
Ask HN: What books do you wish your manager would read? - a3n
Non-technical, technical, technical management, people management, perspective, insight.<p>What books or other resources do you believe would make <i>your</i> life better, if your present and future managers read them and lived their lessons?
======
jbob2000
It would be great if my manager read anything at all. Having been through a
few managers; the good ones read, the bad ones don't read. It doesn't matter
what they read, the last good one I had pretty much only read WW2 novels.

That being said, I think Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an
important read for anyone in technology. It changed how I approach and
appreciate technology.

~~~
mrfusion
How did it change how you think about technology?

~~~
jbob2000
I used to be a first adopter, very fervent about certain technologies and
brands, always wanted to stay on the cutting edge. I used to spend huge
amounts of time on my computer, like frequent 12 hour sprints.

When I started reading the book, it seemed like it was going to justify that
lifestyle to me. It's good to tinker and be mechanically aware, you know? I
wanted to be like the narrator, he seemed like the pinnacle engineer.

But I just started missing out on things and ignoring people. It clicked for
me when I got my first car and when I got in my first accident. I spent so
much time keeping this thing in perfect shape, all to be destroyed by some
dumb ass maneuver I pulled. After that, I wanted to be more like John. A car
is just something to make life happen, it's not a reason to live. Same thing
with computers, they're just there to help you out a little, not something to
give up your life for.

I guess it was the car accident that really changed how I think about things,
but reading the book gave me the language/vocabulary to understand how I felt.

------
koja86
In context of software development these books (and other works by same
people) might be interesting. I have not read them all yet but have been
recommended by a colleague. My perspective is defined by being a developer in
circa 100 people company.

* The Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month)

* Facts and fallacies of software engineering by Robert L. Glass [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Glass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Glass)

* Lessons learned from 25 years of process improvement: The Rise and Fall of the NASA Software Engineering Laboratory [https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/basili/publications/proceedings...](https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/basili/publications/proceedings/P94.pdf)

------
jrochkind1
I'll just be the first to mention The Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-
Month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month)

------
gvk
All the obligatory books and references have already been mentioned, so I'll
refrain from repeating.

I'm a recent developer-turned-manager [close to two years now] and have always
been a voracious reader.

Apart from specialist books of the profession, as an introvert I find that a
healthy dose of fiction helps me in my day-to-day dealings with people at the
workplace - especially those who report to me.

[[https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-
way/201401...](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-
way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function)]
[[https://open.buffer.com/reading-fiction/](https://open.buffer.com/reading-
fiction/)]

^^ As such, I'd recommend some well-written fiction. Try The Godfather -
always thought it was the best "people management" book :-)

Fantasy [or novels with a touch of the fantastic] would also be good.

War books are also good. Try some interesting non-fiction - I'd recommend WW
II books by Stephen Ambrose. All about teamwork and beats reading dry
management books.

You should probably stay away from satire, lest your manager think you a d*ck
;)

Before you do any of this, you should probably find out if your manager is in
the habit of reading.

And despite the best advice, what a reader gets from any book depends on what
she brings to it...so don't be surprised if reading doesn't help your manager
:D

------
maxaf
But of course:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People)

If there's a single book I wish everyone had read - not just managers - it
would be this. I'd market it as "manual for human beings". You learn how to
deal with them, as well as how to be one.

------
mbubb
"The Phoenix Project" [http://itrevolution.com/books/phoenix-project-devops-
book/](http://itrevolution.com/books/phoenix-project-devops-book/)

is good for understanding Devops and constant refocus on business objectives.

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
"The Phoenix Project" and an earlier one, "The Goal" by Goldratt
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goal_(novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goal_\(novel\))

------
bkirkby
\- Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek \- Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull \- Reinventing
Organizations, Frederic Laloux \- Joy at Work, Dennis W Bakke \- Valve
Employee Handbook, Valve Software

This list is heavily skewed toward self-organization because I work for a
company (Zappos) that is currently transitioning to a self-organization model.
I thought I'd answer the question about what books I wish my "manager" would
read even though I don't have a manager because in a self-org environment, you
do have leaders that emerge organically. The main difference between "manager"
and "leader" is that managers influence their charges with coersion (even if
subtle and unintentional) while a leaders ability to influence comes from the
bottom-up and is more meritocratic based on perceived experience and ability
by those being led.

Most companies hope to promote the leaders so their manager structure is
reflective of the actual effective social leadership structure, but all
companies get it wrong often.

------
jlhonora
Peopleware has great insights for both managers and programmers. Recommended
read for both.

~~~
Tcepsa
I am both a manager and a programmer and just read it last month. I fully
agree that it has valuable insights for both.

------
brnstz
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5)

Software engineering in particular attracts some extreme personalities. There
are elements of narcissism, OCD, borderline, avoidance, etc. in every
organization, even if it would not necessarily warrant a diagnosis. People
have irrational motivations. This is often ignored in the rational business of
software.

~~~
talkingquickly
Do you know of any more accessible books which might give people a feel for
what they might encounter? DSM-5 is pretty heavy going for someone outside of
the field but agree that some awareness of it could be really valuable.

~~~
brnstz
Good question. I don't know of any books, though they're probably out there.
You could look at the table of contents and google most of the diagnoses and
find more readable stuff online.

------
niHiggim
Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering ([http://www.amazon.com/Facts-
Fallacies-Software-Engineering-R...](http://www.amazon.com/Facts-Fallacies-
Software-Engineering-Robert/dp/0321117425)). It may be starting to get a
little dated, so it's hard to say that all the referenced research is still
applicable in the same way. But it's a good antidote to a common problem
everywhere I've worked: the idea that our team is in some way special or
unique in a way that implies reasonable standards of software engineering
practice don't apply. It's almost always part of a rationalization cycle that
justifies the way things have always been done or some kind of Taylorist
management practice.

------
jeremysmyth
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peopleware:_Productive_Project...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peopleware:_Productive_Projects_and_Teams)

That page doesn't do it justice, sadly. This book just _gets_ it about working
in teams and larger organizations.

------
minikites
Not a book, but a particular podcast episode:
[http://5by5.tv/b2w/17](http://5by5.tv/b2w/17). Skip to 1:05:00 (an hour and 5
minutes in) and listen for 2-3 minutes.

You'll hear something many managers need to hear about the difference between
a "priority" and just something you need to do and the resources you need to
be putting behind something to really show that it's a priority (owner,
budget, deadline).

------
cybette
"Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal - I'm reading it
myself. I think it's really useful for those doing product
development/management and building user engagement.

[http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-
Product...](http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products-
ebook/dp/B00LMGLXTS/)

------
dizzystar
Making Things Happen;

Unfortunately, I read this book when it was too late for me, but definitely
something to read if you ever get into management. The politics section itself
is worth the price:

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596517718](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596517718)

------
roymurdock
Older Stuff: The Bible/Quran, The Republic (Plato), The Social Contract
(Rousseau), Tao Te Ching (Laozi), Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky), History of
the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides)

Newer Stuff: Nine Stories (Salinger), The Razor's Edge (Maugham), Nausea
(Sartre), Siddartha (Hesse), Road to Serfdom (Hayek), The Book (Watts), Design
of Everyday Things (Norman), Atlas Shrugged (Rand), Invisible Man (Ellison),
Debunking Economics (Keen), Blood Meridian (McCarthy), The Center Cannot Hold
(Saks), This Time Is Different (Reinhart/Rogoff), Infinite Jest (Wallace),
Calvin and Hobbes (Watterson)

All of these books are well written and have given me some perspective on
interesting people/situations/ways of thinking.

------
DanBC
I tried leaving Dilbert cartoons around. People don't recognise themselves,
even though everyone else can see it clear as day.

------
paulclinger
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. It's an
old, but a good one.

------
alimnemonic
Drive by Daniel Pink, looks at what motivates people in general. Explains why
a guy that codes all day goes home to work on open source project...

------
SixSigma
Everyone Needs a Mentor - David Clutterbuck [1]

Flat Army - Dan Pontefract [2]

[1] [http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Needs-Mentor-David-
Clutterbuc...](http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Needs-Mentor-David-
Clutterbuck/dp/1843983664/)

[2] [http://www.danpontefract.com/the-book/](http://www.danpontefract.com/the-
book/)

~~~
Ysx
Flat Army summary: [https://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/corpLearn/pdf/Flat-
Army.pd...](https://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/corpLearn/pdf/Flat-Army.pdf)

------
askyourmother
The childrens book "Maisy makes gingerbread", it might help the aspiring
manager understand that often there is a simple, well understood series of
steps to follow, and if we do follow them, we deliver something of value.

