Dear Reader, We wanted to share a bit of news with you. Since opening our doors in 2010, we’ve navigated considerable change—from rising production costs, to fluctuating fulfillment needs, to evolving operational strategies. Largely, experiencing such change has inspired us to shift, flex, and transform. More recently, it is testing the sustainability of our business, and after careful consideration we will no longer be publishing new titles. Read on for more.
]]>Dear Reader,
We wanted to share a bit of news with you. Since opening our doors in 2010, we’ve navigated considerable change—from rising production costs, to fluctuating fulfillment needs, to evolving operational strategies. Largely, experiencing such change has inspired us to shift, flex, and transform. More recently, it is testing the sustainability of our business, and after careful consideration we will no longer be publishing new titles.
But our books aren’t going anywhere! You can continue to shop our books nearly everywhere fine books are sold, like Bookshop.org and Barnes & Noble (US), Blackwell’s (UK), Booktopia (AU), Thalia (DE)—and, of course, abookapart.com (while stock at HQ lasts!).
Importantly, we’d like to thank you for supporting A Book Apart in ways big and small. Publishing independently is hard work, and we couldn’t have done it for as long as we did without such wonderful readers like you.
Fourteen years ago, we began with a simple yet powerful idea: to create brief books for people who want to make a better web. Since publishing book No. 1, HTML5 for Web Designers, we’ve continuously developed our processes and worked with wildly talented authors and editors. We’ve adapted our approaches to stay responsive to readers’ needs by addressing relevant topics and experimenting with format. And we’ve managed to maintain alignment with our values, offering books with our signature editorial clarity, approachability, and conscientiousness.
We’re so proud of the range and diversity of titles and authors we’ve published. We are inspired, awed, and humbled by the trust you have shown in continuing to support our little but mighty publishing outfit. Here are just a few things we’ve accomplished and shared with you along the way:
If you’re interested in continuing to grow your skills, our books will be there for you—and you can also check out these folks doing great things: A List Apart, Skillcrush, Envato Tuts+, Rosenfeld, Smashing Magazine. They are awesome and we’ve always counted ourselves lucky to be in their orbit.
Again, thank you for your support over the last fourteen years, and for your commitment to making the tech world a better place. We are wildly proud of the books we’ve shared with you, and we are beyond grateful for YOU, a warm and inspirational community of friends, colleagues, peers, and collaborators without whom ABA would simply not exist.
With gratitude and care,
Katel, Jason, Jeffrey
Buy in bulk and save up to 85% on select paperbacks, including bestsellers, classics, and new releases—no code needed, just add books to your shopping cart! Read on for more.
]]>Buy in bulk and save up to 85% on select paperbacks, including bestsellers, classics, and new releases—no code needed, just add books to your shopping cart!
• Buy 5 paperbacks for $50 •
• Buy 10 paperbacks for $75 •
• Buy 20 paperbacks for $100 •
⚡️ Stock up your own library and prep yourself for a power-packed year!
🔥 Empower everyone on your team to do their best, most impactful work!
✨ Share your favorite title(s) with folks for your next book-club read!
📚 SHOP THE SALE PAGE TO SAVE BIG ➜
* While supplies last, offer ends soon
]]>Did you know? You can find and buy ABA books from your local bookstores and tons of online retailers, all around the world! Check out just a few of our favorite online bookshops that now stock our books. Read on for more.
]]>Did you know? You can find and buy ABA books from your local bookstores and tons of online retailers, all around the world!
Check out just a few of our favorite online bookshops that now stock our books:
Bookshop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world—and now you can find all of our books in the ABA storefront!
Barnes & Noble is the premier destination for books, ebooks, magazines, games, music, and more. Explore thousands of excellent books—including the entire ABA catalog.
Since 1879 Blackwell’s has been book trader and book seller to the world. Browse the shop for your favorite titles and to find the most wonderfully bookish recommendations.
Booktopia is focused on getting books to book lovers as quickly, conveniently, and affordably as possible. And! Your patronage supports generous book donations to education programs across Australia.
Thalia believes books transport knowledge and culture across generations. Discover new ways to be transported through their online shop or visit one of the 350+ stores in Germany.
]]>Our best holiday book sale of the year is about to end! So stock up on all your favorites or grab great gifts to share. Take advantage—and take 25% off all book orders. (Psst: that’s 25% off single titles, and an *extra* 25% off packs and bulk book orders!) Read on for more.
]]>Our best holiday book sale of the year is about to end! So stock up on all your favorites or grab great gifts to share. Take advantage—and take 25% off all book orders.
(Psst: that’s 25% off single titles, and an *extra* 25% off packs and bulk book orders!)
Save 25% with code CHEER at checkout ➜
* Sale ends Friday, December 15 at 11:59pm ET
•••
// THE BOOK REPORT //
Looking for some inspiration? We’re sharing mini book reports for a few featured titles. Among these, you’ll find bestsellers, new releases, and not-so-secret gems—perfect for giving as gifts or for treating yourself.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Prepare
2) Compose
3) Edit
4) Finish
From product documentation to menu labels to marketing emails, writing for the web can feel challenging—even insurmountable. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Whether you’re new to writing or looking to hone your skills, Scott Kubie’s guide will empower you to get organized and get going. Learn to scope and articulate writing assignments, build a repeatable workflow, and develop methods for productive editing, collaboration, version control, and delivery. Don't struggle with writing—get the writing done.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) The Thirty-Thousand-Foot View
2) Take Back the Power
3) Selling Your Ideas
4) Coping with Leadership Changes
5) Culture Shock
6) Structures and Systems
7) Rolling Out Change
8) Moving On
Boldly take your website where it’s never gone before: offline. Jeremy Keith introduces you to service workers (and the code behind them) to show you the latest strategies in offline pages. Learn the ins and outs of fetching and caching, enhance your website’s performance, and create an ideal offline experience for every user, no matter their connection.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Introducing Service Workers
2) Preparing for Offline
3) Making Fetch Happen
4) Cache Me If You Can
5) Service Worker Strategies
6) Refining Your Service Worker
7) Tidying Up
8) The Offline User Experience
9) Progressive Web Apps
The reality of working at a high-growth organization can be tough to endure. From product pivots to constantly shifting expectations to personnel turnover, it’s enough to cause whiplash. If this is your first (or second, or even third!) rodeo in a tech job, and you’re wondering how to stay upright amid the tumult, Surviving Change at Work will keep you grounded.
