eriksmartt.com/blog

Popular Posts:

• Using the Python for Series 60 Bluetooth Console from OS X
• Arduino development on Ubuntu PPC (and command-line Arduino)
• Passing JSON via the X-JSON HTTP header with Django and Prototype
• Ubuntu + Hildon UI = in-Car PC UI
• Moving my blog from WordPress to Django; Part 2: Migrating the data
• Cold weather fuel leak

A few books I'm reading now:

• "Innovation and Entrepreneurship" by Peter Drucker
• "Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change"
• "Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant"

A few books I'd recommend:

• Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles Wheelan -- A fantastic overview of the field of Economics. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson -- a true tale of scientific thinking throughout history. You'll be amazed by how much we still don't know.
• Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner -- a fun read offering a somewhat different way of looking at society. Answers questions like "Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?", and what qualities in a parent matter for the success of a child later in life?
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. I'm a bit of a GTD freak since reading this, but productivity == $$ (whether you can simply get more work done in a given time, or work less by focusing on the right tasks.)

Recently read books:

• "JavaScript: The Good Parts" -- A thin book with some good best-practices, but a little disappointing. Perhaps it's JavaScript's fault, not the author's ;-)
• "Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks" -- Good overview of usability issues in designing HTML forms, backed by examples and eye-tracking research. I bought the digital edition, which was slightly cheaper. (You can use code: WFDDE to get an extra 10% off any purchase on the publisher's site.)
• "What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful" by Marshall Goldsmith -- Discusses interpersonal skills (and how to identify and fix them) that most commonly hold executives back in their career advancement.
• "The Simplicity Survival Handbook: 32 Ways To Do Less And Accomplish More" -- Lesson: Cut the corporate B.S. and stop wasting your time. Focus only on what matters most.
• "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High" -- Lessons on handling tough conversations: firing people, relationship problems, hostage negotiations (well, maybe not that last one.) Wasn't an exciting read, but I've been paying more attention to "turning points" in conversations since reading it.
• "Watchmen" -- Graphic novel to be released as a feature film in 2009.
• "The Unwritten Laws of Business" -- Very short. Flip through it at a book store before buying. If you already have corporate work experience you can probably skip this one.
• "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. -- Classic book on being friendly to people to get your way.
• "The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done" -- I really enjoyed this one. It's about the value of picking the right things to work on... the things that matter to your organization, and that fit with your strengths.
• "Practical Django Projects" -- Lessons in building reusable ("pluggable") Django applications. Assumes you know the basics of Django and Python.
• "Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Edition" -- I really enjoyed this one. Lots of suggestions and strategies for negotiating.