Recommended Books

A curated collection of books I've found valuable and referenced throughout my articles.

Browse by Topic

Cover of #NoEstimates

#NoEstimates

by Vasco Duarte

Explores alternatives to traditional estimation in software development, focusing on delivering value continuously without detailed upfront estimates.

Code Innovation Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Phoenix

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Phoenix

by Charles Liu

A comprehensive guide to the best day hikes around Phoenix, including many trails in the Payson area.

Community Growth Education
Buy on Amazon

75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself

by Andy Frisella

A transformative mental toughness program designed to develop discipline, confidence, and resilience through consistent daily actions.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of A More Beautiful Question

A More Beautiful Question

by Warren Berger

How the power of inquiry can spark breakthrough ideas in business, education, and innovation.

Innovation Business Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of A Philosophy of Software Design

A Philosophy of Software Design

by John Ousterhout

A collection of design principles for creating deeper, more modular, and more maintainable software systems.

Tech Code Education
Cover of A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods

by Bill Bryson

A humorous and insightful account of hiking the Appalachian Trail that highlights the importance of preserving natural spaces and parks.

Community Growth Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of AI for Learning

AI for Learning

by Neil Selwyn

An exploration of how artificial intelligence is reshaping educational practices and what it means for teaching and learning.

Education Tech Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of AI in Education

AI in Education

by Wayne Holmes, Maya Bialik & Charles Fadel

How artificial intelligence transforms teaching and learning across educational contexts.

Tech Education Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Accelerate

Accelerate

by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim

The science behind DevOps: building and scaling high-performing technology organizations with research-backed practices.

Tech Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability

Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability

by Daniel S. Vacanti

An introduction to flow-based metrics that help teams better understand and improve their software delivery process.

Code Business Leadership
Cover of Agile Estimating and Planning

Agile Estimating and Planning

by Mike Cohn

A comprehensive guide to planning and estimating in an agile environment with practical techniques for software professionals.

Code Leadership Education
Cover of Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great

Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great

by Esther Derby & Diana Larsen

The definitive guide to effective retrospectives, offering practical activities and approaches for continuous team improvement.

Cover of Agile Testing

Agile Testing

by Lisa Crispin & Janet Gregory

A practical guide for testers and agile teams to deliver quality software through effective testing practices.

Tech Code Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Agile Web Development with Rails

Agile Web Development with Rails

by Sam Ruby, Dave Thomas, & David Heinemeier Hansson

The definitive guide to Ruby on Rails development that helped drive its initial popularity and adoption.

Code Tech Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Altruism

Altruism

by Matthieu Ricard

The power of compassion to change yourself and the world, with scientific research on how caring for others creates personal well-being.

Growth Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Apprenticeship Patterns

Apprenticeship Patterns

by Dave Hoover & Adewale Oshineye

Guidance for the aspiring software craftsman on how to excel in the workplace and become a better programmer.

Tech Code Growth
Cover of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide

Arizona Highways Hiking Guide

by Robert Stieve

A guide to 52 of Arizona's best hikes, featuring detailed trail information and stunning photography of natural attractions.

Community Growth Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Art as Experience

Art as Experience

by John Dewey

A foundational text on the importance of the arts as an essential component of human experience and community life.

Community Education Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

by Benjamin Franklin

One of the most influential autobiographies ever written, providing insights into Franklin's early life and rise to prominence.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Becoming

Becoming

by Michelle Obama

A memoir by the former First Lady that chronicles her journey from Chicago's South Side to the White House.

Leadership Community Growth
Cover of Belonging

Belonging

by Owen Eastwood

How shared rituals and practices create tribal connection in performance teams and communities around the world.

Community Leadership Growth
Buy on Amazon

Better Tech Presentations

by Nina Zakharenko

A guide for creating and delivering engaging technical presentations, perfect for code camp speakers and attendees.

Tech Education Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Big Magic

Big Magic

by Elizabeth Gilbert

How to face down fears, embrace curiosity, and live a more creative life by examining the mysterious nature of inspiration.

Innovation Growth Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Blitzscaling

Blitzscaling

by Reid Hoffman & Chris Yeh

The lightning-fast path to building massively valuable companies through prioritizing speed over efficiency in an uncertain environment.

Business Tech Innovation
Cover of Blockchain Revolution

Blockchain Revolution

by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott

How the technology behind Bitcoin is changing money, business, and the world by enabling new forms of trust between strangers.

Tech Business Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up

by Steve Martin

A memoir of Steve Martin's stand-up comedy career, exploring how humor served as both shield and sword.

Growth Innovation Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Born a Crime

Born a Crime

by Trevor Noah

Stories from a South African childhood that reveal how Noah's mixed-race birth put him at odds with the apartheid system.

Growth Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Born to Run

Born to Run

by Bruce Springsteen

An autobiography by the rock legend that explores his upbringing, career, and personal struggles with depression.

Growth Leadership Innovation
Cover of Bowling Alone

Bowling Alone

by Robert D. Putnam

The collapse and revival of American community, examining trends in civic engagement and social capital.

Community Leadership Education
Cover of Braving the Wilderness

Braving the Wilderness

by Brené Brown

The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone, exploring how shared rituals foster authentic connections.

Growth Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Building Evolutionary Architectures

Building Evolutionary Architectures

by Neal Ford, Rebecca Parsons & Patrick Kua

How to build evolutionary architectures that support constant change, with a new way to think about architecture and time.

Tech Innovation Leadership
Cover of Building Intelligent Systems

Building Intelligent Systems

by Geoff Hulten

A practical guide to building AI systems that work reliably in the real world, addressing issues of data quality, user interaction, and system improvement.

Tech Innovation Code
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Building Powerful Community Organizations

Building Powerful Community Organizations

by Michael Jacoby Brown

A practical manual for building organizations and communities that focuses on the everyday actions that create lasting change.

Community Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

A science-based approach to understanding and completing the stress cycle to prevent burnout and manage overwhelming emotions.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Can't Hurt Me

Can't Hurt Me

by David Goggins

Master your mind and defy the odds through mental toughness, discipline, and hard work.

Growth Leadership Education
Cover of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To

Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To

by Sian Beilock

Scientific insights into why people fail under pressure and how to overcome performance anxiety.

Growth Education Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Clean Architecture

Clean Architecture

by Robert C. Martin

A craftsman's guide to software structure and design, applying universal rules of software architecture for sustainable code.

Tech Code Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Clean Code

Clean Code

by Robert C. Martin

A handbook of agile software craftsmanship that teaches principles, patterns, and practices of writing clean code.

Tech Code Education
Cover of Clean Ruby

Clean Ruby

by Jim Gay

Writing maintainable, clear Ruby code by applying SOLID principles and design patterns.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't

Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't

by Paul Sullivan

An exploration of what enables some individuals to perform exceptional feats under extreme pressure.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Coaching Agile Teams

Coaching Agile Teams

by Lyssa Adkins

A companion for ScrumMasters, Agile coaches, and project managers transitioning to Agile methodologies.

Leadership Growth Education
Cover of Code Complete

Code Complete

by Steve McConnell

A practical handbook of software construction that provides specific advice on improving the art of programming.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Coders at Work

Coders at Work

by Peter Seibel

Reflections on the craft of programming through interviews with fifteen accomplished programmers, illustrating the value of community knowledge sharing.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Cognitive Surplus

Cognitive Surplus

by Clay Shirky

The book that introduced Shirky's sharing model, exploring how technology enables people to collaborate and create shared value in ways previously impossible.

Tech Community Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Collaborative Innovation

Collaborative Innovation

by Edward B. Roberts

How organizations can foster innovation through structured collaboration, with policy recommendations for educational and business settings.

Business Innovation Tech
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Commitment

Commitment

by Olav Maassen, Chris Matts, and Chris Geary

A graphic novel about managing project risk through real options, offering an alternative perspective on estimation and commitment.

Business Leadership Code
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Community Economics

Community Economics

by Ron Shaffer, Steve Deller, and Dave Marcouiller

Linking theory and practice in local economic development, with frameworks similar to Cole's comprehensive approach.

Business Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Community: The Structure of Belonging

Community: The Structure of Belonging

by Peter Block

Creating communities of possibility, generosity, and gifts through the way we structure belonging and connection.

Community Leadership Growth
Cover of Competing in the Age of AI

Competing in the Age of AI

by Marco Iansiti & Karim R. Lakhani

How AI is transforming business strategies and reshaping companies around data, algorithms, and AI-driven platforms.

Tech Business Innovation
Cover of Conscious Business

Conscious Business

by Fred Kofman

How to build value through values, promoting conscious leadership and accountability in organizations.

Leadership Growth Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Contagious

Contagious

by Jonah Berger

Why things catch on, exploring the science behind why certain content goes viral and how to craft messages that people will share.

Business Growth Tech
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Content Rules

Content Rules

by Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman

How to create killer blogs, podcasts, videos, e-books, webinars that engage customers and ignite your business.

Business Tech Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Continuous Delivery

Continuous Delivery

by Jez Humble and David Farley

Reliable software releases through build, test, and deployment automation - a foundational text on implementing effective DevOps practices.

