7 book recommendations from open source enthusiasts covering everything from a fun cozy mystery to non-fiction works that explore thought-provoking topics

Not All Fairy Tales

An extract of one book recommendation: Written by 73 different authors working in all aspects of the software industry, the secret to this book’s greatness is that it actually applies to much more than just Java programming. Of course, some chapters lean into Java, but there are topics like Be aware of your container surroundings, Deliver better software, faster, and Don’t hIDE your tools that apply to development regardless of language. Better still, some chapters apply to life in general. Break problems and tasks into small chunks is good advice on how to tackle any problem, Build diverse teams is important for every group of collaborators, and From puzzles to products is a fascinating look at how the mind of a puzzle-solver can apply to many different job roles.

And another book: Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings covers everything from the creation of Sierra’s first game, Mystery House, to the company’s unfortunate and disastrous acquisition by CUC International and the aftermath. The Sierra brand would live on for a while after the acquisition, but the Sierra founded by the Williams was no more. Ken Williams recounts the entire history of Sierra in a way that only he could. His chronological narrative is interspersed with chapters providing advice about management and computer programming. Ken Williams had been out of the industry for many years by the time he wrote this book, but his advice is still extremely relevant.

And of course being open source people, they do think a bit out of the box / swim upstream, so you’re not seeing a list of popularism advice here!

See https://opensource.com/article/22/6/2022-opensourcecom-summer-reading-list

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