Vanessa Gennarelli brings to bear years of hard-earned expertise in this essential handbook, sharing extensive research, case studies, and practical exercises to help you find clarity as you drive toward the next step in your tech career. Along the path, learn how to apply the art of persuasion and influence, and assess organizational lifecycles for better decision-making. You’ll gain strategies for navigating shifts in culture with resilience, and frameworks for planning—and sustainably growing—your career.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Full-Stack Content Design
2) Sing Out Loud
3) Workshops That Work
4) Content at Scale
Great content doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It gets bogged down in teams, organizations, silos, and process. Beth Dunn helps you break the vacuum seal and bring unity and joy back to content. Cultivating Content Design gives you the power to fundamentally change your organization’s approach to great content—with the tools and team you already have. With time and a little gumption, you’ll be able to cement your position as a strategic content leader, and create a strong and respected content design practice.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Modern Search
2) Understanding Search Intent
3) SEO and the Research You Already Do
4) SEO in Design and Content
5) SEO in Development
6) SEO in Your Organization
As the web has matured, so have search engines, algorithms, and marketing practices meant to attract pageviews. Modern SEO isn’t about delivering traffic for traffic’s sake—it’s about helping real people find the right information, at the right time, and in the right place.
In this practical, illuminating book, Rebekah Baggs and Chris Corak make the case that SEO plays a central role not just in search rankings, but in delivering an excellent user experience. After all, most interactions don’t begin on our carefully crafted homepages, but on a list of search results—and only by connecting our efforts in content, design, development, and search optimization can we create a truly human-centered web that supports users throughout their entire journey.
]]>Trying to find the perfect holiday treat for friends and colleagues? Transform your gift list vibe from stumped to stocked with a few of our carefully curated starter packs—and take *an extra* 25% off! Read on for more.
]]>Trying to find the perfect holiday treat for friends and colleagues? Transform your gift list vibe from stumped to stocked with a few of our carefully curated starter packs—and take *an extra* 25% off!
You read that right: for a limited time, save 25% on all books—and an additional 25% on pack prices. Just use code CHEER to save!
Now, let’s get gifting...
The Frontend Fundamentals starter pack is superb for anyone wanting to learn essential skills for working on the web—from grokking HTML5, to cracking JavaScript, to wielding SVG.
SHOP THIS PACK ➜
The Career Growth starter pack is ideal for the folks who want to design a career with purpose, achieve big writing goals, and improve presentation skills from meeting room to event stage.
SHOP THIS PACK ➜
The Human-Centered Design starter pack is perfect for those wanting to develop contextually aware experiences, people-first SEO practices, thoughtful onboarding approaches, and device-independent products.
SHOP THIS PACK ➜
The Sustainable Design starter pack is a stellar pick for folks committed to making greener design choices, from writing environmentally conscious code, to prioritizing freedom and flexibility, to developing conscientious design processes.
SHOP THIS PACK ➜
Holiday deals are available everywhere—even from your favorite small businesses (hi!). Why not shop small AND save big on books for yourself, or to give as gifts—but hurry, because this sale will be gone in a flash. Read on for more.
]]>
40% Off Flash Sale! Shop Small, Save BIG
Holiday deals are available everywhere—even from your favorite small businesses (hi!). Why not shop small AND save big on books for yourself, or to give as gifts—but hurry, because this sale will be gone in a flash.
Save 40% with code SPARKLE at checkout ➜
* Sale ends Thursday, November 30 at 10:00am ET
]]>Friend of ABA, Janneke Parrish, is self-publishing a new book called The Tech Worker’s Guide to Unions, now available for preorder—and we couldn’t be more excited for her. Read on for more.
]]>Friend of ABA, Janneke Parrish, is self-publishing a new book about unions, now available for preorder—and we couldn’t be more excited for her.
Janneke Parrish is a tech activist and one of the founders of the tech union, AppleTogether. In 2021, her work at Apple made headlines around the world, and her case continues to impact the course of American labor law.
Parrish’s new book presents a brief overview of American labor law and how it relates to organizing and a step-by-step guide on how to form a union from conception to election. Plus, the book offers a framework for union-building at companies varying in size, from multinational orgs to startups.
Ethan Marcotte notes, “The Tech Worker Guide to Unions is shaped not only by Janneke’s own considerable organizing experience, but by the countless tech workers and movements she’s profiled in these pages.”
The Tech Worker’s Guide to Unions is Parrish’s first book and we hope you’ll buy it, read it, and put it to great use.
Yours,
The ABA team
We paired these up perfectly, if we do say so ourselves. Check out a few of our classics, essentials, and new releases—and find your next favorite reads, ON SALE! Read on for more.
