Yes, author and narrator have worked as tech writers, and the narrator spends several pages discussing instruction manuals…

But more essential and influential to me are his reflections about how he makes sense of the world and himself – if with a self-destructive bent. Not the best book I know, but one of the most fascinating. I read it once every ten years or so.

“Getting Real” by 37signals. I discovered this about 2 1/2 years ago, and it is the e-equivalent of dog-eared with all my tags and bookmarks. Sometimes, rereading a few chosen sections can help refocus my mindset or get me out of a productivity rut. I’ve worked with developers who live by it, and I’ve recommended it to others because even though the focus is development, the concepts are inter-disciplinary. It’s one of those books that lets you cherry-pick the ideas you agree with – the ideas stand alone as well as they work together.

“Advanced Selling Strategies” by Brian Tracy. When I worked in sales training, I read all of the books that were assigned to the new sales reps. Sales skills are critical, even for our profession. Outside of sales, not many people understand that selling is about the entire process, not simply the product, and that process involves skills like listening, learning, teaching, persuading, motivating, and negotiating.

“Avoid Boring People” by James D. Watson. Science, technology, and self-help – what more could a tech writer want, right? On one hand, I’ve got Watson, a Nobel Prize winner, and on the other, I’ve got a Nobel Prize winner giving me permission to stay away from people who bore me.

Oh-so-not the case. This book covers scientific and personal successes and failures, mixed together with life lessons (as lists! I love lists!) in education and leadership. At one point, he clarifies the title: “Take pains *not* to become boring…a leader’s mind must continually be reconfigured through exposure to new patterns of acting and thinking.” And, don’t always read what everyone else is reading – be an interesting dinner guest. Excellent, yet challenging, advice these days.