Communication
It's OK That You're Not OK
Megan Devine
I include this book in 'communication' because it is by and large about how to work through communicating with your circles about loss and grief, as well as a guide to how they might approach you more gently. It's not related to I.T. like the rest of the books that you see here, but I found it so valuable that I felt I had to share it. The author does a terrific job of validating grief, explaining why you shouldn't feel ashamed of it or rushed to 'fix' it, and providing good advice on how to push through and live with loss that will never fully go away. Really worth a read... ideally even BEFORE you suffer the kind of loss that necessitates it.
Talking from 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work
Deborah Tannen
Written in 1994, this is an eye-opening discussion of some common differences between how men and women are raised to communicate, and how this impacts work life. Full of both first- and second-hand examples, each chapter discusses issues like the glass ceiling, sense of authority, negotiation tactics, and other issues in the career world from the perspective of typical communicative differences between men and women, without further perpetuating broad stereotypes about what either gender 'should' do. A progressive read, the book nonetheless steers away from a political agenda to present a genuinely objective account of differences between how men and women are taught to talk, and how both men and women can benefit in the workplace from learning more about these typical differences.
Design is a Job
Mike Monteiro
Hands down the best motivational resource that I've come across for designers that need to get their rears in gear to do the work they know they can, earn the money the know they deserve, and win friends and influence people along the way. Mike had me with one of his opening sentences: "This book has a spine, and by the time you're done reading it, so will you." He reminds us that design is a job, and not just a casual favor, and that we should be confident in our work, and approach it professionally.
Just Enough Research
Erika Hall
The promotional site sums it up pretty well: "A brief cookbook of research methods. Learn how to discover your competitive advantages, spot your own blind spots and biases, understand and harness your findings, and why you should never, ever hold a focus group." It's a really nice handbook for maximizing UX research efforts, regardless of the size of your operation, although the examples in the book tend to lean towards an agency working for a fairly sizable organization.
The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security
From Amazon: The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security. Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in "The Art of Deception", the world's most notorious hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief."