Recommended Books
A curated collection of books I've found valuable and referenced throughout my articles.
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#NoEstimates
by Vasco Duarte
Explores alternatives to traditional estimation in software development, focusing on delivering value continuously without detailed upfront estimates.
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.
75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself
A transformative mental toughness program designed to develop discipline, confidence, and resilience through consistent daily actions.
A More Beautiful Question
How the power of inquiry can spark breakthrough ideas in business, education, and innovation.
A Philosophy of Software Design
A collection of design principles for creating deeper, more modular, and more maintainable software systems.
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.
AI for Learning
by Neil Selwyn
An exploration of how artificial intelligence is reshaping educational practices and what it means for teaching and learning.
AI in Education
by Wayne Holmes, Maya Bialik & Charles Fadel
How artificial intelligence transforms teaching and learning across educational contexts.
Accelerate
by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim
The science behind DevOps: building and scaling high-performing technology organizations with research-backed practices.
Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability
An introduction to flow-based metrics that help teams better understand and improve their software delivery process.
Agile Estimating and Planning
by Mike Cohn
A comprehensive guide to planning and estimating in an agile environment with practical techniques for software professionals.
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.
Agile Testing
by Lisa Crispin & Janet Gregory
A practical guide for testers and agile teams to deliver quality software through effective testing practices.
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.
Altruism
The power of compassion to change yourself and the world, with scientific research on how caring for others creates personal well-being.
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.
Arizona Highways Hiking Guide
A guide to 52 of Arizona's best hikes, featuring detailed trail information and stunning photography of natural attractions.
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.
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
How tiny changes compound to transform your habits and deliver remarkable results over time.
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
One of the most influential autobiographies ever written, providing insights into Franklin's early life and rise to prominence.
Becoming
A memoir by the former First Lady that chronicles her journey from Chicago's South Side to the White House.
Belonging
How shared rituals and practices create tribal connection in performance teams and communities around the world.
Better Tech Presentations
A guide for creating and delivering engaging technical presentations, perfect for code camp speakers and attendees.
Big Magic
How to face down fears, embrace curiosity, and live a more creative life by examining the mysterious nature of inspiration.
Blitzscaling
The lightning-fast path to building massively valuable companies through prioritizing speed over efficiency in an uncertain environment.
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.
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.
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.
Born to Run
An autobiography by the rock legend that explores his upbringing, career, and personal struggles with depression.
Bowling Alone
The collapse and revival of American community, examining trends in civic engagement and social capital.
Braving the Wilderness
by Brené Brown
The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone, exploring how shared rituals foster authentic connections.
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.
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.
Building Powerful Community Organizations
A practical manual for building organizations and communities that focuses on the everyday actions that create lasting change.
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.
Can't Hurt Me
Master your mind and defy the odds through mental toughness, discipline, and hard work.
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.
Clean Architecture
A craftsman's guide to software structure and design, applying universal rules of software architecture for sustainable code.
Clean Code
A handbook of agile software craftsmanship that teaches principles, patterns, and practices of writing clean code.
Clean Ruby
by Jim Gay
Writing maintainable, clear Ruby code by applying SOLID principles and design patterns.
Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't
An exploration of what enables some individuals to perform exceptional feats under extreme pressure.
Coaching Agile Teams
by Lyssa Adkins
A companion for ScrumMasters, Agile coaches, and project managers transitioning to Agile methodologies.
Code Complete
A practical handbook of software construction that provides specific advice on improving the art of programming.
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.
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.
Collaborative Innovation
How organizations can foster innovation through structured collaboration, with policy recommendations for educational and business settings.
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.
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.
Community: The Structure of Belonging
by Peter Block
Creating communities of possibility, generosity, and gifts through the way we structure belonging and connection.
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.
Conscious Business
by Fred Kofman
How to build value through values, promoting conscious leadership and accountability in organizations.
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.
Content Rules
How to create killer blogs, podcasts, videos, e-books, webinars that engage customers and ignite your business.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Creativity, Inc.
Lessons on fostering creativity and managing creative teams from the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
Crossing the Chasm
A marketing strategy framework for high-tech products that helps companies bridge the gap between early adopters and the mainstream market.
