| Books Co-authored by Dave Sussman: |
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We asked some of our (and your!) favorite authors to share with us their
favorite 10 computer books from the past 10 years. Here's what we got back.
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Dave Sussman is a freelance writer, trainer, and consultant who lives in a rural village in England. He spends most of his time in betaland, a strange place inhabited by test software that changes daily and where there only seems to be 12 hours in a day. He strongly believes in the Douglas Adams view of deadlines. Dave Sussman speaks frequently at Microsoft development conferences and has been writing about ASP since its earliest releases.
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Dave's favorite books: |
The Psychology of Every Day Things by Donald A Norman --
Despite this not being a computer book per se it's still one of the best on the design and usability of objects. Much of what is discussed has relevance to user interface design and gives insight into many of our thought processes. Anyone who builds products, whether software or hardware, ought to read this.
 Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition by Steve Krug --
Web site usability. Often an oxymoron, much like common sense. This book takes a soul searching look at the usability of web sites, giving examples of the good, the bad, and the downright strange, explaining how common sense can add value to a web site. What's interesting is the advice applies to all people, from designers and programmers to managers and marketing.
 Designing with Web Standards, 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Zeldman --
It sounds like a Star Wars rejected plot – "Jeffrey Zeldman, founder of The Web Standards Project Jeffrey vows to bring an end to the browser wars". Oh wait, that was the clone wars. Sorry. Although the browser war continues, Jeffrey has been critical in bringing standards to the forefront of public attention. Take a look at A List Apart (http://www.alistapart.com/) for all the latest on CSS, and the CSS Zen Garden (http://www.csszengarden.com/) for what's possible with CSS. This book is a distillation of some of those ideas, as Jeffrey examines how sites can use CSS in various stages to move from pure HTML sites to CSS styled ones. If you don't think using HTML for styling and layout is a problem then you really need this book.
(The author's original choice was an older edition that is now out of print. This link is to the current edition)
 Writing Secure Code, 2nd Edition by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc --
This is probably the best book on security. Don't be put off by its size or the use of C++ for many of the code samples. The value of this book lies in its depth of coverage: cryptography, web sites, databases, testing, reviewing, and so on. There is so much useful information in this book that it should be a crime for programmers not to own it. Oh, and if you ever get a chance to see Michael Howard speak at a conference do; that will convince you to buy the book as he regales you with tales of security woe.
 Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 by Kalen Delaney --
I have three versions of this book, for versions 6.5, 7 and 2000. Someone once said to Alex Homer at a conference "I'd happily pay $60 for a book if it had one page in it that solved one of my problems". For me that was the first version of this book, but it goes way beyond the one page. Just about every aspect of SQL Server is covered, from internals to advanced T-SQL.
 About Face 3.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper --
Alan Cooper is the father of Visual Basic; he invented the visual design ideas that underpin it. He's also fairly outspoken and has very interesting views on user interface design. He considers the interface between humans and computers in detail and does not concentrate on just the visual side. He looks at the whole way in which interfaces are created, how the applications that programmers write communicate to the users, and how that can be improved. Creating programs that help users achieve their goals is the most important topic that appears as an undercurrent throughout the book. Don't upset the users. Give them what they want, not what you can program. Make it easy to work with. Like many books, this contains a great deal of common sense, along with some new and interesting ideas. It's a fairly hefty tome, but extremely easy to read. Alan is very critical of a lot of software in use today, and for those of you, who find using some current applications frustrating, this will be a joy to read.
(The author's original choice was an older edition that is now out of print. This link is to the current edition)
 Configuring ISA Server 2000: Building Firewalls for Windows 2000 by Dr. Thomas Shinder and Debra Littlejohn Shinder --
There's only one place you go if you want to learn about ISA Server and that's http://www.isaserver.org/, a site run by the two authors. This book, and its companion ISA Server and Beyond, are invaluable if you need to use ISA Server in your organization. They cover every aspect, from perimeter networks, DMZs, configuring email access and so on. I couldn't have done without this book in setting up my network, and a new version for ISA Server 2004 is already available.
Dynamics of Software Development (Out of Print) by Jim McCarthy --
I bought this when it first came out, after seeing Jim speak at a conference. What he said made a lot of sense. This book deals with development: the principles of organising teams, managing people, managing the product and most importantly (as the subtitle suggests) how to deliver great software on time. The principles involved in managing a team of developers are fairly simple, but not always easy to implement, but the ideas put forward in this book have proved that they work. They are split into 54 rules, with some entertaining names, such as "Don't flip the Bozo bit" and "Don't shake the Jell-O". It'll make sense when you read it. Trust me. Having a shared vision for the delivery of a product, setting realistic timescales, not pushing developers into working 80 hour weeks. There are just so many simple ideas that to repeat them would repeat the book. Whether a single developer, a team leader, or a department manager, you should read this book. It may not all apply directly to you, but you will learn from it. It is thought provoking, entertaining and most of all, full of good sense.
 Head First Java, 2nd Edition by Bert Bates and Cathy Sierra --
I know nothing about Java and nor do I have a use for it, so in all respects this book is useless to me. But I love it. It's the style I wish I'd thought of, funny and stupid but highly informative. Despite the zaniness it's actually a highly instructive book and covers some deeply technical topics. This is the book I'd use if I wanted to learn Java.
Mr. Bunny's Guide to ActiveX (Out of Print) by Carlton Egremont III --
I shouldn't need to say anything about this; it's a classic. Admittedly ActiveX isn't a current technology and the book doesn't really teach you anything about it anyway, but it's funny. That alone makes it worthwhile.
 Pattern Recognition by William Gibson --
I admit it. I'm a bit of a Gibson junkie. PR came out in paperback in the UK. Bought it. Read it. One sitting, no food or drink. Just too engaged. Didn't realise how much time had passed or how hungry I was until I turned the last page. Might not be as groundbreaking as Neuromancer, but it's his best since then. Possibly better. It's not even cyber-punk; none of that future world stuff. It's rooted very much in today, recognisable characters with problems. I particularly like his description of jet-leg - soul creep - and the wave of tiredness. PR is straight into my top 10 of all books, jostling for the number 1 spot.
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