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It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work
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In this timely manifesto, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Rework broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle, and "whatever it takes" are required to run a successful business today.
In Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson introduced a new path to working effectively. Now, they build on their message with a bold, iconocla ...more
In Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson introduced a new path to working effectively. Now, they build on their message with a bold, iconocla ...more
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Gonzalo Ros-Cervera
Yes, it did. At leat it the book I found after searching for this title.
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You need to read this book. Actually, scratch that, your manager needs to read this book, and his or her manager as well. All the way up the ladder. This is more than just a book, it's a manifesto for sanity and calmness at the office.
Nearly every (two-page) section is gold. It reads quick, it's well-written, there's no extra fluff or padding. Just straightforward advice for how to run your company and culture to maximize happiness at the office, written by people who have been successful. This ...more
Nearly every (two-page) section is gold. It reads quick, it's well-written, there's no extra fluff or padding. Just straightforward advice for how to run your company and culture to maximize happiness at the office, written by people who have been successful. This ...more
The premise of the book is wonderful: we chase growth at all cost and the human cost of that is real.
However, I can't shake some feeling of arrogance that permeates the book. Points are mostly anecdotal and all the examples of practised 'calm' are from their own company or individuals who work outside of an organization (the reference section is suspiciously thin). Come on, it's not so radical to not work yourself to death that no-one else in the world practises it. The authors are in a privile ...more
However, I can't shake some feeling of arrogance that permeates the book. Points are mostly anecdotal and all the examples of practised 'calm' are from their own company or individuals who work outside of an organization (the reference section is suspiciously thin). Come on, it's not so radical to not work yourself to death that no-one else in the world practises it. The authors are in a privile ...more
Oct 10, 2018
Bill
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
career,
you-gotta-read-this
Fried and DHH are once again offering a clarion call from The Future; ignore it at your peril.
This is essential reading if you've ever thought that the millenial badge of honor, being busy beyond belief, may actually be a foolish road to ruin. If you're wise enough to know that your best work is not output at hour 12, 10, or even 8. If you're fed up that the potential of your brilliant teammates is being squandered.
It's easy to critique norms and far harder to illuminate other paths, and the em ...more
This is essential reading if you've ever thought that the millenial badge of honor, being busy beyond belief, may actually be a foolish road to ruin. If you're wise enough to know that your best work is not output at hour 12, 10, or even 8. If you're fed up that the potential of your brilliant teammates is being squandered.
It's easy to critique norms and far harder to illuminate other paths, and the em ...more
The message is important: a company has the agency to dismiss most business practices and advice — growth at all costs, change for change's sake, working its staff to the bone — and still thrive. I applaud their consistency, year after year, in pointing at their own success as proof.
If you read their blog and Twitter accounts, this book provides very little that's new. Like "Remote", it's more pamphlet (size included) than deep exploration, and, while I think manifestos and clever turns of sente ...more
If you read their blog and Twitter accounts, this book provides very little that's new. Like "Remote", it's more pamphlet (size included) than deep exploration, and, while I think manifestos and clever turns of sente ...more
This book is a flat list of advice on how to run a company. I found some of the advice to be insightful:
* Your company is a product. In fact, it should be your best product.
* "Creativity, progress, and impact do not yield to brute force."
* Office hours: subject-matter experts at your company should hold regularly scheduled office hours where they are 100% available for questions, pair coding, etc. This creates a nice balance where the expert can provide guidance to others without their day bein ...more
* Your company is a product. In fact, it should be your best product.
* "Creativity, progress, and impact do not yield to brute force."
* Office hours: subject-matter experts at your company should hold regularly scheduled office hours where they are 100% available for questions, pair coding, etc. This creates a nice balance where the expert can provide guidance to others without their day bein ...more
Oct 21, 2018
Willian Molinari
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
audio
I'm migrating all my reviews to my blog. If you want to read the full review with my raw notes, check it here: https://pothix.com/crazyatwork
What a great book! The best part of this book is that there's nothing so out of this world there, they are just talking about what we should be doing.
Hey, it's true, it doesn't have to be crazy at work. We can still do our best and deliver an amazing product without making ourselves miserable working like crazy to meet some made-up numbers used as "goals". ...more
What a great book! The best part of this book is that there's nothing so out of this world there, they are just talking about what we should be doing.
Hey, it's true, it doesn't have to be crazy at work. We can still do our best and deliver an amazing product without making ourselves miserable working like crazy to meet some made-up numbers used as "goals". ...more
Alternative title: 'Come work at Basecamp!'
