Reading suggestions for 2021

I tend to take notes from books, or simply highlight passages as I go. I read whenever I can, but I’ve never made a conscious effort to read regularly - which works fine until life gets busy, at which point learning is usually the first thing to slip.

This year I’m committing to reading one book a month. It’s not a huge target, but it should be enough to build a steady habit, think differently, and keep expanding my knowledge.

What’s on the list?

• Michael J. Fox – No Time Like the Future I’ve read Fox’s other books and his optimism always shines through. After a couple of setbacks, I’m curious to see how his perspective has evolved. Expecting an emotive, insightful read.

• Mapping Experiences: A Complete Guide to Creating Value through Journeys, Blueprints, and Diagrams (dead-link) Miscommunication about mapping techniques is common in teams - an experience map showing how customers interact with your business is a different thing from a story map, and the distinction gets lost. Hoping this sharpens my skills and helps me pick the right tool at the right time.

• Agile Product Management with Scrum Roman Pichler’s earlier book, Strategize, was a great introduction to core product concepts for alignment and direction. This one focuses on applying those concepts practically within Scrum - looking forward to the refresh.

• User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product Jeff Patton is a well-known figure in the Agile community, and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I haven’t read this yet. I stopped using story maps after going remote, which is a shame - time to revisit the tool properly.

• Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work and Let Your Next Job Find You