Crucial Conversations
by Kerry Patterson, et al.
Tools for talking when stakes are high and emotions are strong.
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.
Dare to Lead
by Brené Brown
A guide to brave leadership that focuses on vulnerability, courage, and connection in the workplace.
Daring Greatly
by Brené Brown
How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead.
Debugging
Nine simple rules to help find and fix bugs in software and hardware systems.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
A four-step process to overcome biases and make better decisions when stakes are high.
Deep Work
by Cal Newport
A guide to achieving focused success in a distracted world, emphasizing the benefits of deep, undistracted work.
Delivering Happiness
by Tony Hsieh
A path to profits, passion, and purpose through creating a culture of happiness and exceptional customer service.
Democratizing Innovation
How user-centered innovation fundamentally alters the way products and services are created, with implications for educational policy.
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.
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.
Design Patterns in Ruby
by Russ Olsen
Adapting classic design patterns to Ruby with idiomatic implementations.
Designing Brand Identity
An essential guide for the whole branding team, covering strategy, research, design, and implementation.
Designing Machine Learning Systems
by Chip Huyen
A practical guide to building machine learning systems that are reliable, scalable, and maintainable in production environments.
Designing Your Life
How to build a well-lived, joyful life through reflective practices and intentional design.
Difficult Conversations
by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen
How to discuss what matters most when stakes are high and emotions are strong.
Digital Minimalism
by Cal Newport
A philosophy of technology use that helps you focus on your values in our increasingly digital world.
Discipline Equals Freedom
Field manual for gaining control, building discipline, and creating freedom in life through mental and physical toughness.
Disrupting Class
How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns and transform education through student-centric approaches.
Domain-Driven Rails
by Robert Pankowecki & Arkency Team
How to apply Domain-Driven Design concepts in Rails applications to create maintainable, scalable code.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
The surprising truth about what motivates us, exploring how autonomy, mastery, and purpose fuel high-performing teams.
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.
Educated
The account of Westover's journey from a childhood in a survivalist family to earning a PhD from Cambridge University.
Effective Ruby
48 specific ways to write better Ruby code and avoid common pitfalls.
Effective Testing with RSpec 3
A comprehensive guide to testing Ruby applications with RSpec, including best practices for maintainable test suites.
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.
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.
Email Marketing Rules
by Chad White
Best practices for email marketing that can be implemented using tools like Boomerang to optimize sending times.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0
by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
Strategies for identifying and managing emotions, particularly in challenging interpersonal situations.
Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products
How to build successful product teams that create exceptional products through empowerment and leadership.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
The true story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to Antarctica and the remarkable perseverance of his crew.
Endure
Mind, body, and the curiously elastic limits of human performance, based on cutting-edge research.
Essential Scrum
A practical guide to the most popular agile process, with detailed explanations of Scrum roles, artifacts, and events.
Essentials of Product Management
A comprehensive guide to product management, including effective demonstration techniques.
Event Planning
by Judy Allen
The ultimate guide to successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas, conferences, conventions, incentives and other special events.
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.
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.
Extreme Ownership
Former Navy SEALs share leadership principles for taking responsibility and performing under pressure.
Extreme Programming Explained
by Kent Beck
Embracing change through simple rules and practices that help teams be more responsive to customer needs.
Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making
by Sam Kaner
How to help groups make high-quality decisions through inclusive and participatory processes.
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.
Fearless Change
by Mary Lynn Manns & Linda Rising
Patterns for introducing new ideas in organizations, with strategies for overcoming resistance to change.
Finding Your Own North Star
by Martha Beck
Claiming the life you were meant to live through uncovering your authentic self and purpose.
First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
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.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
A groundbreaking exploration of the state of flow - when people are completely absorbed in activities that provide challenge and enjoyment.
For the Love of Cities
The mutual love affair between people and their places, exploring emotional connections that lead to community engagement and development.
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.
Fundamentals of Software Architecture
A comprehensive guide to software architecture fundamentals, patterns, and practices for modern systems.
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.