]]>We paired these up perfectly, if we do say so ourselves. Check out a few of our classics, essentials, and new releases—and find your next favorite reads, ON SALE!
Resilient Management
You don’t have to fake it to make it—this is the recipe for supporting and leading a tech team while staying grounded along the way.
Surviving Change at Work
Your guide to navigating shifts in culture with resilience, and frameworks for planning—and sustainably growing—your career.
•••
On Web Typography
Communicate clearly and powerfully by learning how to wield type with care and wit: from evaluating typefaces, to considering technical constraints, to creating flexible typographic systems.
Flexible Typesetting
Discover the complex, beautiful world of typesetting and prepare yourself to embrace the inevitable pressures that arise when we can no longer predict how, and where, our text will be read.
•••
Cross-Cultural Design
Gain a clear and accessible methodology for designing across cultures from performing socially conscious research, to building culturally responsive experiences.
Inclusive Design Communities
From classroom to conference, learn to notice subconscious bias, interrogate values, actively create welcoming spaces for all, and build the design industry we all deserve.
•••
JavaScript for Web Designers
Jumpstart your JavaScript skills through tons of practical examples that showcase using syntax rules, the fundamentals of scripting, and handling data types and loops.
Responsible JavaScript
Craft your JavaScript by centering user needs every step of the way—from toolchains to metrics to testing—and contribute to a more inclusive, accessible, and resilient web.
]]>
It’s our best holiday book sale of the year! Stock up your library—or grab gifts for all your favorite folks. Take advantage—and take 25% off all book orders. (Psst: that’s 25% off single titles, and an *extra* 25% off packs and bulk book orders!) Read on for more.
]]>It’s our best holiday book sale of the year! Stock up your library—or grab gifts for all your favorite folks. Take advantage—and take 25% off all book orders.
(Psst: that’s 25% off single titles, and an *extra* 25% off packs and bulk book orders!)
]]>This holiday season, we’re shopping small, local, and with books on the brain. And by starting early, we (and you!) have expansive options for thoughtful, distinctive gifts, created by real people and support local communities. While *hint, hint* any A Book Apart title would make a great gift for the creative / designer / programmer / writer / leader in your life, we wanted to remind you about our newest releases and share just a few other things we’re gifting this year. Read on for more.
]]>This holiday season, we’re shopping small, local, and with books on the brain. And by starting early, we (and you!) have expansive options for thoughtful, distinctive gifts that are created by real people and support local communities.
While *hint, hint* any A Book Apart title would make a great gift for the creative / designer / programmer / writer / leader in your life, we wanted to remind you about our newest releases and share just a few other things we’re gifting this year.
🤓 For friends and colleagues who design, write, and code, take a look at our own library (and our new Sale collection) here at A Book Apart. Check out new releases like Surviving Change at Work, You Deserve a Tech Union, Design by Definition, Wireframing for Everyone, and Immersive Content and Usability.
⭐️ Keep tabs on this amazing list of eighty-nine Black-owned bookstores in the US, and stop by (or shop many of them online!) to stock up on books and gifts.
🪸 For folks who find joy in the uniquely handmade, Taxonomy Press is a go-to. They’re a risograph micropress operating in Detroit, Michigan, and they’re “passionate about connecting people through print”—heck yeah. Browse their prints, zines, and cards.
🦚 Color + pattern + function = Leila Simon Hayes’ 2024 wall calendar. This petite (6" x 11.5") marvel is a terrific gift: it’s made in a family-owned print shop, can be turned into twelve frameable/giftable fine art prints—and for every order placed through the shop, one tree is planted.
🔥 Tap into one of the largest independent, radical publishing houses with a Verso book club subscription. Subscriptions include a curated offering of best-selling titles in the mail, every(!) new ebook released, and 50% off all website orders.
💡 Give your night-time reading routine a glow-up (or, dim-down?)—never mind, we’ll work on that one. A few of us at ABA HQ can’t stop raving about this amber book light. It’s super portable, rechargeable, and clips perfectly to hardcover and paperback books.
📖 Help your best pal save their spot while reading with these sweet, handmade corner bookmarks. Get a single bookmark—or a box of ’em!
📚 As always, we recommend checking out Bookshop.org (where, now, you can even find our books!). This certified B-Corporation lives up to its slogan of “a better way to buy books online,” and they’re on a mission to help local, independent bookstores thrive in the age of ecommerce.
]]>November is National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo. If you’ve ever wanted to write anything—nonfiction, poetry, or fiction—join the #NaNoWriMo challenge or use it as motivation! At A Book Apart, we embrace anything that encourages creativity and helps move folks toward their goals. For a little writing support and inspiration, check out You Should Write a Book, The Business of UX Writing, and Writing for Designers.
]]>November is National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo. If you’ve ever wanted to write anything—nonfiction, poetry, or fiction—join the #NaNoWriMo challenge or use it as motivation! At A Book Apart, we embrace anything that encourages creativity and helps move folks toward their goals. For a little writing support and inspiration, check out You Should Write a Book, The Business of UX Writing, and Writing for Designers.
You Should Write a Book
Writing a book is a career milestone that only the most elite professionals and thought leaders can achieve—right? Wrong! With the right combination of preparation, commitment, and ambition, anyone can (and should) share their professional expertise in a book. Adding your voice to the conversation leads to a stronger, more inclusive tech industry.
The Business of UX Writing
UX writing is good for business, while also playing a critical role in delivering a top-notch user experience. Through case studies, frameworks, and historical context, Yael Ben-David offers savvy and practical guidance to ensure our digital products support the user and the business—plus writers and designers!—all at once.
