Ryan Singer's Reading List

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People often ask me for a reading list. Here are my most common recommendations.


STARTERS:

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information - Edward Tufte
http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Display-Quantitative-Information/dp/0961392142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327537840&sr=8-1

Hot Text: Web Writing that Works - Lisa and Jonathan Price
(Excellent before/after examples)
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Text-Writing-that-Works/dp/0735711518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327537857&sr=8-1

Integrating Around the Job to be Done - Clayton Christensen
http://hbr.org/product/integrating-around-the-job-to-be-done-module-note/an/611004-PDF-ENG

Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software - Eric Evans
http://www.amazon.com/Domain-Driven-Design-Tackling-Complexity-Software/dp/0321125215

The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton Christensen
http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

The Innovator's Solution - Clayton Christensen and Michael Raynor
http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Solution-Creating-Sustaining-Successful/dp/1578518520/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327537919&sr=1-2



GOING DEEPER:

Notes on the Synthesis of Form - Christopher Alexander
(The first half beautifully articulates the design process. The attempt to formalize in the second half can be ignored.)
http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Synthesis-Form-Harvard-Paperbacks/dp/0674627512/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327537892&sr=1-1

Test-Driven Development by Example - Kent Beck
(I don't do TDD. The point is to learn how to scope off work into constructive steps.)
http://www.amazon.com/Test-Driven-Development-Kent-Beck/dp/0321146530/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327538062&sr=8-1

Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns - Kent Beck
http://www.amazon.com/Smalltalk-Best-Practice-Patterns-Kent/dp/013476904X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327538087&sr=1-1

Why We Buy - Paco Underhill
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Buy-Shopping-Updated-Internet/dp/1416595244



FAR AFIELD:

The Nature of Order Book Two - Christopher Alexander
http://www.amazon.com/Process-Creating-Life-Building-Universe/dp/0972652922

The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception - James J. Gibson
http://www.amazon.com/Ecological-Approach-Visual-Perception/dp/0898599598

Cognitive Grammar: A Basic Introduction - Ronald Langacker
http://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Grammar-Introduction-Ronald-Langacker/dp/0195331966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327538288&sr=1-1


DEEPEST:

The Way Things Are - Lama Ole Nydahl
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Things-Are-Approach-Buddhism/dp/1846940427/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327538326&sr=1-1