Book reviews - January 2020

Welcome to the first edition of books I have read and my thoughts on them. We will cover the literature I got to read at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

The Unicorn Project (by Gene Kim)

The story is a follow up to the Phoenix Project. This was the first technical book I have ever read that was written as a novel. The concept of teaching ideas through a medium of storytelling is a wonderful concept.

This book brings a lot of important software development and project management concepts that help you succeed in the modern world. The ideas are provided in an easy-to-read manner surrounded by examples from the Parts Unlimited corporation that you may find relatable to your own organisation.

I caught myself getting obsessed with this book and needing to read the next chapter to know what happens next.

Make time (by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky)

If you find that you are wasting your time and in need of some digital detox and overall better organisation in order to achieve some goals, this is a great book packed with a lot of different pieces of advice that can help you on that journey.

I found that some of the ideas the authors propose I have already implemented in my life as a result of trying to spend less time scrolling the bottomless pit of distraction.

An easy and quick read packed with advice that is worth your time.

The Little Book Of Coaching Models (by Bob Bates)

The book is packed full of condensed advice that distills a huge amount of research on people’s behaviours and serves as a great reference on how to achieve certain results with practical ideas.

I have read this book on my phone but have already ordered a physical copy so can mark parts of it and have it at hand when I need some guidance.

It is only recently that I have started reading consistently again, but am pretty sure this book is one of the most useful books I have read in the last 12 months and will remain as such for the foreseeable future.

Ikigai (by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles)

This was the final book I have read this month as I kept hearing about it. It is a very easy read that gives some common sense advice and wisdom from Japanese centenarians.

Just a good book to read to help reflect on your life and what is important and makes you think about your personal purpose.