Writing for Designer
Whether you’re new to writing or looking to hone your skills, Scott Kubie’s guide will empower you to get organized and get going. Learn to scope and articulate writing assignments, build a repeatable workflow, and develop methods for productive editing, collaboration, version control, and delivery. Don't struggle with writing—get the writing done.
Something spooky is going on in our warehouse: now through October 31, we’re adding a *bonus* bestseller to every eligible paperback order. PLUS: we’re dropping a few other surprise goodies into each order—but only for a limited time! Shop now if you dare!!! Read on for more.
]]>Something spooky is going on in our warehouse: now through October 31, we’re adding a *bonus* bestseller to every eligible paperback order.
PLUS: we’re dropping a few other surprise goodies into each order—but only for a limited time! Shop now if you dare!!!
Offer ends October 31 at 11:59pm ET
]]>Looking to spend your end-of-year budget? Or take advantage of professional development funds? Our books are always a great investment! Order 10 (or more) copies of any title and save 30%, now through October 31. Read on for more.
]]>Buy in Bulk + Save Big
Looking to spend your end-of-year budget? Or take advantage of professional development funds? Our books are always a great investment!
Order 10 (or more) copies of any title and save 30%, now through November 15. No code needed!
WANT TO PLACE A REALLY BIG ORDER?
If you or your team are looking to save even more on larger orders (50 or more books), drop a line to support@abookapart.com and we’ll hook you up with an even bigger discount.
]]>
We’re still making room in the warehouse, which means we’re taking almost 50% off dozens of titles for the next week! And you get to save BIG with $19 paperbacks. Read on for more.
]]>Stock Your Shelf with Nearly 50% Off Paperbacks!
We’re still making room in the warehouse, which means we’re taking almost 50% off dozens of titles for the next week! And you get to save BIG with $19 paperbacks.
Check out a few titles with (limited!) paperback copies still in stock—just waiting to join your library!
Sale ends Thursday, October 12th at 11:59pm ET.
]]>Shop the ABA Warehouse Sale for $15 paperback books—today and tomorrow only! Read on for more.
]]>Shop the ABA Warehouse Sale for $15 paperback books—today and tomorrow only!
While we continue tidying up our warehouse, you get the deal of the decade: almost 60% off paperback copies of dozens of ABA books. No code needed!
Limited inventory available—shop now before your favorites sell out! Sale ends Wednesday, October 4th at 11:59pm ET.
]]>Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Vanessa Gennarelli—author of Surviving Change at Work. She tells us about the neon peach emoji in her office, the "Bat Signal" she uses to check in with friends, and a recent trip that illuminated her world. Read on for more.
]]>Meet Vanessa Gennarelli
Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Vanessa Gennarelli—author of Surviving Change at Work. She tells us about the neon peach emoji in her office, the "Bat Signal" she uses to check in with friends, and a recent trip that illuminated her world.
A Book Apart: What is your favorite thing about your workspace?
Vanessa Gennarelli: The color palette in my office is one of my favorite things: the lamps are pale pink, the walls are deep blue, and the couch is kelly green. When I’m in a meeting, or even just reading, I love noticing how the colors complement each other. Also, lamps are really important to me, because overhead lighting is punitive. Then there’s my wraparound monitor makes me feel like a mad scientist. Finally, my “peach emoji” neon sign, which a friend of mine had made for me—it’s in the background of all of my Zoom calls.
ABA: What’s the first thing you do every morning to start your day on the right foot?
VG: On Sundays, I write down the big tasks that need to get accomplished that week. Then each day, I get my coffee, and then my pug, Tuna, sits on my lap at the bay window and we plan our day.
ABA: In your opinion, what should someone consider before starting out in web design / development?
VG: I’d suggest thinking about what stage of organization you’d like to be a part of, and where you would thrive. Are you a generalist, or a specialist? What’s your appetite for ambiguity? I talk about this (and more) in my book, and provide tools and guidance to help folks identify their “sweet spot.”
ABA: Is there anyone you’re following the work of right now, who you’d recommend others pay attention to?
VG: Kate Tyson’s newsletter, Thougthful as Moss, in which she questions assumptions surrounding success—her work is so thoughtful, and while her focus is on small businesses, so many of the lessons apply to organizations, writ large. And Krista Tippett and her work through On Being, always and forever—she asks high-level, generative questions that make you think differently about time, motivation, meaning, and expectations.
ABA: In moments of self-doubt, how do you recharge and rally to keep going?
VG: I gravitate towards people who care deeply, and are intentional about how they design their lives. My “Kitchen Cabinet” is a group of eight to ten friends, and there’s a lot of overlap between our work projects and personal lives. Usually I’ll reach out with a “Bat Signal,” asking if they are in a place to gut-check my thinking. I make short videos to express my context / crisis / vibe, and seek a dose of confidence or clarity that way.
ABA: What is your go-to source of inspiration when you’re trying to get out of a creative rut?
VG: Though my travel schedule has slowed down considerably in the past two years, I try to leave the country twice a year, and I’m grateful to be able to do so. Travel prompts me to shift perspectives—seeing other ways of moving through the world, learning other ways to solve problems, experiencing other customs and expectations. I always come home with a re-centered and refreshed awareness, if a tired body. I recently attended a traditional wedding in Ghana, and the kinship rituals were so deep and fascinating. It’s a whole weekend of activity designed not around bringing individuals together, but two whole communities together, and it made me think differently about human commitment.
I also love the performing arts—I try to attend one play, performance, or creative happening a week. We’re so lucky to have a thriving arts community in Philadelphia: the Fringe Festival, Crane Arts, Plays and Players, the Wilma, BalletX. I think it reminds us to use play and curiosity in our work.