If we choose to bog down the process, add unnecessary steps, or shortcut some
steps, the end result is perhaps less rewarding.

------
jazzyb
I think it's important to think about the effect technology has on culture
(both positive and negative). To that end, I would recommend _Technopoly_ by
Neil Postman. (And optionally _Amusing Ourselves to Death_ by the same author
-- it's more accessible but slightly less applicable to the software
industry.)

------
lisivka
Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense Approach to a Continuous Improvement Strategy
[http://www.amazon.com/Gemba-Kaizen-Commonsense-Continuous-
Im...](http://www.amazon.com/Gemba-Kaizen-Commonsense-Continuous-
Improvement/dp/0071790357)

------
staggler
[http://www.amazon.com/Red-Team-Succeed-Thinking-
Enemy/dp/046...](http://www.amazon.com/Red-Team-Succeed-Thinking-
Enemy/dp/0465048943)

Phenomenal modern look into the practice of alternative analysis

------
poseid
A basic understanding of JavaScript technologies, as described in my book
[http://pipefishbook.com/](http://pipefishbook.com/)

------
a3n
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-
Month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month)

------
imdsm
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule)

------
jakozaur
[https://www.theeffectiveengineer.com/book](https://www.theeffectiveengineer.com/book)

~~~
jlhonora
Although the testimonies sound great, the landing page gives me mixed feelings
about the book. Perhaps too much salesmanship. Could you tell us a bit more?

------
Aij7eFae
Basic math for dummies

I'm not great at math but I do at least know how to remove the tax from a
number.

------
darkhorn
If my manager read English (language book) I would'n try to explain why Git
and unit tests are needed and how good it would be if we sell the app to
foreign companies.

The second book would be Turkish. so that he wouldn.t wrte like ths in his
Emails

------
pkhamre
Who Moved My Cheese?

[http://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-
Amazing/dp/0399144...](http://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-
Amazing/dp/0399144463)

------
Fede_V
Necronomicon.

------
cphuntington97
anything by W. Edwards Deming

~~~
hencq
I actually left a copy of Four Days With Dr Deming [1] lying around in our
office, which is not by him, but follows one of his seminars quite closely. I
hoped it would inspire my manager to take a peek, but so far I don't think
it's happened.

[1] [http://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Dr-Deming-
Management/dp/0201...](http://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Dr-Deming-
Management/dp/0201633663)

------
pearjuice
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

------
serpix
By definition if you know what your manager should be doing you're in the
wrong position.

~~~
a3n
Could you expand on that?

Not everyone is suited to, or wants to be a manager. That doesn't mean that we
haven't learned about management in our careers. And I do think we all can
learn from everyone around us.

------
xchaotic
Rework.

------
kill_dang
Atlas Shrugged, but he's not the 'reading books' type of guy.

Atlas Shrugged's Taggart Transcontinental is the company I wish I could work
for. I hate the nitpicking and bad attitude that I currently deal with. I took
this job to write code and make money, why do I have to go to all these stupid
meetings, read these stupid e-mails, use Slack, answer this stupid desk-phone
etc?

'Going to work' is what is killing my work, and nothing I say or do seems to
matter. I just want to actually get some work done, seemingly unlike the rest
of this entire corp.

Give me my keyboard, my editor, and my coffee. That's all I need and I'll
write up what I did at the end of the day, talk to me then.

~~~
a3n
> I took this job to write code and make money, why do I have to go to all
> these stupid meetings, read these stupid e-mails, use Slack, answer this
> stupid desk-phone etc?

I call that work about work. Most of it's needless.

They _say_ it's to help us get better results, etc, but I think it's really
about adding meaning to _their_ work life. Or just to their life.

