In August last year I posted a list of books that I would consider essential reading material. I still stand behind that list, but there is one book that deserves to be added to it.
The one book…
It was published recently but I think it’ll stand the test of time: Next Gen Devops by Grant Smith.
It’s one of the few books that does an excellent job at explaining something innately technical on a level that people with no technical background can still understand. Grant offers a framework for the organization and management of the future technology department. It’s well and clearly explained, not so far out that it is impossible to implement, and above all backed by facts and examples of where it has worked before. If you’re interested in this kind of material (which given you read this blog I assume you are) this is your Christmas gift to yourself for 2014.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I happen to have worked with Grant at the time he was writing the book which gave me the chance to hear him talk (passionately) about his ideas and see how deeply he actually understands the subject.