5 Summer reads for IT professionals

It’s always a good time to pick up a book, but August is a particularly great month for reading. During a vacation you have all sorts of downtime: traveling, working on your tan on the beach, staying in line in front of a museum, etc. Having something to read makes the time fly.So we gathered a bunch of books that we, the Qubiz Team, recommend. We kept in mind that during summer you might prefer lighter subjects, so we skipped the Microsoft Certification Exam guidebooks! Without further ado, let's see the titles:

The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, & Helping Your Business Win

by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr & George Spafford– recommended by Gyula, one of our DevOps

A novel about software development? Why not! The narrative is not abundant in technical details, but compensates that with a good storytelling.Bill is an IT manager at Parts Unlimited. The company's new IT project, code named Phoenix Project, is massively over budget and very late. The CEO wants Bill to report directly to him and fix the mess in ninety days or else Bill's entire department will be outsourced. With the clock ticking, Bill must organise the workflow, streamline interdepartmental communications, and effectively serve the other business functions at Parts Unlimited.Besides the plot twists, the book presents real-life IT problems and offers (working) solutions. I recommend it to every (IT professional) bookworm.

Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World

by Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott– recommended by Alex, one of our developers

The book takes the reader on an inspiring journey to discover how top industries (like manufacturing or music) work and what are their real operational costs. A particularly interesting read was the chapters focused on how big companies are profiting from the average man. It also highlights some problems these industries face and explains how blockchain can be a beacon of hope for these businesses.The book takes a shot at the “this is normal and the way to go can be changed” type of mentality. It shows how it changes once new technologies (like blockchain) makes their way into the mainstream use. Another area of application the book proposes for the use of blockchain is the public sector. Corrupt political systems can be reformed with the help of technology. Estonia did it, even before blockchain was “on the streets”.Above all else, Blockchain revolution is a wonderful history book about our days. If you're interested in how the vision of IoT and the blockchain can shape our future, then this book is a must-read. As the authors said: "The future is not something to be predicted, it's something to be achieved!"

Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone

by Satya Nadella– recommended by Marius, another one of our developers!

The book gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how Microsoft works, what drove their recent decisions in becoming a devices & services company, how they managed to implement these changes, and where their focus is for the future.It's all narrated from the perspective of Satya Nadella, Microsoft's current CEO and mastermind of the recent transformation.It's not a technical book; that being said, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in how big companies work, how decision-making happens and what they do to drive so many people.

How To Start a Business Analyst Career

by Laura Brandenburg– recommended by Alina, one of our business analysts & PMs

Laura Brandenburg offers a comprehensive overview of the business analyst role. If you are thinking about making a shift in your career in this direction, then this book was written for you!How To Start a Business Analyst Career is friendly, encouraging, realistic, and down to earth at the same time. Reading this book, you will have the feeling that Laura is right next to you to share her knowledge with you, give you a roadmap going forward, and ultimately, to inspire you to take the next step.This book comes in handy for determining if a business analyst role suits you, as well as for improving your skills if you are already on this career path. Enjoy the read, and good luck in your (business analysis) career!

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

by Nancy Duarte– recommended by Krisz, one of our marketing specialists

Ever had the feeling that your audience wasn’t engaged or your message didn’t quite get through? This could happen at your team’s daily meeting or at that big presentation you’re having for the boss.Nancy Duarte is a guru of presentations. Her book covers every aspect of preparing and giving a speech or presentation, from defining the idea and structure, to choosing the right type of presentation, and getting the most out of the Q&A.The information is arranged in 50 very short chapters, so it can also be used as a checklist every time you are getting ready to give a presentation or speech.The book is a quick, easy and captivating read. I’d especially recommend it to you if you have to work with people, regardless of your experience in giving speeches or how technical your role is.

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