ABA: What is a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night?
VG: Michael Lewis, of Moneyball fame, did a podcast series about our changing notion of the referee—how we’ve shifted from a respect for impartial arbiters (voting observers, judges, art authenticators) to an assumption of corruption, fueled by suspicion and vitriol. One of our idealistic goals for the read/write web was to erode traditional gatekeeping around information, but we’ve swung too far in the other direction.
ABA: What characteristic do you most admire in other creative people?
VG: A high bar for quality. The audiobook for Surviving Change at Work is an example—my best friend Rob Spectre produced it, and he would not rest until it sounded polished, seamless, and perhaps even fun. His expectations as a consumer are quite high, and he brings the same view to his own output.
At the same time, I admire folks who intentionally rest—who have made trade-offs with regard to output / work, personal interests, relationships, and caretaking of their bodies. The Nap Ministry’s message of resisting “grind culture” comes to mind, as well as Jenny Odell’s writings.
ABA: What tool, object, or ritual could you not live without to get you through a week?
VG: My Iron Flask for hydration, because it keeps water cool and it’s always full (and on my desk where I’m frequently likely to reach for it). And lemons, parsley, and capers because they make almost everything tastier.
ABA: What is a piece of professional or life advice you’ve gotten that has always stuck with you?
VG: When you’re in a relationship with a challenging colleague, find something to appreciate about them. Something they can teach you. I talk about this a bit in my book, and the advice comes from the Conscious Leadership Group. This small step can really change your perspective, because it shifts the narrative in your head from anger to curiosity.
ABA: What are you reading right now?
VG: Mating in Captivity—I’m late to the Ether Perel train, but I’ve punched my ticket and am digging the ride. And Chlorine by Jade Song—take competitive swimming, and make it about folklore and mermaids. Into it.
ABA: What’s the last book you read that you wanted to share with others?
VG: Cookie Mueller’s Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black. Cookie was part of John Waters’s Dreamland crew, and this is a collection of her posthumous essays. You never know where the next essay is going to begin (like escaping a hotel bill by fleeing over the Berlin wall in a skirt) or where it’s going to take you (her vignettes of Provincetown are unreal).
ABA: If you could write a book in any genres, what would it be?
VG: Anything that’s a modern-day take on mythology. One day I’ll write a book about the various Etruscan deities my ancestors worshiped.
ABA: What’s your favorite place to read?
VG: On my ottoman, with my pug, Tuna, on my lap.
ABA: What’s in your To Be Read pile?
VG: Oh this is shameful and painful. OK…
•••
Learn more about all our authors—check out the rest of our Meet the Author series!
]]>You read that right! When you purchase an ebook, you can get the paperback for FREE! (*Just pay for shipping.) Why are we (basically!) giving away $36 paperback books? We’re tidying up our warehouse over the next few months, and we’d love to help you build your bookshelf! Read on for more.
]]>FREE Paperbacks!*
You read that right! When you purchase an ebook, you can get the paperback for FREE! (*Just pay for shipping.)
Why are we (basically!) giving away $36 paperback books? We’re tidying up our warehouse over the next few months, and we’d love to help you build your bookshelf!
Shop your favorite book(s), add the paperback & ebook bundle to your cart, and use the code FREEBOOK. Then, download your ebook right away and get ready for a great mail day!
*Right now, this deal is available for almost every book in our catalog! But, only while supplies last—so, grab your favorite free paperback(s) before we sell out!
]]>The reality of working at a high-growth organization can be tough to endure. From product pivots to constantly shifting expectations to personnel turnover, it’s enough to cause whiplash. If this is your first (or second, or even third!) rodeo in a tech job, and you’re wondering how to stay upright amid the tumult, Surviving Change at Work will keep you grounded. Read on for more.
]]>
Available Now
Surviving Change at Work
by Vanessa Gennarelli
The reality of working at a high-growth organization can be tough to endure. From product pivots to constantly shifting expectations to personnel turnover, it’s enough to cause whiplash. If this is your first (or second, or even third!) rodeo in a tech job, and you’re wondering how to stay upright amid the tumult, Surviving Change at Work will keep you grounded.
Vanessa Gennarelli brings to bear years of hard-earned expertise in this essential handbook, sharing extensive research, case studies, and practical exercises to help you find clarity as you drive toward the next step in your tech career. Along the path, learn how to apply the art of persuasion and influence, and assess organizational lifecycles for better decision-making. You’ll gain strategies for navigating shifts in culture with resilience, and frameworks for planning—and sustainably growing—your career.
➜ On sale now: paperbacks ship within 48 hours and ebooks are available for immediate download.
➜ Bundle it: buy this book with Resilient Management (or any other title) and save 10%!
•••
What people are saying about Surviving Change at Work:
“Vanessa has an incredible ability to address the tough questions we’re all wanting to ask, even when we’re too afraid to ask them—or we don’t know who to go to. In this book, she offers invaluable career advice that’s grounded in personal experience and packed with great wisdom and practical tools. Written in Vanessa’s inimitably no-nonsense style, this book is a treasure.”
—SHANKU NIYOGI
VP of product at Databricks
“When it comes to careers, there are few wrong choices you can make, except one: not choosing at all. Surviving Change at Work helps you intentionally design a career with purpose, rather than simply letting your career happen to you.”
—SEAN BLANDA
VP of content at Crossbeam
“Because of her proven expertise leading teams and her personal thoughtfulness, Vanessa understands the necessary dialogue between organizations and individuals like few people do.”