Tech Code Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Coworking: Building Community as a Space Catalyst

Coworking: Building Community as a Space Catalyst

by Angel Kwiatkowski and Beth Buczynski

A practical guide to creating collaborative workspaces that foster community and innovation, representing the communal sharing model in action.

Community Business Innovation
Cover of Crafting Rails Applications

Crafting Rails Applications

by José Valim

An exploration of Rails' internal mechanisms and how to extend the framework creatively rather than just using its tools.

Code Tech Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Creating Innovators

Creating Innovators

by Tony Wagner

The making of young people who will change the world through developing talent and innovation skills rather than traditional economic approaches.

Education Tech Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Creating a Lean and Green Business System

Creating a Lean and Green Business System

by Keivan Zokaei, Hunter Lovins, Andy Wood, and Peter Hines

Techniques for improving profits and sustainability, with applications for value-add industries mentioned in Brian Cole's framework.

Business Innovation Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Creative Confidence

Creative Confidence

by Tom Kelley and David Kelley

Unleashing the creative potential within us all, with strategies for building the confidence to create rather than merely consume.

Growth Innovation Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Creativity, Inc.

Creativity, Inc.

by Ed Catmull & Amy Wallace

Lessons on fostering creativity and managing creative teams from the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.

Leadership Innovation Business
Cover of Crossing the Chasm

Crossing the Chasm

by Geoffrey A. Moore

A marketing strategy framework for high-tech products that helps companies bridge the gap between early adopters and the mainstream market.

Business Tech Innovation
Cover of Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations

by Kerry Patterson, et al.

Tools for talking when stakes are high and emotions are strong.

Leadership Business Community
Cover of Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It, How to Keep It

Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It, How to Keep It

by Jill Griffin

Strategies for building lasting customer relationships through exceptional service and loyalty programs.

Business Growth Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead

by Brené Brown

A guide to brave leadership that focuses on vulnerability, courage, and connection in the workplace.

Leadership Growth Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Daring Greatly

Daring Greatly

by Brené Brown

How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead.

Growth Leadership Community
Cover of Debugging

Debugging

by David J. Agans

Nine simple rules to help find and fix bugs in software and hardware systems.

Tech Code Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

A four-step process to overcome biases and make better decisions when stakes are high.

Business Leadership Growth
Buy on Amazon

Deep Work

by Cal Newport

A guide to achieving focused success in a distracted world, emphasizing the benefits of deep, undistracted work.

Cover of Delivering Happiness

Delivering Happiness

by Tony Hsieh

A path to profits, passion, and purpose through creating a culture of happiness and exceptional customer service.

Business Leadership Community
Cover of Democratizing Innovation

Democratizing Innovation

by Eric von Hippel

How user-centered innovation fundamentally alters the way products and services are created, with implications for educational policy.

Innovation Tech Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire

by Edward Abbey

A passionate defense of the desert and its park lands, with reflections on the importance of wilderness preservation in the American Southwest.

Community Leadership Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Design Patterns

Design Patterns

by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson & John Vlissides

A catalog of solutions to common programming problems that can help guide refactoring efforts.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Design Patterns in Ruby

Design Patterns in Ruby

by Russ Olsen

Adapting classic design patterns to Ruby with idiomatic implementations.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Designing Brand Identity

Designing Brand Identity

by Alina Wheeler

An essential guide for the whole branding team, covering strategy, research, design, and implementation.

Business Tech Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Designing Machine Learning Systems

Designing Machine Learning Systems

by Chip Huyen

A practical guide to building machine learning systems that are reliable, scalable, and maintainable in production environments.

Tech Innovation Code
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Designing Your Life

Designing Your Life

by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

How to build a well-lived, joyful life through reflective practices and intentional design.

Growth Leadership Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Difficult Conversations

Difficult Conversations

by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen

How to discuss what matters most when stakes are high and emotions are strong.

Leadership Growth Community
Cover of Digital Minimalism

Digital Minimalism

by Cal Newport

A philosophy of technology use that helps you focus on your values in our increasingly digital world.

Growth Tech Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Discipline Equals Freedom

Discipline Equals Freedom

by Jocko Willink

Field manual for gaining control, building discipline, and creating freedom in life through mental and physical toughness.

Leadership Growth Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Disrupting Class

Disrupting Class

by Clayton Christensen

How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns and transform education through student-centric approaches.

Education Innovation Tech
Cover of Domain-Driven Rails

Domain-Driven Rails

by Robert Pankowecki & Arkency Team

How to apply Domain-Driven Design concepts in Rails applications to create maintainable, scalable code.

Code Tech Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

by Daniel H. Pink

The surprising truth about what motivates us, exploring how autonomy, mastery, and purpose fuel high-performing teams.

