OT: best book in years

[Alex Martelli]

Patrick Useldinger wrote:

> trying to find a book or two to read there. As I have not come across
> anything spectacular recently (except Python in a Nutshell), I would like
> to know what *you* consider to be the best book you have read in the last
> few years, about Python or IT in general.

I see you got a lot of excellent recommendations (none Python-related,
that I've seen, though -- oh well!) and I just thought I'd add mine...:


Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices
by Robert C. Martin, Prentice Hall

    just about the book I wanted to write myself -- *except* that
    all examples are in Java and C++, while I would have chosen
    Python and Ruby.  But if you can stomach reading Java and C++,
    this is VERY worth reading.


Agile Modeling: Effective Practices for Extreme Programming and the Unified
Process -- by Scott W. Ambler, John Wiley

    most XP / Agile development books underplay any artefacts that
    aren't code -- Ambler shows convincingly how and why "modeling"
    artefacts may play a crucial role in such dev't processes, and
    does so in an extremely readable way.


Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround
by Louis V. Gerstner Jr., HarperBusiness

    If you're at all curious how IBM was turned around (I was, having
    left IBM just before its crisis became visible and being left with
    substantial fondness for that firm), this book will prove quite
    interesting indeed.



Alex