The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

Eric Brechner Why did I love this book?

AI is all the rage now, but as good as these deep learning and generative algorithms are, they don’t yet produce human levels of general intelligence.

How do human brains work? What is the nature of sentience? Can it be reproduced? Until now, no one has published a testable theory of how our brains produce consciousness. A Thousand Brains provides that theory in a clear and understandable fashion based on insights gained from brain research.

I believe it’s the most important book of this century. I also loved how it helped me better understand how I learn, think, and generate ideas.

By Jeff Hawkins,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Thousand Brains as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For all we hear of neuroscience's great advances, the field has generated more questions than answers. We know that the brain combines sensory input from all over your body into a single perception, but not how. We think brains "compute" in some sense, but we can't say what those computations are. We believe that the brain is organized as a hierarchy, with different pieces all working collaboratively to make a single model of the world. But we can explain neither how those pieces are differentiated, nor how they collaborate.

Neuroscientist and computer engineer Jeff Hawkins argues that it's so hard…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Radical Candor

Eric Brechner Why did I love this book?

This unfortunately titled book reflects my own philosophy and recommendations for managing software engineers. The title is unfortunate because there's nothing radical about the author's recommendations, at least not to me.

The focus is on providing compassionate candor to your staff, caring personally about them while directly challenging them in areas where they should improve. The first part of the book explains why you should take this approach, including its benefits. The second part provides clear and specific guidance on attaining those benefits.

Having been a manager and coach for over 25 years, I'm often asked what management book I recommend. Until now, my choices were too esoteric or too academic. Now, I recommend Radical Candor.

By Kim Scott,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Radical Candor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Featuring a new preface, afterword and Radically Candid Performance Review Bonus Chapter, the fully revised & updated edition of Radical Candor is packed with even more guidance to help you improve your relationships at work.

'Reading Radical Candor will help you build, lead, and inspire teams to do the best work of their lives.' - Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In.

If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all . . . right?

While this advice may work for home life, as Kim Scott has seen first hand, it is a disaster when adopted…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Eric Brechner Why did I love this book?

I’m not a gamer, but I adored the characters in Gabrielle Zevin’s novel about game designers, game developers, and the different ways people can love one another.

At its center, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is about two people who connect with each other over games and enter a lifelong collaboration. You rarely see platonic love and partnership portrayed in media, with all its complexity, pain, pettiness, and joy. The Beatles: Get Back documentary did so for John and Paul. This book does it for Sam and Sadie.

It’s ridiculous to say that it made me laugh and cry, but it did. It also made me appreciate the thoughtfulness and effort that goes into creating transcendent art, that also goes into staying connected through triumphs and tragedies.

By Gabrielle Zevin,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* AMAZON'S #1 BOOK OF 2022 *

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest, examining identity, creativity and our need to connect.

This is not a romance, but it is about love.

'I just love this book and I hope you love it too' JOHN GREEN, TikTok

Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital in 1987. Sadie is visiting her sister, Sam is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there, but playing together brings joy, escape, fierce competition -- and a special friendship. Then all too soon that time is…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Agile Project Management with Kanban

By Eric Brechner,

Book cover of Agile Project Management with Kanban

What is my book about?

With Kanban, every minute you spend on a software project can add value for customers. Think of this book as “Kanban in a box”: open it, read the quickstart guide, and you’re up and running fast.

As you gain experience, the book reveals powerful techniques for right-sizing teams, estimating, meeting deadlines, deploying components and services, adapting or evolving from Scrum or traditional Waterfall, and more.

You’ll find pragmatic advice, useful checklists, rude Q&As, and actionable lessons for every step of your journey. This truly is “Kanban in a box”: all you need to deliver breakthrough value and quality.