Books I Recommend to Software Developers

Here are a few of the books I've read that opened my eyes. Some have become standards; others remain obscure. All are in some way or other related to the art and discipline of software engineering.

Design

Objects of Desire - Adrian Forty, ISBN 0-394-50792-4.
Forty spends a speedy 250 pages refuting the idea that "Form Follows Function", showing in case after case how supposedly strictly-functional furniture and appliances are actually expressions of the tastes of those who built them and who bought them. A good slap upside the head if you think that a spreadsheet is just a spreadsheet.

The Design of Everyday Things - Donald Norman, ISBN 0-465-06709-3.
While Norman's second book was terrible, this, his first book is essential for any designer. Norman's point is that designers tend to hide, rather than reveal, how to use an object. His section on the difficulty of understanding how to open a door is an eye-opener.

Computers as Theatre - Brenda Laurel, ISBN 0-201-51048-0
When Laurel says "Theatre" she means classical theater -- the ancient greeks. She applies a classical theatrical analysis to the computer experience, and shows how even business software such as speadsheets contain the theatrical elements that make using the software satisfying. Another good slap upside the head if you think you can ignore the humanities and still design successful software.

The Future of Architecture - Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wright describes the principles that guided his architecture: know your materials' true nature, and be true to that nature. A peek into the mind of an innovative architect who didn't mind throwing stones (figuratively) at ancient greek temples.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art - Scott McCloud, ISBN 0-06-097625-X
A description of the art and science of comic strips, this is the best (and most accessible) essay I've seen on how and why art isn't about reproducing reality. It's in the form of a comic book!

Sociology/Athropology

Homo Ludens - Johan Huizinga, ISBN 0-8070-4681-7
The title translates to "Man the Player". Huizinga's point is that everything people do, from law to war to art, is essentially play. He begins by developing a strict definition of the elements of play, then goes on to show how even serious elements of life such as courts and battlefields share the common elements of play. His section on war, written either during or just after world war 2, shows why the idea of "all out war" was unthinkable.

The Silent Language - Edward T. Hall, ISBN 0-385-05549-8.
A readable, popular introduction to the nonverbal elements of culture, and how supposedly linear elements such as space and time are perceived very differently by different cultures.

The Hidden Dimension - Edward T. Hall, ISBN 0-385-08476-5.
This book is Hall's discussion of how space is perceived and structured in various cultures.

The Dance of Life - Edward T. Hall.
Hall takes up the perception of time in this book.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces - Joseph Campbell ISBN 0691017840.
Campbell describes the structure of a type of myth he calls "the hero's journey", which he claims is universal. He then goes on to show the appearance of this journey in stories from cultures all over the world. It's a good introduction to the idea of a universal human experience in the face of widely varying cultures. While Campbell has his detractors, I believe his Hero's Journey outlines the process by which the human mind (and even corporations) adapts to new circumstances.

Other Topics

Please Stand By - Michael Ritchie, ISBN 0-87951-615-1.
Subtitled "the prehistory of television", this book describes the television industry when it was still experimental, with all its quirky engineers, rabid policitos, and tireless actors and writers. Its parallels with the expansion of the Internet are surprizing.

The Maiden Bride - Linda Needham, ISBN 0-380-79636-8.
Linda's latest Historical Romance. Read about all her books at her home page.