—EMILY GOLIGOSKI
Head of research and SVP at Charter
“Change is a constant in our careers, and having a game plan to deal with it is key to survival both on a personal and professional level. Thank you, Vanessa, for recognizing the need for a field guide like this.”
—LYNDA SMITH
Former CMO at Twilio and mParticle, and GM at Nuance
Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Ethan Marcotte—author of You Deserve a Tech Union. He lets us in on what’s in his TBR pile, where his running ritual takes him, why he keeps a certain piece of life advice close to his heart. Read on for more.
]]>Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Ethan Marcotte—author of You Deserve a Tech Union. He lets us in on what’s in his TBR pile, where his running ritual takes him, why he keeps a certain piece of life advice close to his heart.
A Book Apart: In your opinion, what should someone consider before starting out in web design / development?
Ethan Marcotte: I’ve written about this before, but my most valuable design tool is a question: “What if someone doesn’t browse the web like I do?” It’s always helped me remember that the way I encounter one of my designs isn’t representative of everyone else’s experience. If I don’t actively work to step out of my own biases and assumptions, that can translate into real harm.
ABA: Is there anyone you’re following the work of right now, who you’d recommend others pay attention to?
EM: This will come as zero surprise to anyone who follows me, but: Ursula Franklin. If You Deserve a Tech Union does nothing more than introduce readers to Franklin’s The Real World of Technology, I’ll consider my book a massive success.
ABA: What tool, object, or ritual could you not live without to get you through a week?
EM: I mentioned this in the book, but running really has become something I build my weeks around. It’s not so much about the physical fitness, though there is some of that. But in the last few years of the pandemic, I’ve found that running alongside the river has become a real balm. If I don’t do it a few times a week, I really do miss it.
ABA: What is a piece of professional or life advice you’ve gotten that has always stuck with you?
EM: My grandmother always used to tell me to “offer praise in public, but offer criticism in private.” That one’s always stuck with me.
ABA: What are you reading right now?
EM: I’ve got two books going right now. On a friend’s recommendation, I picked up a copy of Rebecca Subar’s When to Talk and When to Fight, and I’m learning quite a bit from it. I listen to audiobooks when I go out running, and I’m currently working my way through Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards!. I read the inkbook version ages ago—it was my first Pratchett, I think—and the narrators do a fantastic job bringing the book to life.
ABA: What’s the last book you read that you wanted to share with others?
EM: I just finished Rosemary Kirstein’s The Steerswoman, which I loved. It’s a cozy little (scifi? fantasy?) novel about one member of a group of semi-nomadic scholars, nearly all of them women, who travel the world to accumulate knowledge—and to share it with everyone they meet. There’s some intrigue, an uneasy friendship with a surly barbarian, and some surprisingly gripping applications of the Socratic method. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
ABA: If you could write a book in any genres, what would it be?
EM: I’ve secretly always wanted to write a fantasy novel. Sadly, I have absolutely no ear for dialogue, so that particular project is probably a few decades years off.
ABA: What’s your favorite place to read?
EM: Before the pandemic, I would’ve said Vinal Bakery or Trident, or maybe even by the second floor windows of the Cambridge Public Library’s main branch. But these days, I’m grateful to have a home with several comfy reading spots, as well as two adorable kittens.
ABA: What’s in your To Be Read pile?
EM: oh no my TBR pile is too big, this is my secret shame, don’t look at meeeeee
…yeah okay fine, let’s look at the books that are literally about to fall off my nightstand, here we go:
I’ve also got copies of Sameera Kapila’s Inclusive Design Communities and Senongo Akpem’s Cross-Cultural Design in the mix, but those are both rereads of old favorites. (If you haven’t read them, do!)
Learn more about all our authors—check out the rest of our Meet the Author series!
•••
Bundle & Save
Have you picked up your copy of You Deserve a Tech Union yet? Pair it with Inclusive Design Communities and save 10% (15% when you buy paperbacks and ebooks)!
]]>Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Elizabeth McGuane—author of Design by Definition. She gives us a glimpse into her beautiful workspace in Nova Scotia, lets us in on the favorite book she loves to share, and offers up what she most admires about creative people. Read on for more.
]]>Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Elizabeth McGuane—author of Design by Definition. She gives us a glimpse into her beautiful workspace in Nova Scotia, lets us in on the favorite book she loves to share, and offers up what she most admires about creative people.
A Book Apart: What is your favorite thing about your workspace?
Elizabeth McGuane: My workspace looks out over the LaHave River in Nova Scotia/Mi’kma’ki, Canada, so the view is absolutely my favorite thing about it. After moving to Canada when I was five years old, my family settled in the LaHave area and thanks to remote work, coming back to it as an adult has been pretty magical. The light floods in all day, no matter the season. I do have to wear sunscreen at my desk, though!
ABA: In moments of self-doubt, how do you recharge and rally to keep going?
EM: I experience micro moments of self-doubt every day in what I hope is just a normal, regular part of consciousness. Sometimes I go for a walk, ideally on the beach. The sound of the waves really helps (a white noise recording helps too). I wish I could say I read or write when I’m feeling self-doubt, but it can be hard to get back into my own head enough to enjoy those things, especially when I’m feeling self-doubt about writing. Sometimes I’ll work with a writing prompt, just something to mechanically start the process of creativity, and hope that my brain wakes up and decides to follow along. It works more often than not.
ABA: What characteristic do you most admire in other creative people?
