Books in my bookshelf
This is a list of books that marked me in some way. I often recommend them to colleagues and I definitely appreciate recommendations!
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
As we all progress in our careers, it is only normal to feel overwhelmed by new responsibilities and being out of our comfort zone. GTD has curative powers for my inner anxieties and I re-read it whenever I struggled to keep up with all the projects, deliverables and challenges coming in my direction. It just helps me to compartimentalise what I have to organise from what I have to do.
If you worked with me and you struggled, I am sure I recommended this one.
The Art of Happiness, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler
I received this book when going through a rough time in live and it helped me to put some perspective as well as to challenge how I was perceiving my situation. I completely recommend it to those that are open to inspect what happens deep in their hearts.
Let me share one of my favourite sentences in the book:
(the way to inner contentment)… is not to have what we want but rather to want and appreciate what we have
The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr and George Spafford
If you are into DevOps, this is a must read. I personally experienced some of the situations described in the book and I can’t avoid laughing whenever I read them. Understanding the Three Ways and how to apply them is an extremely powerful tool in your journey to high performing teams.
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, by Kenneth H. Blanchard and William Oncken Jr.
Very funny book that brings perspective into the role of a manager. Very often, we need to fight against our impulse to just go there and do it when clearly leadership is about enabling and challenging people to deliver the best they can.
Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow, by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais
There is nothing surprising about the topologies themselves but this book gives a clear and comprehensive way to explain how the teams are organised. I often use some of the concepts, as it helps to condense a clear message about the way team work.