I wanted to share a couple books that are perfect gifts. They are also worth picking up and reading yourself.

The first book I would recommend is “Getting Real” by 37signals. It is written by the guys that developed: Basecamp, Campfire, Backpack, Whiteboard and Ta-da list. They develop all their products in Ruby on rails because it is a full-stack, open source web framework that makes writing real-world applications quick and easy.  37signal’s philosophy is about keeping things simple and easy for the user. More options are not necessarily better.  Don’t make the user think and keep the noise to a minimum. Just make applications that work and users will continue to use them. We have tried to follow the same philosophy when developing my IDX search and Lead management system. Thanks to Justin for turning me onto this book!

The second book “You²” by Price Pritchett is not a tech book. It is a book for people who are interested in multiplying their personal effectiveness in quantum leaps instead of slow incremental steps. It will definitely help you think out of the box and keep you focused.

Both are great easy books to read. Enjoy!