EM: The characteristics I most admire in others—whether they self-style themselves as “creative” or not—are diligence and truthfulness. I never feel I’m diligent enough or work hard enough, no matter how hard I work. There’s some perfect execution of routine and productiveness that I believe must be possible: the people who can get up early and go for a run and drink enough water and write ten pages a day, and then do it all again the next day. I’m not sure if this quality actually exists outside of short-form social media, though. In terms of true admiration and respect, I admire people who do work that feels truthful to them, work that’s meaningful to them beyond it being an achievement or something that might win them accolades or success. Writing or doing any creative thing, particularly in long form, is hard; I think it’s impossible to come through it without some compromise, which means you must start out with some store of conviction that what you’re doing is worthwhile and true. Otherwise, how would you ever finish it?
ABA: What is a piece of professional or life advice you’ve gotten that has always stuck with you?
EM: To take a job in design leadership and to not let myself be limited or defined by my past job titles. This advice isn’t without its pros and cons, but it’s probably the piece of advice that’s molded my career the most, and I’m thankful for it.
ABA: What are you reading right now?
EM: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, by David Graeber and David Wengrow. It’s a big orange doorstopper, but actually the last 150 pages are footnotes, which is great both because I love footnotes and because it makes reading it a more manageable mountain to climb. The book challenges assumptions about the broad scale of human history and especially about the pathways of ideas, notably from Indigenous societies into European ones. It also makes the case that humans are fully human when we’re debating and analyzing things, which resonated with me and with the theme of Design by Definition. “Humans are only fully self-conscious when arguing with one another; trying to sway each other’s views, or working out a common problem.” Not that we don’t have our own self-consciousness, but conversation is a way of sustaining our ideas and reflections. Even, I suppose, if that conversation happens by writing things down and working through them with an editor. It’s a wonderful, beautifully written book so far; it’s such a pleasure to read, ornate and humane and surprising and even funny.
ABA: What’s the last book you read that you wanted to share with others?
EM: Not the last book I read, but the one I have gifted the most often: The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick. I love this book so much. Reading Vivian Gornick always makes me feel awed and energized. It’s subtitled: The Art of Personal Narrative, which makes it seem like it’s all about writing a memoir, but it’s really about how to find a writerly voice in a way that I think is important in any form of writing, and it’s something that’s very important to understand as a reader—who is the “I” in a writer’s work, what is the truth of what they’re telling you. It talks about how hard it is to zoom in on and sustain. It’s about self-consciousness too, I suppose. Just go and read everything by Vivian Gornick, her writing is like a beam of light. She’s so acerbic and precise and spiky. You will absolutely be better off than you were before reading her.
ABA: What’s in your To Be Read pile?
EM: You Deserve a Tech Union by Ethan Marcotte. Having come from an industry that was unionized (print media) into one that is so far decidedly not, and now becoming a published writer which gives me access to unions and industry support should I choose to use them—I’m really looking forward to diving into Ethan’s book. I’m interested in why there’s a lot of fear inherent in discussing the history of labor. Especially working for a company that supports entrepreneurs, I think there’s a responsibility to understand how labor and entrepreneurship and industry at large work together. Alongside the pressing needs that unions support in terms of wages and so forth, I feel that the industries that have embraced unions—whether they’re factory workers, tradespeople, journalists, or actors and writers—have a lot to tell us about how businesses stay sustainable for all participants over the long term.
Learn more about all our authors—check out the rest of our Meet the Author series!
•••
Bundle & Save
Have you picked up your copy of Design by Definition yet? Pair it with The Business of UX Writing and save 10% (15% when you buy paperbacks and ebooks)!
]]>How can we make a more intentional, equitable impact with our work? Maybe you’re asking yourself the same question (and others!)—and we hope some of our books will serve as resources to help you find the answers so you can work with purpose. Read on for more.
]]>How can we make a more intentional, equitable impact with our work? We’re approaching a time of year that often signals a return to school, a renewed energy for our daily work, or a pause for reflection. This moment has many of us asking ourselves: How might we build more solidarity in tech? How can we create more inclusive learning environments and workplaces? How can we use our skills to care for ourselves and others? What will we accomplish once we harness our biases for good?
Maybe you’re asking yourself the same questions—and we hope our books will serve as resources to help you find the answers.
•••
If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to unionizing, immerse yourself in You Deserve a Tech Union. In his newest book, Ethan Marcotte weaves together extensive research and insights from tech workers with real-world union-building experience—to outline the process for forming a union of your very own.
If you’re developing your capacity to support better inclusivity practices, check out Inclusive Design Communities. In Sameera Kapila’s guidebook, you’ll learn to notice subconscious bias, interrogate your values, and actively create welcoming spaces for all—from classroom environments to hiring practices to conferences.
If you’re interested in creating more sustainable and conscientious work, pick up a copy of Mike Monteiro’s essential update on his instant classic: Design Is a Job. Learn not just how to be a working designer, but also how to take care of yourself, deal with toxic workplaces, and learn to operate in a community rather than as an individual practitioner.
If you’re ready to stop letting your biases lead you astray, you’ll find encouragement in Design for Cognitive Bias—as David Dylan Thomas lays bare the irrational forces that shape our everyday decisions and, inevitably, inform the experiences we craft. Come along on a whirlwind tour of the cognitive biases that encroach on our lives and our work, and learn to start designing more consciously.
]]>There’s a resurgent labor movement in the tech industry. Tech workers—designers, engineers, writers, and many others—have learned that when they stand together, they’re poised to build a better version of the tech industry. They haven’t stopped there: at companies from Kickstarter to Google, workers have formed unions. And you should, too. Read on for more.
