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
2xA mental toughness program that builds confidence through keeping promises to yourself, no matter how you feel.
A More Beautiful Question
How the power of inquiry can spark breakthrough ideas in business, education, and innovation.
A Philosophy of Software Design
2xA 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
2xData-driven insights into high-performing technology teams. Research-backed principles that align with AI-first team characteristics.
Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability
2xAn introduction to flow-based metrics that help teams better understand and improve their software delivery process.
Agile Estimating and Planning
3xby 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
5xby 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.
Antifragile
11xHow to gain from disorder and uncertainty, building systems and identities that get stronger under stress rather than breaking.
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
3xExplores how systems and people gain from disorder and stress, directly relevant to understanding resistance as a teacher.
Apprenticeship Patterns
2xby 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
20xby James Clear
Identity-based habit formation that transforms who you are rather than just what you do, enabling sustainable personal growth.
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
One of the most influential autobiographies ever written, providing insights into Franklin's early life and rise to prominence.
Becoming
2xA 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
2xThe 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
4xThe story of how running connects us to our primal selves and the joy of movement.
Bowling Alone
2xThe 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
2xby 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
2xby Geoff Hulten
A guide to creating machine learning systems that work in the real world.
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
4xA raw account of how mental toughness and self-accountability can transform your life.
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
6xEssential principles for writing maintainable, readable code and tests.
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
2xby 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
3xby Peter Block
Creating communities of possibility, generosity, and gifts through the way we structure belonging and connection.
Competing in the Age of AI
2xby 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.
Courage Is Calling
by Ryan Holiday
Modern application of Stoic courage principles for contemporary challenges and leadership situations.
Coworking: Building Community as a Space Catalyst
3xby 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.
3xLessons on fostering creativity and managing creative teams from the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
Crossing the Chasm
3xUnderstanding technology adoption cycles and how to navigate the gap between early adopters and mainstream market
Crucial Conversations
9xby Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Practical frameworks for high-stakes conversations that create understanding rather than conflict. Complements the MAIEUTIC Method for difficult discussions.
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
2xby Brené Brown
Modern applications of courage in leadership, focusing on vulnerability, shame resilience, and building courage-based cultures.
Daring Greatly
8xby Brené Brown
Research-backed exploration of vulnerability as courage, aligning with the Greek understanding of moral bravery.
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
9xby Cal Newport
How to transform your relationship with focus and attention in a distracted world.
Delivering Happiness
4xby 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.
Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
by John Maxwell
Foundational principles of leadership development and character-based influence that create lasting impact.
Difficult Conversations
3xby Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen
How to discuss what matters most when stakes are high and emotions are strong.