Learning about DevOps involves understanding a combination of cultural philosophies, practices, and tools that improve an organization’s ability to deliver applications and services at high velocity.
Here are five books that are widely recommended for learning about DevOps, covering foundational principles, practical insights, and real-world applications. Please note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
“The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win” by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
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The Phoenix Project is a great starting point for understanding DevOps. It is a gripping journey through the IT trenches, narrated as a drama. Imagine “Grey’s Anatomy” meets “Silicon Valley,” but instead of coding the next big app, they’re trying to prevent digital disaster. It’s a novel that manages to turn IT, a subject as traditionally exciting as watching paint dry, into a page-turner. Through the trials and tribulations of Bill Palmer, the IT manager protagonist, readers get a masterclass in DevOps without ever feeling like they’re sitting in a classroom.
Topics covered: DevOps Philosophy (The Three Ways), Automation, Collaboration, Lean Management, Continuous Improvement (CI), Workplace Culture
“Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations” by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim
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“Accelerate” stands out by not just advocating for change to DevOps but by presenting the statistical evidence to support why these changes work, offering a blend of theory and practice that aims to accelerate the performance of technology organizations. The book dives into the empirical evidence that supports the practices of DevOps, making it the data-driven conscience in a field often swayed by trends and anecdotes. Written with the precision of a scientific paper yet accessible like a business manual, it provides a compelling argument for the adoption of Lean, DevOps, and continuous delivery practices, backed by solid research and data analysis. The authors dissect high-performing organizations with the meticulousness of biologists, identifying the DNA that makes them thrive in the competitive ecosystem of software development. This book is an essential read for those who prefer their methodologies with a side of hard evidence, offering a roadmap to technological excellence that’s both proven and practical.
Topics covered: Metrics, Continuous Delivery, Lean Management, Culture, Leadership, Architectural Practices, Scaling DevOps
“The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, & Security in Technology Organizations” by Gene Kim, Patrick Debois, John Willis, and Jez Humble
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“The DevOps Handbook” is a treasure trove of DevOps wisdom, aggregating years of experience and insights from four of the most prominent voices in the field into a comprehensive guide for transforming technology organizations. With a blend of practical advice, real-world examples, and step-by-step instructions, the book demystifies the process of adopting DevOps practices in a way that is accessible to everyone from frontline engineers to C-suite executives. The authors construct a compelling narrative that not only champions the cultural shift towards collaboration and efficiency but also provides the technical scaffolding necessary to build resilient and secure systems. This book serves as both a manifesto and a manual, inspiring organizations to break down silos and improve their software development, deployment, and maintenance processes.
Topics covered: The Three Ways, Value Stream Mapping, CI/CD, Automated Infrastructure, Culture, Security, Measurement and Monitoring
“Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation” by Jez Humble and David Farley
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“Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation” by Jez Humble and David Farley is the seminal work that crystallizes the practice of continuous delivery into a coherent, actionable framework. This book is a beacon for developers and IT professionals navigating the stormy seas of software release, illuminating a path to smoother, faster, and more reliable deployments. With a blend of technical rigor and clear exposition, Humble and Farley dissect the deployment pipeline, showing how automated processes can eliminate the dread of release days. It’s a manifesto for a world where software updates are as routine and uneventful as turning on a light, making it an indispensable guide for those looking to streamline their development lifecycle. Through its pages, the reader learns not just the how but the why of continuous delivery, with principles that seem to whisper the future of software development itself.
Topics covered: Continuous Delivery, Configuration Management, Development Pipelines, Automated Testing, Architecture Considerations, Release Management and Compliance
Each of these books offers a unique perspective on DevOps, from cultural shifts to technical practices, making them invaluable resources for anyone looking to dive deep into DevOps methodologies.