Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager is an interesting read from ‘Rands’, the author of the book and the blog Rands in Repose.
If you want to gain a perspective of what it’s like to be a manager in the software development industry, you should read this book. It could also provide valuable insight for current managers looking to improve. While neither being in the Software Development industry nor even a manager in the IT industry, I was able to appreciate this book for providing the perspective of somebody that was what I am not.
I am not an IT manager myself, but after reading this book I was able to understand a little bit better the thought processes and the day-to-day events that a manager goes through compared to somebody one step down. It may not seem like rocket science when it’s summarized as I have done so far, but Rands does a good job of pointing out the subtle details, differences, and conflicts that a manager in a technical arena might encounter. This helps me appreciate my current manager and learn what I need to accomplish to work my way up.
Managing Humans is a fast read. Chapter breaks make it easy to read and digest a chunk. There are also some very entertaining articles that should be required reading for all managers, friends, and significant others/spouses of IT professionals. Many are available on his blog, and worth highlighting: The Nerd Handbook, N.A.D.D., and Writing a Resume’.
The only complaint I have about Managing Humans is petty, but in some of the early chapters there are a noticeable amount of typos and grammatical mistakes. These are probably able to be easily overlooked by most, but I have an ‘editor mind’ that highlights these things and almost throws me completely off-track of the thought I’m reading. Getting past that and my own deficiency, the book was definitely worth the time spent reading, provided some conversation material, and gave me insight (and thus greater patience) at work.
Get it on Amazon: Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager