A List Of All The Books I Have Read In My Life

I’m an avid reader, and this list is far from complete. But I wanted to start writing down the ones I’m reading now, and the ones I’ve read in the past. I’m mostly writing down titles but I’ll include the author when I remember the name. 2024 How To Take Smart Notes Getting Things Done 2023 The Lords of the North The Pale Horseman The Last Kingdom Born to Run 2 ...

February 20, 2024 · Mischa van den Burg

Book Notes: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

I came across this little book while doing some research for my Jiro Dreams of Sushi article. While scanning the book’s description, I was intrigued by this sentence: “the happiness of always being busy.” Although I work hard every day, I also enjoy ticking off the last item on my to-do list and enjoying some rest. Is there more happiness in being in constant activity? Ikigai “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.” ...

October 18, 2022 · Mischa van den Burg

Book Notes: The Unicorn Project

This book is the sequel to the Phoenix project. Both books are set at Parts Unlimited, a fictitious company that supplies car parts to DIY mechanics and repair shops. Phoenix is a new system that Parts Unlimited has worked on for multiple years. It is supposed to handle order processing and communication between manufacturing, stores, and clients. Phoenix will also play a role in sales and marketing. The company has been gathering customer data for years, but it cannot use any of this data yet. Phoenix will enable it to generate targeted marketing campaigns from the data when it’s finished. ...

October 11, 2022 · Mischa van den Burg

Book Notes: The Phoenix Project

When I started my DevOps traineeship, I borrowed this book from my boss and read it from cover to cover. I loved the story and the characters; it helped me understand “the old way” of doing things and the merits of implementing DevOps principles. I reread the book ten months later. In the meantime, I’ve learned many new skills and technologies and started working full-time as a DevOps engineer. ...

September 16, 2022 · Mischa van den Burg