Team Favorites: Books That Inspired Us This Year

I asked the team what books have been shaping their thinking lately, and I think they came up with some good ones. These picks range from design and productivity to meditations on creativity and leadership. If you’re looking for a gift that fuels curiosity (or an excuse to curl up and read something meaningful yourself), here are a few worth adding to your list.

Feel Good Productivity By Ali Abdaal

Recommended by our Software Delivery Manager, Michael Kurt, this book is a good deep dive into why we feel the need to be productive, what science says about various approaches to productivity and work, and how to create a system that works for you. Abdaal reframes productivity from being about output and efficiency to being about energy and joy. It’s less about squeezing more hours out of your day and more about finding a rhythm that makes your work feel sustainable—and even fun.

Leadership is Language By: L. David Marquet

Marquet anchors the entire book to the tragic sinking of the container ship El Faro in 2015, using that example to track the evolution of language from the military to corporate boardrooms, explain ideas of social intelligence, warn of the dangers of groupthink and corporate homogeneity, and suggest alternative ways of communicating on a team that flattens hierarchies, promotes psychological safety, and leads to better outcomes. Our Engineering Manager, Ben Parisot, recommends this read.

Obviously Awesome By April Dunford

If you’ve ever struggled to explain what makes your work different (not just good), April Dunford’s Obviously Awesome is the guidebook you didn’t know you needed. I (Autumn Morgan, Marketing Coordinator) used this book to help us update some of our framing and marketing materials. Sometimes we just need to look at things with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. I appreciate marketing books that aren’t about “hype” or “selling for the sake of selling” but connecting with clients. It’s about truth-telling and context, showing people what already works, and helping them see it in a new light.

Sustainable Web Development with Ruby on Rails by David Bryant Copeland

Senior Developer Liz Pantalone's favorite book by David Bryant Copeland is "Sustainable Web Development with Ruby on Rails."

She says, “I went to his talk at RailsConf 2022 in Portland, and it was the best talk I went to. He gives very clear cut examples and reasons why we organize our codebases the way we do. And it's not even really Rails-specific. Anyone using any major MVC framework can benefit, especially Django devs. This book has been really helpful when I'm tasked with a client's code audit. It gives me a framework by which to evaluate codebases.”

The Creative Act: A Way of Being By Rick Rubin

As an artist, I (Autumn again!) find Rick Rubin’s perspectives profoundly inspiring. The Creative Act isn’t just a book for artists. It’s a reminder that creativity belongs to everyone, especially those of us solving problems every day. Rubin writes with such calm and presence that you almost forget you’re reading about creativity; it feels more like a meditation on paying attention. And it’s all written in bite-sized chapters, so you feel like you can really sit with each passage, digest it, and think about where you might apply it. He invites you to slow down, listen, and rediscover the joy of making something- not for the algorithm, but for the human spirit. Personally, it reminds me that good ideas aren’t summoned by pressure; they grow in spaciousness, curiosity, and care.

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

The Design of Everyday Things is recommended by our COO, Gary Blessington. He says it’s one of those books that makes you see the world differently. Don Norman shows how everyday stuff often frustrates us, not because we’re clueless, but because it’s designed poorly. His point is simple: good design should feel obvious. Think of light switches lined up in the same order as the lights in the room, or an elevator button that lights up so you know it worked. Reading it made me think beyond design, too, about how any process or action can either create friction or remove it. The lesson is clear: make things simple, smooth, and easier for people.

The Senior Software Engineer: 11 Practices of an Effective Technical Leader By: David Bryant Copeland

William Mena says, “This book has been both entertaining and encouraging for me as a mid-level engineer working toward becoming a senior. It’s reassuring to see that I’m already practicing some of the habits and mindsets described, while also giving me new perspectives to grow from. For example, it pushed me to think more intentionally about how I debug, what really defines a code smell, and how to navigate conversations under pressure. Even when the concepts weren’t brand new, it was validating to see them framed in a way that helps me refine my approach and keep developing toward that next level.”

He was also a guest on the Maintainable Software Podcast, where he and Robby discussed the challenges of retrofitting tests into existing software, the importance of making thoughtful design decisions, and how engineers can balance advice from experienced practitioners with their own context and constraints.

Tidy First? By: Kent Beck

Tidy First? by Kent Beck is a thoughtful exploration of how small, consistent improvements make large software changes easier to manage. Beck reframes refactoring as “tidying”—a lightweight, everyday habit that helps developers reduce future costs and keep systems adaptable. It challenges the reflex to rewrite and instead celebrates the quiet, steady work of making existing code better over time, a mindset that perfectly aligns with how we approach legacy Rails projects at Planet Argon. We also shared a full review of this book.

These Books Make the Perfect Gift!

These books make the perfect gift for anyone who loves to learn, build, or create, and they pair nicely with a cozy blanket, a cup of coffee, and maybe something from our Ginormous Ruby on Rails Gift Guide.