I recently asked some collegues what one book they would recommend to help others understand what they do, or get better at it themselves. I picked one, out of five that came to mind. Here are the five:
Computer Related Risks: Based on actual incidents, this book examines the risks associated with technology. It’s loosely based on items culled from the moderated “Risks List”, aka “Forum On Risks To The Public In Computers And Related Systems”. A fascinating read, and very educational in terms of the risks we know of, as well as the risks we seem to inherrently accept.
The Mythical Man Month: even though it talks about systems development 30 or more years ago, the pricipals, and sadly the situations, have not changed significantly in the intervening time. Why do projects take so long?
Peopleware: the people side of project management. Not limited to software development, but a great look at the part of working with people that they don’t teach you in school: working with people.
The Psychology of Everyday Things: Some things we take for granted because it’s obvious how they work, and as a result they just work. Why design complexity when simple, and obvious, will do? And why don’t more software designers keep that in mind?
Dynamics of Software Development: Ever wonder how it all works? Not the code, but the process? A great overview, presented as 54 “rules” to developing, and delivering, quality software. On time.
And now that I’ve presented that list – it’s been so long since I’ve read most of those, it’s time to read them again.