In my recent career history I found myself in a newly created role, that was both a step-up and sideways for me.  I was involved with technology that I knew at a high level, but did not  know the detail of.

In a saner organisation, that might have been ok, relying on tried-and-trusted management, architectural and systems engineering approaches would have been entirely appropriate.  However, the mix of strange programme sponsorship, leadership, funding and architectural challenges led to an impossible situation.

Why am I telling you this?  For a simple reason, because  – I firmly believe that if Gregor Hophe’s excellent book 37 Things One Architect Knows had been in existence (and I had read it) at that time, I may have had a more successful outcome in that role.

Its difficult to know where to start with this book, because its all so good.  Divided into 37 mini-essays on particular architectural topics, it makes for both an easy read, that while easy to digest is pithy and not a word wasted.

Hophe begins the book by pitching more towards the Enterprise Architecture crowd – instilling them to ‘ride the elevator’ between upper management and those at the sharp-end.  This is the true benefit of Enterprise Architecture of any domain; well, that and convincing people to follow your lead and fund the correct projects!

Go check it out at Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/37things