Ask HN: What are some no fluff books on engineering, career, and general wisdom?
5 comments
1. The Pragmatic Programmer.
2. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.
3. Diffusion of Innovations.
4. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.
5. Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash.
6. Writing to Learn.
7. On Writing Well.
8. Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware.
9. Thinking In Systems: A Primer.
10. The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company.
2. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.
3. Diffusion of Innovations.
4. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.
5. Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash.
6. Writing to Learn.
7. On Writing Well.
8. Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware.
9. Thinking In Systems: A Primer.
10. The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company.
Sa Walton's autobiography is the best business book I have ever read out of hundreds. Closely followed by Henry Ford's.
I'll suggest some, all very different.
1. The Software Developer's Career Handbook: A Guide to Navigating the Unpredictable by Michael Lopp
This is about all the things around being a programmer at work.
2. The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder
This is a well regarded book about an engineering team building a Data General computer in the late 70s. So the lessons are indirect, but it's a pleasant and technical read. It reads almost like a novel.
Separately, I think it's worth reading at least a couple things that are more cynical. It's helpful for balance. On that front I'd say...
1. The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao
This is a lengthy blog series (or ebook). It uses a metaphor about The Office, but it's still plenty relatable if you didn't watch that show. The abstraction this lays over modern knowledge work is quite interesting. It's a weird combination of demoralizing and liberating.
2. The Peter Principle by Peter and Hull
I remember reading this book and having trouble understanding if it was real or some form of satire. If I read it again now, many years later, I'd probably understand it better.
1. The Software Developer's Career Handbook: A Guide to Navigating the Unpredictable by Michael Lopp
This is about all the things around being a programmer at work.
2. The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder
This is a well regarded book about an engineering team building a Data General computer in the late 70s. So the lessons are indirect, but it's a pleasant and technical read. It reads almost like a novel.
Separately, I think it's worth reading at least a couple things that are more cynical. It's helpful for balance. On that front I'd say...
1. The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao
This is a lengthy blog series (or ebook). It uses a metaphor about The Office, but it's still plenty relatable if you didn't watch that show. The abstraction this lays over modern knowledge work is quite interesting. It's a weird combination of demoralizing and liberating.
2. The Peter Principle by Peter and Hull
I remember reading this book and having trouble understanding if it was real or some form of satire. If I read it again now, many years later, I'd probably understand it better.
Bullshit jobs (Graeber): Im not sure if you are just starting out in the industry this book may not be for you. I had to stop reading it due to the horror of it all.
The Geek Leader's Handbook: Essential Leadership Insight for People with Technical Backgrounds
I am not creating a startup (not yet at least), but the lessons there seem applicable to life in general, not just a new web based application.