Leadership Growth Business
Cover of Economic Development in the 21st Century

Economic Development in the 21st Century

by Daphne T. Greenwood and Richard P. F. Holt

New perspectives on improving quality of life, with strategic approaches to community-based economic development.

Business Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Educated

Educated

by Tara Westover

The account of Westover's journey from a childhood in a survivalist family to earning a PhD from Cambridge University.

Growth Education Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Effective Ruby

Effective Ruby

by Peter J. Jones

48 specific ways to write better Ruby code and avoid common pitfalls.

Code Tech Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Effective Testing with RSpec 3

Effective Testing with RSpec 3

by Myron Marston & Ian Dees

A comprehensive guide to testing Ruby applications with RSpec, including best practices for maintainable test suites.

Tech Code Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

by Phil Jackson & Hugh Delehanty

Phil Jackson's insights into leadership and team-building from his time coaching Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Chicago Bulls.

Leadership Business Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Eloquent Ruby

Eloquent Ruby

by Russ Olsen

A guide to Ruby that goes beyond syntax to cover the philosophy, conventions, and community values that shape the language's development.

Code Tech Community
Cover of Email Marketing Rules

Email Marketing Rules

by Chad White

Best practices for email marketing that can be implemented using tools like Boomerang to optimize sending times.

Business Tech Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Emotional Intelligence 2.0

by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves

Strategies for identifying and managing emotions, particularly in challenging interpersonal situations.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products

Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products

by Marty Cagan & Chris Jones

How to build successful product teams that create exceptional products through empowerment and leadership.

Tech Business Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

by Alfred Lansing

The true story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to Antarctica and the remarkable perseverance of his crew.

Leadership Growth Community
Cover of Endure

Endure

by Alex Hutchinson

Mind, body, and the curiously elastic limits of human performance, based on cutting-edge research.

Growth Education Leadership
Cover of Essential Scrum

Essential Scrum

by Kenneth S. Rubin

A practical guide to the most popular agile process, with detailed explanations of Scrum roles, artifacts, and events.

Code Leadership Education
Cover of Essentials of Product Management

Essentials of Product Management

by Raghu Ramanathan

A comprehensive guide to product management, including effective demonstration techniques.

Tech Business Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Event Planning

Event Planning

by Judy Allen

The ultimate guide to successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas, conferences, conventions, incentives and other special events.

Business Leadership Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit

Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit

by Leonardo Inghilleri & Micah Solomon

The secrets of building a five-star customer service organization, inspired by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Business Growth Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

A comprehensive guide to creating a culture of execution and accountability in your organization.

Leadership Business Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Extreme Ownership

Extreme Ownership

by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin

Former Navy SEALs share leadership principles for taking responsibility and performing under pressure.

Leadership Growth Innovation
Cover of Extreme Programming Explained

Extreme Programming Explained

by Kent Beck

Embracing change through simple rules and practices that help teams be more responsive to customer needs.

Tech Code Leadership
Cover of Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making

Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making

by Sam Kaner

How to help groups make high-quality decisions through inclusive and participatory processes.

Leadership Community Business
Cover of Factory Physics

Factory Physics

by Wallace J. Hopp & Mark L. Spearman

A comprehensive guide to the science of manufacturing, explaining how to improve flow, reduce lead times, and understand variability.

Business Innovation Tech
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Fearless Change

Fearless Change

by Mary Lynn Manns & Linda Rising

Patterns for introducing new ideas in organizations, with strategies for overcoming resistance to change.

Growth Leadership Business
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Finding Your Own North Star

Finding Your Own North Star

by Martha Beck

Claiming the life you were meant to live through uncovering your authentic self and purpose.

Growth Community Leadership
Buy on Amazon
Cover of First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

by Marcus Buckingham

Based on Gallup studies of great managers, this book reveals that the best managers select for talent, set expectations, and build on strengths rather than fixing weaknesses.

Leadership Business Growth
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

A groundbreaking exploration of the state of flow - when people are completely absorbed in activities that provide challenge and enjoyment.

Growth Leadership Education
Cover of For the Love of Cities

For the Love of Cities

by Peter Kageyama

The mutual love affair between people and their places, exploring emotional connections that lead to community engagement and development.

Community Leadership Innovation
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Free to Learn

Free to Learn

by Peter Gray

Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life.

Education Growth Community
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Fundamentals of Software Architecture

Fundamentals of Software Architecture

by Mark Richards & Neal Ford

A comprehensive guide to software architecture fundamentals, patterns, and practices for modern systems.

Tech Code Education
Buy on Amazon
Cover of Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers

Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers

by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo

A playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and changemakers with activities and formats for productive group meetings and events.

Business Innovation Leadership