This looks like a good list. I’ve read only nine of them … so far. How many have you read? Do you have any favorites you’d recommend or others you’d add for a specific stage of life?
This week I attended the annual Intel Agile and Lean Development Conference. This is the third time I have attended,1Here’s the post for last year’s Agile/Lean Conference. and IMHO, it was the best by far. The conference was better arranged, having a basic day, an advanced day, and a day of keynotes with industry experts. For the first time, Intel invited members of the community.
Throughout the conference, I took a bunch of notes. These are some of the resources mentioned in the classes and keynotes I attended.
I record them here so I can find them later. Maybe they’ll be useful for you, too.
I have tracked (most of) the books I read for a while now. This year was no exception. (Though I did quit tracking during the middle of this year…)
Finished Books
These are some of the books I finished reading in 2013.
19 I read Poseidon’s Arrow by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. I’ve read Clive Cussler books for a long time, too long, in fact. Clive apparently likes the name “Dirk” because it’s the name he gave to his protagonist, the protagonist’s son, and his own (co-author) son. I guess there’s something to be said for consistency. This book is something to read on a plane or a beach when reading anything too deep would result in losing the plot. There’s no risk of that here. You will lose your credulity along the way, though. Move along…
18 I read The Racketeer by John Grisham. I don’t really need to tell you a John Grisham book is good, do I?
17 I read Taking Ivy Seriously by Matthew David Brozik. A combination of IP law and a novel. What’s not to like?
16 I read The Cross in the Closet by Timothy Kurek. Similar to the plot of Black Like Me, a straight male comes out as gay and lives as such for one year. Although some circumstances seemed too contrived or convenient, I recommend this book for anyone who still thinks of LGBTQ as “other” or “them.”
11, 12, 13, 14 I read A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows, the first four books in the never-ending A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. This series has been criticized for being filled with characters dying (both insignificant nobodies and assumed main characters). I became bored with the series more because dead characters came back to life after having been hacked so bad that they should have died. Well, that and it needs editing — extensive editing. I still can’t believe I bought and started the fifth book after reading this review.
10 I read What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell. I don’t expect Rob to get as much flack for this book as he did for Love Wins. Though, I could be wrong. Finished May 8.
9Lesterland: The Corruption of Congress and How to End It by Lawrence Lessig is an expansion of his TED talk. Well worth reading if you have any interest in understanding corruption in our system of government and want to be part of the solution. Read April 4-5.
8 I read The Innocent by David Baldacci. Okay, that plot was just a little unrealistic. Escapist to the extreme. I’m not sure that’s a good thing… Finished March 20.
7 Josh Bancroft recommendsConstellation Games by Leonard Richardson, linking Cory Doctorow’s review of the book. I read the ebook sample and was hooked. Not being a gamer, I’m not in this book’s target demographic. That’s fine. I found it to be an interesting and worthy read. Read March 5-14.
7 I read The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick M. Lencioni. After all, I love all of Pat’s1Maybe a little informal, but hey — I did get to meet Pat and shake his hand. :-) previous books. To top it off, I had the privilege of hearing Pat talk about org health, summarizing parts of this book and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team on February 6. I finished this book later that evening on the flight home.
This is a book I will re-read, outline, talk about with my team, etc. Started January 22.
5 I re-read (I’m sensing a short pattern here) The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin. A humorous yet tender story of a man dealing with life. As I read this book, I had to read aloud paragraphs to family members nearby. Too funny! Finished January 23.
4 I re-read Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed. I last read Excavating Jesus in 2009 when I borrowed it from the library. I found a used copy at Powell’s Books and couldn’t pass it up. Finished January 19.
3 Dave Sharrock tweeted a link to Mark Miller’s blog post “Understanding the Next Generation,” which mentioned You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman. I figured it was worth checking out. After reading it, I wonder. You Lost Me does a good job of explaining how the world has changed and different classes of reasons why Christian Millenials might leave the church. Unfortunately, even though Kinnaman collected a lot of data on the topic, I’m not convinced that he really understands why or has the solution.
The 50 solutions proposed by others in the last chapter are much better.
Finished January 10.
2 I discovered Do the Work by Steven Pressfield on a list of Seth Godin’s favorite business books and then I found it in my local public library. I read it sitting in seat 3E on the way from Portland to Sacramento, and still had bunches of time to take pictures out the window.
This is another book that I will buy and re-read, multiple times.
Started and finished January 9.
1 I found The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks at the local public library. In early 2009, the British Humanist Association placed advertisements on London buses saying, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” This book is Rabbi Sacks’ response, about why it matters, what’s at risk, and why the conflict is misplaced, that science and religion need not be at odds with each other, and in fact, that both science and religion are stronger and better when they aren’t. In Partnership, Rabbi Sacks addresses evolution/cosmology, why there is evil in the world, and why so much of it seems to be exhibited by those claiming to be religious.
This is a book that I will buy and reread.
Finished January 1.
Do you have any books you’d recommend?
