When the Lawrence Hall Library on the 13th floor of the tower was closed, I went and looked through the books and took several. One of the ones I picked out was Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister. I had heard about this book but never actually read it. So Friday afternoon I finished the task I was working on and didn’t really have time to start anything new before I needed to leave to catch my bus, so I picked it up and started reading. It’s just as good as I had heard.

I wanted to highlight this (from page 111):

The best organizations are not of a kind; they are more notable for their dissimilarities than for their likenesses. But one thing that they all share is a preoccupation with being the best. It is a constant topic in the corridors, in working meetings, and in bull sessions. The converse of this effect is equally true: In organizations that are not “the best,” the topic is rarely or never discussed.

The best organizations are constantly striving to be the best. This is a common goal that provides common direction, joint satisfaction, and a strong binding effect. There is a mentality of permanence about such places, the sense that you’d be dumb to look for a job elsewhere—people would look at you as though you were daft.

This reminds me of how things were when I first started working here. It’s been a while since I’ve felt that way, though.