HN Books @HNBooksMonth

I don't know how much of it is true, but if even half of the anecdotes in Showstoppers are true then Dave Cutler is indeed a force of nature to be reckoned with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0759285780?pc_redir=1396671731...

⬐ wglb

Few of us have written one os, but he has written or been the main force behind THREE.

Also - a book that I haven't seen mentioned in this thread yet is:

http://www.amazon.com/Showstopper-Breakneck-Windows-Generati...

I haven't seen this edition, but if the comments are correct, try and find an original from 1994 (has a shiny cover with big red letters) to avoid the printing errors.

It's written for a general audience, but still has some technical details in it. It's more interesting from a business and personality standpoint - at that level of software development doing things like kicking holes in your office walls becomes a little more acceptable (that would have gotten me fired at any job I've held)

⬐ mackwic

Thank's for the feedback and the book. I'll try to find an original one.

I did not see it on the list but Showstopper is an very good book(http://www.amazon.com/Showstopper-Breakneck-Windows-Generati...) It tells the story of the Windows NT team's couple years of major ups and downs developing the windows. It starts from the hiring of Dave Cutler from DEC to the release of the project. If you want a good view into how large software projects go I think you can't go wrong with this book. You get an idea for why the Windows team made some tradeoff (like security ;p) made in those days to finish the product and how a strong project leader was a must to keep the project on track.

I can't recommend the book enough I've read it a few times already.

⬐ kabdib

Yeah, it's right up there with _Soul of a New Machine_, as far as I'm concerned.

⬐ jirinovotny

Thanks! I've added it to the list. Looks like a hot candidate for a book that I am going to read next.

If you really want to read about technology startups in other fields, MIT's Technology Review is legendary

http://www.technologyreview.com/

Classic books before you go outside software hardware

"Showstopper! The Breakneck Race to Create Windows NT and the Next Generation at Microsoft"

http://www.amazon.com/Showstopper-Breakneck-Windows-Generati...

"Money from Thin Air: The Story of Craig McCaw, the Visionary who Invented the Cell Phone Industry, and His Next Billion-Dollar Idea"

http://www.amazon.com/Money-Thin-Air-Visionary-Billion-Dolla...

Any bio related to blockbuster drug discovery like:

"Laughing Gas, Viagra, and Lipitor: The Human Stories behind the Drugs We Use"

http://www.amazon.com/Laughing-Gas-Viagra-Lipitor-Stories/dp...

Kinda off-beat but "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe

And if you've read many references to "Founders at Work" and do not yet own your own copy, it is the best startup book out there.

⬐ knowledgesale

Very valuable comment, thanks!