Interesting Books
These are books I’ve read about, that I’ve been told about, or that I’ve run across in the bookstore during 2013 and don’t want to forget about. I use this list when perusing book stores and the local public library.
This book is about what it means to be smart and to be a fully awake participant in our high-risk global world in the twenty-first century. It is about what parents ought to do to forestall their children becoming victims in that high-risk world. The book is about how to think about the future before we humans don’t have one. We need to save our children and ourselves from the sorts of human stupidity to which we are all prone, but that are now way too dangerous to indulge in. To have a future we need to start exercising our smart side more, a side that today’s schools, colleges, and media have too often put to sleep.
Intel held its annual Agile and Lean Development Conference earlier this week. I and many in my team attended. Most of us attended last year, but we pulled in a couple more this year.
We’re excited about the changes we’ll make re how we get stuff done.
Here are a few of the books and resources mentioned in the sessions I attended.
How to Read 31 Books in Four Minutes. “Some lessons culled from a cross-section of America’s self-help oeuvre.” I wonder how accurate some of these summaries are…
I have a tradition of tracking the books I read. I also track the books I’m currently reading and books that I’ve discovered throughout the year that I’d like to read.
This year I read a lot of novels. I also experimented with graphic novels and manga. I found one graphic novel that I absolutely loved but wasn’t successful with manga. Maybe I need to keep looking?
Next year I plan on being more intentional by reading books that will increase my knowledge rather than just entertain me. There are many books on my “interesting” list that could keep me busy reading all 2013 long.
Books Read
These are the books I finished reading in 2012:
33 I read The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly, having just read a couple of other Michael Connelly books. I think I have another author I like.
Finished December 17.
32 I read The Reversal by Michael Connelly, having just read The Lincoln Lawyer.
Finished December 12.
31 I had to read The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly after watching the movie version — it was that good. I was impressed how closely the movie followed the book, but the book was better (as usual). Now having watched the movie again, I know how much better the book is. Highly recommended.
Finished December 6.
30 I read The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini after checking it out of the local library. Nine is entertaining but formulaic and predictable. It also ends with a cliff-hanger, a big no-no for me. If you can’t make me want to read the next book in the series without leaving an unfinished plot element, it’s not worth my reading another book in the series.
Finished November 29.
29 I reread American Assassin by Vince Flynn. Through his books, Flynn advocates for a small, unaccountable cadre of killers who eliminate America’s foreign problems. When I first read one of Flynn’s books, I was amazed at their absence of regard for civilized behavior. Since then, we’ve learned that this disregard is not limited to mere authors of escapist, best-selling thrillers. I would suggest that Flynn’s limited cadre would be much preferred to what America now does openly.
Finished November 20.
28 I read King City TP by Brandon Graham. As Amazon’s book description says, “Joe is a catmaster, trained to use his cat as any tool or weapon. His best friend, Pete, falls in love with an alien he’s forced to sell into green slavery, while his ex, Anna, watches her Xombie War veteran boyfriend turn into the drug he’s addicted to. King City, an underbelly of a town run by spy gangs and dark dark magic with mystery down every alleyway.” Also, lots of silly puns, but I don’t think I was on enough drugs to fully enjoy this.
Finished November 19.
27 In my search for different types of books, I have been looking for manga worth reading. I found Gunslinger Girl Omnibus Collection 1 (Vols. 1-3) by Yu Aida at the local library and got a couple volumes. To read the reviews, Gunslinger Girl has some dark, deep psychological meaning. All I see is a book where young, injured girls are bought from their parents, given artificial bodies, pumped full of drugs that make them forget their former lives and let them think they love their handlers and then commanded to assassinate people. Twisted? Certainly, but where is any redeeming quality? I won’t be reading the next collection.
Certainly, there must be manga worth reading somewhere. Anyone have a recommendation?
Finished November 16.
26 Flying home from Sacramento, I picked up Zero Day by David Baldacci in the airport and finished it the next day. An enjoyable read, similar to a Lee Child book, but without such a quirky hero.
Finished November 9.
25 When I walked to the library, I also picked up Stitches: A Memoir by David Small. I finally found a graphic novel that I love! Although it is about 300 pages, it is a quick “read.”
Finished November 6.
24 In my continuing quest for a good graphic novel, I walked to the Hillsboro public library during lunch and checked out Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Authorized Adaptation by Ray Bradbury (author) and Ron Wimberly (illustrator). It was a quick and confusing read. In a couple of critical areas of the plot (including the climax), I thought I might have skipped a page. I even went back and checked to make sure. Nope! A quick perusal of SparkNotes suggests there’s a lot more to the original. Maybe I should read it.
Finished November 6.
