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Image of We-Think: Mass innovation, not mass production
Author: Charles Leadbeater
Publisher: Profile Books (2009)
Binding: Paperback, 336 pages

 Charles Leadbeater presents and develops the idea that diverse groups are better than smart, narrow or opinionated groups. he claims that diverse groups lead to an increased level of innovation as a direct result of the unexpected twists and turns brought by varied opinions of a diverse group of active participants. He explores how corporations who hire to a corporate culture may be limiting their innovation potential by ensuring everyone thinks the same way. Corporate life, Leadbetter claims, is about dull problems and dull solutions.

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Image of Programming PHP
Author: Peter MacIntyre, Kevin Tatroe, Rasmus Lerdorf
Publisher: O'Reilly Media (2006)
Binding: Paperback, 544 pages

Programming PHP is a practical guide to the open source PHP programming language. PHP is predominantly used as a server-side scripting language for Web applications. This means that it can dynamically respond to user inputs on one Web page and return various different customised Web pages to that user, according to what they have entered or what browser settings they are using. PHP is particularly useful for websites that interact with behind-the-scenes databases. The popular online retail site, Amazon.com, is an example of a Web application built using PHP.

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Image of The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few
Author: James Surowiecki
Publisher: Abacus (2005)
Binding: Paperback, 295 pages

The widom of the crowd tells us that if we enable a large enough group of people to provide input on a problem, we will generate a solution that is better than one provided by the any single (or small number) of experts. This book explores this concept in some detail, examining situations in which crowdsourcing works, and wy it works, as well as dissecting situations in which it is less successful.

The conditions James Surowiecki identifies as being required for success in crowdsourcing are:

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Image of Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project
Author: Karl Fogel
Publisher: O'Reilly Media (2005)
Binding: Paperback, 304 pages

Karl Fogel has managed something unusual: a technically-oriented book that flows and is hugely readable. Fogel has an engaging style that allows you to take in the book as if it were a novel. This experienced developer declares that the ability to write clearly may matter more in the long run than programming talent, this may surprise many people new to producing open source. Fogel certainly follows his own advice superbly. This book will engage the seasoned coder and new programmer alike. Managers with less technical outlooks should also find the book a breeze.

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Image of Applied Software Project Management
Author: Jennifer Greene, Andrew Stellman
Publisher: O'Reilly Media (2005)
Binding: Paperback, 336 pages

This book is good value. From the title, you wouldn’t expect it to have quite so much detail as the near-technical-manual section on using Subversion or the long excerpts of Java code given as examples of refactoring and unit testing. I found a wealth of useful information in the 300 or so pages, much of which I was not expecting to find in a tome with such a title. Is that good or bad? I’m not sure.

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