There's something weird about modern work culture, things our grandfathers have fought and died for, like the 40 hour work-week, are being unrolled, not directly by your mean bosses, but by neoliberalism/late stage capitalism's magic trick that implanted a tiny voice within yourself, telling you that if you don't give 200%, you'll be left behind. (For more discussion on this weird development, see Byung-Chul Han's Psychopolitik, or Fromm's Sane Society) ...more
There's something weird about modern work culture, things our grandfathers have fought and died for, like the 40 hour work-week, are being unrolled, not directly by your mean bosses, but by neoliberalism/late stage capitalism's magic trick that implanted a tiny voice within yourself, telling you that if you don't give 200%, you'll be left behind. (For more discussion on this weird development, see Byung-Chul Han's Psychopolitik, or Fromm's Sane Society) ...more
Sep 15, 2020
Nada Elshabrawy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
business-and-tech
I wish I can act on this effective immediately. Maybe I should give it to my boss ://
Update- took off my stars when they decided they didn't want to be an enviable company anymore.
I started this on a plane and finished it over salt-roasted chicken with celery root, leeks, and ham chips.
Recommend by coworkers, especially @bill’s knh, I found that about 30% of this applies to my company. The fact is that our problems don’t match the ones these folks have solved with their miracle company (which I would LOVE to work at, based on how they present it.)
The 30% that applies applies R ...more
I started this on a plane and finished it over salt-roasted chicken with celery root, leeks, and ham chips.
Recommend by coworkers, especially @bill’s knh, I found that about 30% of this applies to my company. The fact is that our problems don’t match the ones these folks have solved with their miracle company (which I would LOVE to work at, based on how they present it.)
The 30% that applies applies R ...more
Just removed my rating and I'm rethinking my response to this book after the April 2021 announcement from Jason and David. I loved this book because I thought it advocated for more inclusive, humane workplaces — but maybe I wasn't reading it closely enough.
...more
Excellent book on how to build sane business.
This is the second time I've read this book (the first time I listened to the audio book) and admittedly, while I love 85% of the sentiments throughout the book, I found a few things problematic.
Before we get to the problematic areas, I wanted to note a few things I did enjoy.
Basecamp's outlook on company benefits and how they should aim to get the employees *out* of the office and not keep them in (like free lunches and dinners do) is spot on. And paying for employees' vacations yearly almost f ...more
Before we get to the problematic areas, I wanted to note a few things I did enjoy.
Basecamp's outlook on company benefits and how they should aim to get the employees *out* of the office and not keep them in (like free lunches and dinners do) is spot on. And paying for employees' vacations yearly almost f ...more
Nice.
It’s good to read business advice from successful business people that is so calm and takes a different line from almost any other I’ve read. Assuming working for Basecamp really is as good as the picture the authors paint then anyone working there is pretty lucky.
A few stylistic quibbles aside this is a great enjoyable read. The only bit which jars for Europeans is flagging 3 weeks paid leave as something special - everyone I know gets at least 5 (excluding public holidays which are on to ...more
It’s good to read business advice from successful business people that is so calm and takes a different line from almost any other I’ve read. Assuming working for Basecamp really is as good as the picture the authors paint then anyone working there is pretty lucky.
A few stylistic quibbles aside this is a great enjoyable read. The only bit which jars for Europeans is flagging 3 weeks paid leave as something special - everyone I know gets at least 5 (excluding public holidays which are on to ...more
I've got mixed feelings on this one.
After reading remote and rework, this one feels kinda "cheap", in the sense that is a 18$ book (pre-order, now is 25$) that you read in a couple of days.
Don't get me wrong, I like the content, but, maybe I've just been following DHH and his "teachings" for so long that it didn't really teach me anything.
I'll share it with a few coworkers and managers to see they're feedback.
Also one thing I noticed, especially since I always read on my kindle, the book feels c ...more
After reading remote and rework, this one feels kinda "cheap", in the sense that is a 18$ book (pre-order, now is 25$) that you read in a couple of days.
Don't get me wrong, I like the content, but, maybe I've just been following DHH and his "teachings" for so long that it didn't really teach me anything.
I'll share it with a few coworkers and managers to see they're feedback.
Also one thing I noticed, especially since I always read on my kindle, the book feels c ...more
Bam! Bam! Bam! This book shoots advice from the third gen of the way of working in software development. Will everything from this book be there in the future? No. Will everything here work for you? No. Are some things only possible if you are already highly profitable and don't have external capital? Yes.
And then still there is a TON of valid points, suggestions and directions everyone should at least consider, and implement some. Or your competitors will. ...more
And then still there is a TON of valid points, suggestions and directions everyone should at least consider, and implement some. Or your competitors will. ...more
Basecamp founders Jason Fried and DHH have the uncanny ability to provide a clearheaded account of their process, decisions and the outcomes that result from them in a way that inspires, drives and motivates others.
Their concise writing style is a reflection of the way they intertwine utility with perspective-altering insights that challenge the status quo and cut through the BS to focus on what really matters.
This is a book meant to be read and re-read regularly, a book that challenges conventi ...more
Their concise writing style is a reflection of the way they intertwine utility with perspective-altering insights that challenge the status quo and cut through the BS to focus on what really matters.
This is a book meant to be read and re-read regularly, a book that challenges conventi ...more
Dec 11, 2018
Ivana
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
workspace-work,
management
The praise of calm, commited, well-formulated, thought-through work environment.
