Books To Read

Let’s face it: Your brain is likely mostly filled with worthless crap. Let’s fill it with something useful. Here’s some books I’ve used to replace the useless knowledge I have acquired, such as which Star Trek characters are left handed (Worf, Ezra Dax, Data).

Learning, Teaching, and Communicating

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey To Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzken. Josh Waitzken was who “In Search of Bobby Fischer” was about. A chess master before 21, he quit chess after becoming tired of the fame and attention the book and movie showered on him, and picked up Tai Chi Chuan. And dominated that sport. So the dude knows how to learn. What’s more, he’s no savant. He learned the old fashioned way.

What does this have to do with IT? Everything. This book talks about how he learns, not so much chess or martial arts. With things changing so rapidly in IT, learning is your most important skill.

Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This is a great book if you’re looking to communicate your ideas better. Whether you’re developing courseware or trying to convince the masses of the superiority of FCoTR, this book shows what works and what doesn’t. A must for anyone looking to take a thought leadership position.