My favorite books to explore a people first approach to technology and technological change

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m puzzled by how people and technology evolve—as humankind we created all of these wonders to make our life easier. At the same time, I feel that we are more focus on the technology and processes, rather than people. It drew me to the topic of sociotechnical systems, which fascinates me. I’ve formal education in IT, and everything is binary; however, during my career I was drawn to the intersection of technology and people. My mission in life is to support a new generation of leaders that want to create an organisational environment that puts people in the center! 


I wrote...

Software Architecture Metrics: Case Studies to Improve the Quality of Your Architecture

By João Rosa, Christian Ciceri, Dave Farley , Neal Ford , Andrew Harmel-Law , Michael Keeling , Carola Lilienthal , Alexander von Zitzewitz , Rene Weiss , Eoin Woods

Book cover of Software Architecture Metrics: Case Studies to Improve the Quality of Your Architecture

What is my book about?

Software architecture metrics are key to the maintainability and architectural quality of a software project and they can warn you about dangerous accumulations of architectural and technical debt early in the process. In this practical book, leading hands-on software architects share case studies to introduce metrics that every software architect should know.

This isn't a book about theory. It's more about practice and implementation, about what has already been tried and worked. Detecting software architectural issues early is crucial for the success of your software: it helps mitigate the risk of poor performance and lowers the cost of repairing those issues. Written by practitioners for software architects and software developers eager to explore successful case studies, this guide will help you learn more about decision and measurement effectiveness.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software

João Rosa Why did I love this book?

This book has foundational to me. I discovered it after a few years in my professional career, and it shaped my way of thinking about software and my relationship with teams and the environment. Eric distilled different patterns that helped the software community to find boundaries for the software, and I recommend it to anyone in the software industry. By discovering and setting the boundaries for the software, teams can be more effective, and software can be more efficient. “Making the implicit explicit” is the mantra of the DDD community!

By Eric Evans,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Domain-Driven Design as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Incorporate effective domain modeling into the software development process

Software design thought leader and founder of Domain Language, Eric Evans, provides a systematic approach to domain-driven design, presenting an extensive set of design best practices, experience-based techniques, and fundamental principles that facilitate the development of software projects facing complex domains. Intertwining system design and development practice, this book incorporates numerous examples based on actual projects to illustrate the application of domain-driven design to real-world software modeling and development.

Domain Model: Part I outlines the goals of domain-driven development, defines terms, and gives an overview of the implications of using the…


Book cover of Unleash Your Complexity Genius: Growing Your Inner Capacity to Lead

João Rosa Why did I love this book?

In my quest (you can also call it a professional career), I’m drawn to complexity since we create software for complex problems. There are books on Complexity Science; however, they are very academic. This particular book gives practical advice to cope with complexity. It acknowledges the balance between the emotional and rational sides and why we must bring our full-self to any aspect of our life. The “don’t be emotional, this is work” proves to be a threat to our mental well-being and kills innovation in a company. In the book, the authors explore how to listen to our bodies in the face of complexity in an accessible way.

By Carolyn Coughlin, Jennifer Garvey Berger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unleash Your Complexity Genius as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

There is a complexity paradox that we all need to understand. We humans have a natural inclination towards connection, engagement, and creativity - all necessary skills to thrive in complexity. The problem is that the stress caused by uncertainty and ambiguity makes it difficult to tap into this inclination when we need it the most. This book offers a set of practices that help you not only understand complexity but actually hack into your own nervous system to bring your natural capacities back online. By paying close attention to your body, redefining your emotional experiences, and connecting more deeply to…


Book cover of Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations

João Rosa Why did I love this book?

The authors of Accelerate explain the methodology behind the DORA DevOps report. They also expand on the relationship between the different practices in a sociotechnical system, under the DevOps light. They bring scientific research to the software industry, and at the same time they make it accessible to anyone. Competitive digital native companies leverage technology, and there are some common traits shared amongst them. Accelerate collates the insights, and provides clues for companies that want technology at their core.

By Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Winner of the Shingo Publication Award


Accelerate your organization to win in the marketplace.


How can we apply technology to drive business value? For years, we've been told that the performance of software delivery teams doesn't matter that it can't provide a competitive advantage to our companies. Through four years of groundbreaking research to include data collected from the State of DevOps reports conducted with Puppet, Dr. Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim set out to find a way to measure software delivery performance and what drives it using rigorous statistical methods. This book presents both the findings and…


Book cover of Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow

João Rosa Why did I love this book?

I love pattern languages. And Team Topologies brings patterns for team types and their interactions. Most importantly, they address fundamental problems of the software industry: how teams organise for fast flow, and how teams cope with cognitive load. The book steams from the author's experience in the DevOps community, and it is widely used across the world. Last but not least, Team Topologies give us a language that support organisation evolution.

By Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Team Topologies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Companion book Remote Team Interactions Workbook now available!


Effective software teams are essential for any organization to deliver value continuously and sustainably. But how do you build the best team organization for your specific goals, culture, and needs?


Team Topologies is a practical, step-by-step, adaptive model for organizational design and team interaction based on four fundamental team types and three team interaction patterns. It is a model that treats teams as the fundamental means of delivery, where team structures and communication pathways are able to evolve with technological and organizational maturity.


In Team Topologies, IT consultants Matthew Skelton and Manuel…


Book cover of Design for Safety

João Rosa Why did I love this book?

Technology allowed us to share information instantly; it also enabled the creation of new products. However, there is the reverse of the coin, where technology is used for abuse. Eva's book comes from her experience with survivors of abuse, and she shows how technology can be abused, and what we can use in our design process to create products that take safety into consideration. It is a must-read for anyone involved in the creation of digital products.

By Eva PenzeyMoog,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Design for Safety as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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The Managing People Practice Manual

By Neil Thompson,

Book cover of The Managing People Practice Manual

Neil Thompson Author Of The Managing People Practice Manual

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Writer Educator Adviser

Neil's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

This manual addresses the need to ensure that people are at the centre of the organisation. There has never been a timelier reminder of the need to ensure that leading, supporting and developing staff are critical aspects of creating the right organisational culture to grow and develop. Written with sensitivity, it brings together essential learning and underpinning theoretical knowledge and frameworks to promote effective practice.

This is an essential handbook for managers and leaders who want to develop the full potential of their people. It not only covers the fundamental issues of human resource management, but also highlights important topics that organisations find difficult to address, such as empowerment, stress management, mental health, equality, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of well-being at work.

The Managing People Practice Manual

By Neil Thompson,

What is this book about?

It is refreshing to come across an HR book that bridges the gap perfectly between the academic theory and the practicality of ‘how to do it'. Dr Neil Thompson takes us on a humanistic journey that genuinely captures the human dimension of people management. This is an extremely helpful manual full of important and practical information about promoting well-being to achieve the best outcome for various everyday people management issues. The easy-to-understand inclusive language of this book calls to anyone interested in people management, meaning this is a perfect book for students, HR leaders, and practitioners. I know I will…


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