Over the last couple of months I read Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister (yeah, I know, I'm a slow reader). Peopleware is a book focusing on the human issues of software development, not the technical ones. The book is an excellent read, stuffed with little anecdotes from the authors' past experience with their clients. It has been very influential to me with regards to thinking about my workplace and the things we could do to become a better team (the authors call these "jelled" teams). I also found ideas for a couple of questions I will definitely ask at my next job interview. (I'm not looking for a new employer, BTW.)
Even though Peopleware is not a technical book per se, I strongly encourage you, dear reader, to buy a copy for yourself. The key takeaways will not only help you become a better developer in terms of communication skills, but will also make your life easier once you make the transition into project management. Not only then you would want to make sure your colleagues work in a great environment that actually makes them more productive.
As Ed Yourdon suggests on the back cover, you should not only read the book yourself, but rather buy a copy for your boss. That's exactly what I did today, along with a note from us developers:
