“How to Get There” Presentation Citations

In my php[tek] keynote, “How to Get There“, I make several references to books, cognitive psychology, TED talks, dead Austro-Hungarian writers, and 1980′s television dramas. For those interested in pursuing any of these (especially “L.A. Law”), and to give due credit to my influences, here are the things I named.

(Separately, you can see the slides at SpeakerDeck. The video was recorded, but I’m not sure when that will be posted.)

L.A. Law, a 1980′s evening television drama (maybe?) about some lawyers in Los Angeles. You should not watch it.
Franz Kafka, an amazing writer, perhaps best known for “The Metamorphosis“.
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, a classic children’s story that’s really quite weird. But amusing.
Jim Henson, a genius, and creator of The Muppets.
“David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants” by Malcolm Gladwell. Really great book by a fantastic author (seriously: read all of his stuff). The key premise of the book: “We need a better guide to facing giants.”
“Why Students Don’t Like School?” by Daniel T. Willingham. A cognitive psychologist’s explanation on how we think and how we learn. Written for teachers.
Kathryn Schulz, “On Being Wrong“. A TED talk about the mentality involved with being wrong (vs. being right) and how that affects our lives and decision making. Brilliant, revolutionary, totally amazing.
“How to Ask Questions the Smart Way“, a classic web page explaining how to do better asking questions.
The discussion of “fixed” vs. “growth” mindset comes from the work of Carol Dweck. I first read about it in a The Atlantic article titled “Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators” by Megan McArdle.
“The Pragmatic Programmer” by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. A standard book on being a good programmer. Nearly a must-read for developers.
“How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon. A rather heavy book on setting life goals and achieving them.
Friedrich Nietzsche, a 19th century German philosopher, known for his “man and superman” theory.
Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, among other things. Also, kind of an a**hole.