Deep Dive

Following are some of the books that had a huge impact on me:

Software Engineering

1. How Google Tests Software - Helped me realize Quality of Application <> Quality Assurance Dept. Going with Edward Deming's principle of "Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place."

2. Continuous Delivery  - Helped me realize to do frequent deployment after small incremental changes "If it hurts, do it often!"

3. The Lean Startup - Helped me realize the rhythm of "Build --> Measure --> Learn --> Build ... cycle

Career and Leadership Development

1. Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less - Helped me set the right expectation from my team.

2. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization - Introduced me to Systems Thinking. Helped me realize team's interdependence on each other is key to effective collaboration and beautiful results.

3. The Culture Code The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups - Helped me build teams which thrive on individual accountability, excellence and good work ethic.

4. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - Helped me understand how to make our team effective by understanding every engineer's rhythm and then mapping out when to have team daily standups, meetings, collaboration time, such that each engineer's deep work time is preserved and they can achieve flow.

5. Rejection Proof How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection - Helped me understand rejection neither defines me nor it states my capability. It helped me accept job application rejection more gracefully and helped me quickly focus my attention and energy to many possibilities that are awaiting my service. 

Personal Development, Health, Wellness & Mindfulness

1. The Bhagavad Gita - I strive to live by the verse in Bhagavad Gita: (2:47) “You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.”

2. The Circadian Code Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight By: Satchin Panda PhD - Helped me understand the efficacy of intermittent fasting, good night sleep.

3. Digital Minimalism Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World - Helped me understand how to preserve attention by riding distracting Social Media apps from my phone. Much happier now without Facebook on my phone!

4. How Will You Measure Your Life? - A must read to get a better perspective on what defines a fulfilling life. Very similar to teaching of Bhagavad Gita - in this book lies nuggets of wisdom. Guides you to lead a life of service and contribution.

5. Principles Life and Work - Introduced me to the concept of radical transparency. Honest conversation and feedback is such a refreshing change from the guessing game!

6. Little Bets - How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries - Introduced me to Prof. Muhammad Yunus and his books and eventually to the concepts of Social Business.

Parenting and caring for parents

1. The Awakened Family A Revolution in Parenting - Set me on a path to become a better mom.

2.  Being Mortal - Medicine and What Matters in the End - Helped me understand old age better and the human nature to be always independent and never controlled. Shed some light into the struggle of children and aging parents. I understand my parents much better now.

Others

1. The Wisdom of Crowds

2. 12 Angry Men - Watch it with your team to help them understand individual biases and group collaboration. Fascinating movie how our individual opinion without group collaboration can be wrong. Only after each individual opinion is brought together and discussed can the right outcome be arrived at.