23 I have been looking for another graphic novel worth reading. Earlier in the week, I discovered the Y: The Last Man series by Brian K. Vaughan (Author), Pia Guerra (Illustrator), and Jose Marzan Jr. (Illustrator). Stephen King’s comment, “The best graphic novel I’ve ever read” on the cover caught my attention. Unfortunately, there are either a bunch of smaller books for maybe $15 each, or some bigger, hardcover books for $30 each. Sorry, but I’m not spending that kind of money. I decided to try the library. Having a chance to go to the library, I discovered the graphic novel section and Y: The Last Man, Book 3, Deluxe Edition. Yeah, book 3. Not book 1. Oh well. I checked it out and finished it (more than 300 pages) the same night. Guess I’m going to place a hold on books 1 and 2. And maybe try to figure out how the smaller books fit in with the series…
Finished October 30.
22 While still on a longish business trip, I read Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston. It was interesting, but the main plot vehicle was so unbelievable that it felt like I was watching The Magic School Bus.
Finished October 20.
21 While on a business trip, I read V for Vendetta by Alan Moore (author) and David Lloyd (illustrator). It was okay (and makes me want to see how well the movie adaptation was), but wasn’t something I’d re-read. I’m still looking for a high-quality graphic novel. Do they exist?
Finished October 18.
20 I re-started and finally finished Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography by Bruce Chilton. I will never read Acts and Paul’s writing the same way again.
Finished September 14.
19 I re-read Killing Floor by Lee Child. There are “guy novels,” that describe the inner workings of guns and their operations and “gal novels” focused more on the inner soul. This, like all Lee Child books, is more of the former.
Finished August 13.
18Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger. There are “guy novels,” that describe the inner workings of guns and their operations and “gal novels” focused more on the inner soul. This, like all Lisa Unger books, is more of the latter.
14 I took a class on continuous integration on April 3. The instructors recommended Continuous Integration: Improving Software Quality and Reducing Risk by Paul M. Duvall, Steve Matyas, and Andrew Glover. Turns out, one of my co-workers won a copy in a random drawing at the end of the class. He lent it to me to read. Woot!
This turned out to be a nice introduction to continuous integration, discussing the various aspects of continuous build, test, notifications, etc. We’re already starting to implement some of the practices described in this book.
Read April 16 through May 10.
13 I starting reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins immediately after finishing Catching Fire.
11 I bought The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on opening day for the movie and finished it the next day. It’s good enough that I immediately bought the next book in the trilogy.
9 I bought Jesus for the Non-Religious by John Shelby Spong on a used-book shopping spree at Powell’s Books.
Summary: Take Jesus, subtract all the miracles and a theistic God. According to Spong, you’re still left with a loving, inclusive God fully realized in the complete humanity of Jesus.
Read March 5-11.
8 I started re-reading Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell on December 17. My brother’s mens group was discussing it. I got about half way through and got enamored with reading books on my Nook. March 4, I decided it was time to finish the book. I restarted at page one and read it straight through before getting out of bed.
I really enjoyed this book. It speaks to me about management/leadership in a style that resonates with me. Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof, or summarized, “Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do.”
In Generous Orthodoxy, McLaren surveys different groups within Christianity, looking for and claiming the good in each. Each chapter closes with discussion questions worthy of answering.
3The Time Machine by H. G. Wells was a free book I downloaded onto my Nook. I ran out of books to read so I read it. It was okay, but I think Felix J. Palma’s note is spot on:
“I read this wonderful novel when I was a boy and it immediately became one of my favorite books. Yet when I revisited it as an adult, I was surprised to find I didn’t feel that same rush of emotion.
“I realized that part of the reason I was so taken with the book as a boy is that I actually believed a time machine could exist and that one day perhaps I could also travel into the future.” Finished January 16.
Instead, I got a sample of another of Leonard Susskind’s books that I hope to read in short order.
Started January 6, finished January 15.
1 I downloaded The Evolution of Faith: How God Is Creating a Better Christianity by Philip Gulley after I got a Nook for Christmas. I was interested in reading this because I’ve read three other books by Gulley and James Mulholland over the past couple of years on the topic of Universalism. In Evolution of Faith, Gulley describes a “non-traditional” form of Christianity (would he call it that?) he believes enables religion to remain relevant and viable in the 21st century.
I’m reading Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry, Jean Greaves, and Patrick M. Lencioni. Let’s see what I can do for me EQ.
Started October 21.
Books Discovered
These are books I’ve read about, that I’ve been told about, or that I’ve run across in the bookstore during 2012 and don’t want to forget about. I use this list when perusing book stores and the local public library.
Michael Tardiff of SolutionsIQ gave me his business card with Pair Programming Illuminated by Laurie Williams and Robert Kessler written on the back. Oh, and a comment like, “Very illuminating.” One more book for my to-read list.
It’s Friday the 13th — what better way to spend it than attending AgilePalooza? I added to my reading list today.
Michael Tardiff of SolutionsIQ gave me his business card with Pair Programming Illuminated by Laurie Williams and Robert Kessler written on the back. Oh, and a comment like, “Very illuminating.” One more book for my to-read list.
Yesterday I complained that Barnes & Noble’s Nook store doesn’t make it easy to find free ebooks. Today, I discovered Google’s eBookstore solves the problem: just search for “free.” I can download the books in ePub format and use Calibre to transfer them to my Nook. Problem solved!