My Bookshelf

I have always been a voracious reader. Growing up, I read Calvin and Hobbes and the Redwall series and as many short stories in English textbooks as I could in the back of the class. These days, I read primarily nonfiction, which dominates my lists below. But maybe the better way to think of it is as a desire to always be learning, complementing my skills with a habit of research. There a few observations I have made along the way that I wish to highlight before diving into books.

The Application of Knowledge Is the Purpose of Accumulating It

The practical application of the knowledge you learn separates you from those who merely memorize it. I have often seen a paraphrase of a passage from Art & Fear1 about a ceramics teacher who separates his class into two groups: one that will spend the semester theorizing and studying the best way to make a pot, and one that will make as many pots as possible.

At the end of the semester, each group makes a pot for a final grade. The group that makes as many pots as possible during the semester will inevitably produce a higher-quality product than the group that merely theorizes about it. There are a lot of caveats here pertaining to feedback and growth. But the lesson I take is that the accumulation of knowledge is useless without application.

The Great Sources Come Back Again and Again

Primarily I’m speaking of nonfiction books here, where the truly great studies and big insights are rehashed in new books all the time. When reading, look for citations and references that can lead you to related material. It’s not that new books and fresh takes aren’t worth reading; it’s more that reading the source material will save you time in the long run. Reading a tome like Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow will inevitably save you time when you see those same concepts presented in a different book later.

The Psychology of People

These books have helped me understand how people think and have ultimately improved my communication with others. There are fun takes on some of these topics in books like Freakonomics. But these are my favorites that I recommend to others. Being an effective communicator is a critical skill.

Business and Professional Development

All of these books can help develop personal habits and knowledge of how for-profit businesses run, which can be a valuable asset no matter where you go. This is a very short list of the business and professional development books that I refer to. It would be foolhardy to forgo learning and studying the skills needed to be an effective leader.

Engineers’ Path to Leadership

It’s not a given that all engineers want to progress on the so-called “managerial track.” I have done it, and in addition to seeking counsel from trusted colleagues who had made the transition, these are the books I read as I began taking the plunge and applying for managerial roles. The key takeaway that I have since learned is that whatever you think “leadership” is, there is a whole other side of being responsible for people’s careers and livelihoods that no book can prepare you for emotionally.

Life and Emotional Hangovers

Some books leave me with a heavy heart at the close—a book so good that I can’t quite start the next one. I need a day or two to really let it soak in. While these books don’t really fit neatly into a category above, they have left a lasting impression on me nonetheless. Some deal with heavy topics; others might inspire you. Enjoy.

Author’s Note

Significant Revisions

  • Jul 20th, 2024 Originally published on https://www.jsrowe.com with uid 56EBCCD0-E5AD-4376-86FB-5EF9A5E96160
  • Jul 13th, 2024 First draft

EOF/Footnotes

  1. https://blog.codinghorror.com/quantity-always-trumps-quality/ A review of this citation from the perspective of a fellow engineering writer. ↩