Content area
Full text
Let's face it -- when it comes to IT professional development, books might be the last place people turn. With webinars, online forums, blogs, Web sites, bootcamps and social media, books would seem like a last resort.
"Most of the information I'm getting is online, whether it's headlines through Twitter or pointers to insightful articles posted on a blog," agrees Doug Ross, CIO at Western Southern Financial Group in Cincinnati. "The most digestible content now is coming in the form of fairly short posts or YouTube videos."
Still, Ross says, every so often a seminal work comes along (Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital comes to mind) that is a must-read. We asked a handful of IT professionals in a variety of industries and job titles to name the books that have influenced their careers. Here is a wrapup of titles to read before the year ends or put on your New Year resolutions list for next year.
George Lasseigne, Director of Technology, Warren Manufacturing, Inc., Birmingham, AL.
1. "The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus", Eric Harvey, David Cottrell, Al Lucia and Mike Hourigan
There are a few things that made this book relevant to me. First, the timing. It came in the mail (still no clue who sent it or how I got it) soon after I took my first management position. I had no direct reports at the time, but I was managing a number of third-party contractors. What really stood out was the advice to hire and surround yourself with quality people.
Though it sounds like common sense, it really got through to me that it's better to not have anyone at all than to have a "warm body" who's only getting some of the job done. I ended a few of the contracts and had to take on more work than I wanted for a while. However, we were more productive, and everyone -- especially me -- was happier. It's a tough lesson all managers need to learn early.
The other big point was simplicity. I had read...