An antithesis to war metaphors in business literature and the talk about the need to grow endlessly (like The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers) or the urgent need to be "happy" or "family".
EDIT: There actually is one topic I actually miss in this book - the perspective of the remotely working employee of Basecamp. Just to have a glimps whether and how are those down-to ...more
An antithesis to war metaphors in business literature and the talk about the need to grow endlessly (like The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers) or the urgent need to be "happy" or "family".
EDIT: There actually is one topic I actually miss in this book - the perspective of the remotely working employee of Basecamp. Just to have a glimps whether and how are those down-to ...more
I really like how committed the authors are to their ethical code. It's really awesome to see.
That being said, this feels really hype-based. I'd love to see more from their employees, especially ones who have left the company.
I also don't agree with all their standpoints, in fact their low-level of communication would leave me feeling isolated and unhappy most likely as an extrovert.
I love how they feature their values and care so much about their employees, but I wish the book went deeper into ...more
That being said, this feels really hype-based. I'd love to see more from their employees, especially ones who have left the company.
I also don't agree with all their standpoints, in fact their low-level of communication would leave me feeling isolated and unhappy most likely as an extrovert.
I love how they feature their values and care so much about their employees, but I wish the book went deeper into ...more
Fresh perspective, good rationale, enjoyable exposition. But docking a star for too much self glorification.
Quick and easy read that may help to make a much needed shift in a workplace culture
Quick and easy read that may help to make a much needed shift in a workplace culture
It's a great book not as a book per se, but as a proof that things can be different then we are made to believe. It's like a fairy tale that takes you in a different time and place. It shows you some things can work in the real world if you think about others as people, not as a way to achieve billions.
...more
Listened to the audiobook. Love the clarity and conciseness of the book. It does so without losing any punch or impact too.
Great insight into surviving (and thriving) in the 9-5 work life. A bit repetitive at times.
'Rework' has changed my work life some way. I think, this book will do the same. Pretty sure, I will reread it again and will share the book to my colleagues as well. Like it.
...more
Jason fried and DHH have done a brilliant job with this book. It’s thought provoking and there are some really useful bit of advice. I’m certain that it’ll have a massive impact on how we work, just as rework, and remote did.
Anyone who cares about achieving a sensible work life balance should read it.
However I had one nagging doubt throughout reading it. I can see how a lot of what they share is pertinent to a company like Basecamp, which is focused on delivering their own product.
What I’
...more
Nov 02, 2018
Mikhail Kulakov
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
top-business,
2018
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Culture isn’t what you intend it to be. It’s not what you hope or aspire for it to be. It’s what you do.
"It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work" is a manifesto. The book doesn't go deep on any of the subjects. Jason and DHH put out a bunch of statements, which have to be taken at face value. I agree with most of those statements (more here: http://engineering.vinted.com/2018/09...), but it didn't lead me to like the book.
The authors construct strawmen left and right. They refute a bunch of practic ...more
"It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work" is a manifesto. The book doesn't go deep on any of the subjects. Jason and DHH put out a bunch of statements, which have to be taken at face value. I agree with most of those statements (more here: http://engineering.vinted.com/2018/09...), but it didn't lead me to like the book.
The authors construct strawmen left and right. They refute a bunch of practic ...more
Yet another reference book from Basecamp for the likes of me in software development industry. Just like 'Rework' and 'Remote' this book points to issues we feel that some things are wrong with but don't have the courage to put into words because of the way things 'are' in the business. Hearing those ideas from a 'success story' increases it's effect.
Rework tried to convince employees that there is a better way to do work. Remote tried to convince employees and employers that 'the work' is not s ...more
Rework tried to convince employees that there is a better way to do work. Remote tried to convince employees and employers that 'the work' is not s ...more
One of the best book I’ve read recently. Despite the fact that I read bunch of reviews and several friends told me the content, it has impressed me more than I anticipated. Not just a great advice on how to run a sustainable company, but way of living that can be adopted on a personal level.
The listening time is just 3 h. Also, after so many books, finally one read with woman’s voice! Great story telling - both narrative and narrator.
The listening time is just 3 h. Also, after so many books, finally one read with woman’s voice! Great story telling - both narrative and narrator.
Short and easy to read set of valuable advice.
After working in different kind of companies, I have identified that calmness is one of the key factors when choosing my next workplace, and this book proved once again that it's possible to achieve easily.
Thinking about incorporating asking to "describe how crazy it is at your work" to any potential employer during interviews. ...more
After working in different kind of companies, I have identified that calmness is one of the key factors when choosing my next workplace, and this book proved once again that it's possible to achieve easily.
Thinking about incorporating asking to "describe how crazy it is at your work" to any potential employer during interviews. ...more
Because "crazy at work" companies, individuals, and habits get more than enough recognition and celebration and because so many of the benefits of calm, quiet work are intangible and hard to recognize, this is a book I really appreciate and will try to re-read with regularity.
...more
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