The Misfit Economy: Lessons in Creativity from Pirates, Hackers, Gangsters and Other Informal Entrepreneurs (Alexa Clay, Kyra Maya Phillips)
RIYL Malcolm Gladwell-style, make-a-point-through-a-bunch-of-stories-type books. I don’t, always, but the stories in this one are more interesting than most of those. It’s a quick read and worth checking out. -
A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life (Brian Grazer, Charles Fishman)
I enjoyed this book. It’s a little redundant, as this type of book is, but still an interesting read. I’ve been thinking about curiosity relative to the Dreyfus model lately–seems to me that curiosity is critical for advancing up the scale. Anyway, worth checking out. -
When to Rob a Bank: ...And 131 More Warped Suggestions and Well-Intended Rants (Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner)
A fun read; I think it’d be a good introduction to the Freakonomics take on the world for anyone who hasn’t yet read any of their other books. -
The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work (Christine Carter Ph.D.)
I got a little bogged down in this one–nothing especially new if you’ve read other books on focus and productivity, but I like how Carter summarizes each of her points with a “simplest thing”–something you can do with minimal effort to hopefully lead to positive behaviors. -
Testing Python: Applying Unit Testing, TDD, BDD and Acceptance Testing (David Sale)
Skimming this one to get an overview of Python testing tools, in hopes that I can revive some busted test suites in legacy Python apps. -
Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman)
Couldn’t muster the gumption to read this one, as much as I wanted to. Back to the library; will try again soon. -
The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry (John Warrillow)
Didn’t give me a lot of new ideas, but did reinforce some things I’d already been thinking. If you’re ready to go to a subscription model, the second half of this book may be of use to you. -
The Tao of Vegetable Gardening: Cultivating Tomatoes, Greens, Peas, Beans, Squash, Joy, and Serenity (Carol Deppe)
Wanted to like this one but couldn’t get into it. -
Guerilla Furniture Design: How to Build Lean, Modern Furniture with Salvaged Materials (Will Holman)
I like some of these ideas, but am a little skeptical of how readily accessible some of the materials are (old road signs, etc.). Either way, a fun book to flip through for project ideas. -
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives (Gretchen Rubin)
Mixed feelings about this book. I totally buy the core tenet, that one-size-fits-all does not apply to people trying to form good habits. Not sure how I feel about the labeling from there, though, and I’m a little skeptical of the science used to support said labels. -
Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers (Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur)
This book would’ve been more useful to me in my role at my last employer. It’s got some good ideas, and is probably best suited for the very visually-oriented. -
Ruby Wizardry: An Introduction to Programming for Kids (Eric Weinstein)
Finally, a programming book written to my level! I just skimmed it, but it does look like a fairly thorough introduction to programming and Ruby. Does the book format still fly with kids? -
Refactoring: Ruby Edition (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series) (Jay Fields, Shane Harvie, Martin Fowler, Kent Beck)
Wonderful so far. Wish I’d read this years ago to solidify concepts I either came upon second-hand or on my own through a lot of trial and error. -
Practical Vim: Edit Text at the Speed of Thought (Pragmatic Programmers) (Drew Neil)
Tried this a couple of years ago, but wasn’t quite there yet. Ready now. -
Funny Girl: A Novel (Nick Hornby)
Trying some fiction after a long, long break from it. I really liked Hornby’s stuff in the 90s but haven’t kept up with his more recent work. (Edit: I’ve gotten bad at reading fiction, I guess, and this is on a two-week loan. I’m enjoying it, but can’t keep up with the necessary pace.) -
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (Greg McKeown)
Another one of those books that could probably be a decent-sized post on Medium instead of a whole business book (see also: Malcolm Gladwell). Most of McKeown’s observations and advice should be obvious to most, but unfortunately, probably, isn’t. (Or maybe it’s just our inability to say no in life keeping us from taking his recommended path). -
One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work (Stephen Key)
Was hoping to glean a few ideas about idea generation, but couldn’t make it through the get rich with minimal effort smarm. Learn about Lean Startup and hard work instead. -
Your First Meteor Application: A Complete Beginner's Guide to the Meteor JavaScript Framework (David Turnbull)
I read through this and the official Meteor tutorial in a weekend; got enough grounding that I’m excited about the technology and looking for more. -
The Sketchnotes Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking (Mike Rohde)
I’ve been interested in this book for awhile, for two reasons: 1. wanting to sketch and scribble more; 2. needing to improve retention during meetings and presentations. Quick, fun read; now it’s on me to follow through. Might be posting some results here someday. -
