Book review: It doesn’t have to be crazy at work

Background

David Heinmeir Hansson (aka DHH) and Jason Fried are not newcomers in the book publishing business (Rework being their most intelligent piece up to day). They are behind Basecamp. DHH and the team also bear a lot of technical knowledge under their belt, being architects of the popular MVC Web application framework Ruby on Rails, helping the uptake of the number of Web 2.0 startups in the Silicon Valley and across the world.

So what does It doesn’t have to be crazy at work offer us as a readers?

The good

• Multi-dimensional aspects of unhealthy and counter-productive “busy game” in the companies
• Number of work hours does not equate efficiency and long term retention
• Bursting the Silicon Valley win or die trying. There is a life to be had and enjoyed outside of work premises. The overhead needs to be eliminated.
• Small meaningful digestible chapters covering different aspects
• Graphical elements on the end of each chapter motivating people to invest their time and energy smarter
• It makes sound arguments on how to make your company and work more humane.
• Building emotional intelligence, which is obviously lacking…