nixie reviewed The Psychology of Software Teams by Cat Hicks
Disappointingly shallow and opaque
2.0 stars
I was so excited about this book. I've heard about the author's work, and I've listened to the podcast she has with her neuroscientist wife, and I thought this would be perfect. We've even picked this book up in a little group, running a mini-book club about it.
Unfortunately, the book keeps referring to studies and describing them, but stays away from applicable insights while spending ample time telling things that I think are kinda obvious to anyone who has spent a couple of years in the industry or just working with people. Did you know that people are more likely to engage in a change if they understand what it's for and agree with it because they were involved in the decision? Did you know that it's easier to think creatively when you're at ease with the group of people working with you? Did you know that software …
I was so excited about this book. I've heard about the author's work, and I've listened to the podcast she has with her neuroscientist wife, and I thought this would be perfect. We've even picked this book up in a little group, running a mini-book club about it.
Unfortunately, the book keeps referring to studies and describing them, but stays away from applicable insights while spending ample time telling things that I think are kinda obvious to anyone who has spent a couple of years in the industry or just working with people. Did you know that people are more likely to engage in a change if they understand what it's for and agree with it because they were involved in the decision? Did you know that it's easier to think creatively when you're at ease with the group of people working with you? Did you know that software engineers are people? Have you tried looking at evidence? This is the level. The book also skirts completely around the biggest factors: power imbalance, uncertain job market, AI. The latter is named a few times, but there's nothing for you in this book if you're a manager or just a colleague who wants to support their fellow software engineers during the most massive transition and identity crisis that this industry has seen in decades. In the end, I have learned almost nothing, my book club couldn't relate to the major claims of the book, and until the last chapter I didn't even understand who the book's audience is. Sadly, I've also found the tone getting on my nerves; too much focus on the author, not the ideas. The writing with the returning constructs like “And the kicker? It actually works.” left me longing for the book to end despite it covering one of my absolutely favorite subjects. I had read several of the papers referred to in this book, and I didn't feel like the book's overview of them was helpful or tied several of them together in an insightful way. For all the studies the author did herself and mentioned on every second page, the lack of real-world examples and anything novel is surprising in a bad way.