Manage Your Day-to-day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind (Jocelyn K. Glei (Editor))
A series of short essays around four themes: Establishing your routine, finding focus, mastering your tools, and keeping a sharp mind. Some are more interesting than others. I think I preferred some of the books I read last year on creativity. -
New Programmer's Survival Manual: Navigate Your Workplace, Cube Farm, or Startup (Josh Carter)
Been talking to a lot of new developers lately. Caters mostly to newcomers to the field, but has some nice reminders for those of us who’ve been at it for awhile, too. Worth a skim, at least. -
The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple, Stylish & Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room (Ana White)
Nice plans that are actually in the realm of beginner-to-advanced-beginner-level woodworkers like me. While some of the styles are a little more rustic/shabby chic for my tastes, they’re easily adaptable with a little extra (or, in some cases, less) work. Recommended. -
PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive DIY Projects in Plywood (Philip Schmidt)
Some neat ideas, but a little light on details in the step-by-step. I would’ve liked maybe 20 fewer projects, but more in-progress photos on the keepers. Still, I plan to borrow from a few of these someday for my own projects. -
Design Patterns in Ruby (Russ Olsen)
Re-reading with a per-pattern focus, as opposed to a straight read-through. -
Smart Home Automation with Linux and Raspberry Pi, Second Edition (Steven Goodwin)
A little more than I want to get into right now. -
Conquering the Command Line: Unix and Linux Commands for Developers (Mark Bates)
Great alternative to digging through manpages for common Unix commands that aren’t quite common enough for me to memorize. Read it for free online, but I suggest supporting an independent author and paying for it in ebook formats. -
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life (Scott Adams)
Among the better productivity/self-help/get-your-shit-together-type books I’ve read. I don’t think it’s all universally applicable, but that’s kind of the point. -
Ruby Best Practices (Greg Brown)
A new addition to my list of favorite Ruby books. -
Vagrant: Up and Running (Mitchell Hashimoto)
Picked it up as a Vagrant refresher and came away with some things I hadn’t seen in other books on the subject, especially coverage of plugin development. Recommended. -
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love (Cal Newport)
Recommended by a number of people I respect, but left me disappointed. It could’ve been a long blog post. Good overall premise, but shaky examples and a somewhat condescending tone did it in for me. -
iOS 7 Programming Fundamentals (Matt Neuburg)
Another attempt to get into iOS development. Failed. -
The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor—and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car! (Tim Harford)
Interesting book, but I had to focus on other things and couldn’t get around to finishing it. Hope to revisit in the future. -
The Art of Non-conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World (Chris Guillebeau)
Really wanted to like it but couldn’t get through three chapters. -
Remote: Office Not Required (Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson)
A quick read for anyone interested in telework/telecommuting/remote work/whatever you want to call it. Includes resources for people already working remotely, too. -
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It (Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.)
Interesting, general audience-oriented look at research on willpower–and why it’s easy to form bad habits and hard to start good ones. Well, for me, anyway. -
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (Mason Currey)
Quick, entertaining read on how all your favorite writers and artists maintained creativity. Spoiler alert: Major drug and alcohol abuse. -
Learning Devise for Rails (Hafiz Barie Lubis, Nia Mutiara, Giovanni Sakti)
Not exactly what I was after–I was more interested in some guidance on writing Devise plugins–but a decent general guide for building a new app with Devise support for authentication. -
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Stephen King)
I haven’t read much of King’s fiction work over the years, but enjoyed this part-autobiography/part-advice-for-aspiring-writers work. None of the academic pretense found in other writing books. Interesting and recommended. -
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life (Twyla Tharp)
Fascinating book, highly recommended for anyone interested in creative work. Got me thinking about my own habits and routines, or lack thereof. -
The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night's Sleep (Lawrence Epstein, Steve Mardon)
A quick overview of sleep disorders and medical (and otherwise) ways to treat them. Does not cover the issue of overnight cat pile-ups in the bed. -
The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business (Josh Kaufman)
The most straightforward book I’ve found yet for running a business. Made me think a lot about my self-publishing efforts and how to grow them into something bigger.
