Reviews and Comments

It's rare to read a book and know, from nearly the first page, that you are beginning a lifelong relationship. I know that I will re-read, and re-read, and re-read this book. I know that I will give this book to friends, family, and my own children. I may end up re-reading this book once a year for the rest of my life.

I was not very familiar with the Tao Te Ching before reading this rendition, and I'm exceptionally glad this was my starting point. I have long been a fan of Le Guin, and her prose, and to read the wisdom from previous generations of humanity rendered through her unique lens is a gift.

This book took me so long to read because my brain recognized I needed to process as much as was possible in this first reading. Time will tell if future readings are faster or slower.

There are not a lot of great books on how to be a Staff+ Engineer, because there are not a lot of books on being a Staff Engineer, period. I really enjoyed Larson's book on Engineering Management (An Elegant Puzzle) and so was hopeful I'd get a similar volume equally packed with good strategies and information.

This is... not that. It's not bad by any means, and the first third, the section that synthesizes everything gleaned in interviews with Larson's own thoughts, was excellent and insightful. The issue is that the Staff Engineer interviews, making up somewhere around the back two-thirds of the book, started feeling repetitive to me very quickly. Were there insights there? Yes. Were they worth the time spent reading them? Unclear. The book does make it clear that Staff Engineering is more art than science, more ✨vibes✨ than a clear path, and I think the book's structure tries to reflect that.

As with An Elegant Puzzle, the collection of Resources in the back of the book makes up for a lot, and makes this a solid reference for anyone interested in Staff Engineering. Do I recommend reading it cover to cover? No.