]]>
Available Now
You Deserve a Tech Union
Ethan Marcotte
There’s a resurgent labor movement in the tech industry. Tech workers—designers, engineers, writers, and many others—have learned that when they stand together, they’re poised to build a better version of the tech industry. They haven’t stopped there: at companies from Kickstarter to Google, workers have formed unions. And you should, too.
But what are unions? And why do they matter? Ethan Marcotte answers these questions through extensive research and by interviewing tech workers with real-world union-building experience. Ethan shares these workers’ insights and stories, weaving them together to outline the process for forming a union of your very own. Because you—yes, you—deserve a tech union.
➜ On sale now: paperbacks ship within 48 hours and ebooks are available for immediate download.
➜ Bundle it: buy this book with Inclusive Design Communities (or any other title) and save 10%!
•••
What people are saying about the You Deserve a Tech Union
“You Deserve a Tech Union is a how-to guide, a history lesson, and a manifesto all in one. Ethan Marcotte starts by laying out the case for unionization in tech, and ends with a rallying cry for using our power as workers. I wish we’d had this book as we organized the New York Times Tech Guild.”
—NOZLEE SAMADZADEH
Member of the New York Times Tech Guild
“This is the book we need. It’s direct, insightful, and actionable. It’s both candid and optimistic, like the people who do this sort of work. It reads like a conversation with a deeply knowledgeable friend who knows you, knows your power, and wants to help you step into it.”
—DAVID DELMAR SENTÍES
Founder of Resilient Coders and author of What We Build with Power: The Fight for Economic Justice in Tech
“You Deserve a Tech Union is invaluable to tech workers who want better workplaces and lives. In this book, Ethan outlines what aspiring union members (or the union-curious) need to do to get started—from understanding history to gaining practical guidance for planning and organizing.”
—SAMEERA KAPILA
Author of Inclusive Design Communities
“Ethan’s book demystifies unions and bridges the gap between the ideals of organized labor and the realities—both beautiful and challenging—of unionizing tech orgs just like yours. If you’re ready to start building a better way to work, this is the book I would put in your hands.
—ERIN KISSANE
Author of The Elements of Content Strategy
We’re really excited to announce Surviving Change at Work, a new book by Vanessa Gennarelli, launching September 12! Vanessa Gennarelli is the principal of Fortuna, a change management firm, and the chief operating officer for Raise.dev. She has led cross-functional teams at rapidly growing organizations—and while at one of the largest tech companies on the planet, she learned how to navigate cultural differences, integrate new processes, and help direct reports thrive through change. Read on for more.
]]>We’re really excited to announce Surviving Change at Work, a new book by Vanessa Gennarelli, launching September 12!
Vanessa Gennarelli is the principal of Fortuna, a change management firm, and the chief operating officer for Raise.dev. She has led cross-functional teams at rapidly growing organizations—and while at one of the largest tech companies on the planet, she learned how to navigate cultural differences, integrate new processes, and help direct reports thrive through change.
And in our industry, change is inevitable. It’s often uncomfortable and sometimes chaotic—but it can also bring clarity, awareness, and a renewed sense of purpose. If this is your first (or second, or even third!) rodeo in a tech job, and you’re wondering how to stay upright amid the tumult, Vanessa is here to help. In her essential new book, she brings to bear years of hard-earned expertise, sharing extensive research, case studies, and practical exercises to help you find clarity as you drive toward the next step in your tech career.
➔ Learn more about Surviving Change at Work
➔ Preorder now, available September 12
Here at HQ we’re in the hot homestretch of summer—and as we soon head into the crisp, fresh air of fall, we couldn’t wait to tell you what’s in store. Read on for more.
]]>Here at HQ we’re in the hot homestretch of summer—and as we soon head into the crisp, fresh air of fall, we couldn’t wait to tell you what’s in store.
On July 25, we launched Design by Definition! Elizabeth McGuane show us how to harness the potency of words and language to uplift and illuminate rather than encumber. Pick up your copy today.
In August, we’ll welcome Ethan Marcotte’s newest book, You Deserve a Tech Union, in which he illuminates the impact of unions in tech and beyond—and weaves together research and insights to outline the process for forming a union.
In September, Surviving Change at Work will join our library. In this essential book, Vanessa Gennarelli helps us gain strategies for navigating shifts in culture with resilience, and adopt frameworks for planning—and sustainably growing—a career.
]]>
We can’t wait for you to read Surviving Change at Work, a new book by Vanessa Gennarelli, launching September 12. In the meantime, we’re giving you a peek into the book with our Meet the Book Q&A series. Read on to learn how Vanessa helps empower employees to step into their power at every level, who she wrote this book for, and what the secret is behind her unique change management framework. Read on for more.
]]>Surviving Change at Work
by Vanessa Gennarelli
We can’t wait for you to read Surviving Change at Work, a new book by Vanessa Gennarelli, launching September 12.
In the meantime, we’re giving you a peek into the book with our Meet the Book Q&A series. Read on to learn how Vanessa helps empower employees to step into their power at every level, who she wrote this book for, and what the secret is behind her unique change management framework.
A Book Apart: What was the initial spark that motivated you to write this book?
Vanessa Gennarelli: I wrote this book to help employees at rapidly-growing companies. Because as a manager, I spotted two patterns:
First, for millennials, and even more so for Gen Z, we’re motivated by mission. We want to work for companies that have a positive influence on the world. In practice, holding that expectation can result in a lot of heartbreak when the company doesn’t live up to our ideals. I noticed that folks would get really attached, and react emotionally any time the company changed. As an industry, we have few to no tools to cope with this experience.
Second, we’re hired for our expertise in a certain domain—engineering, product, marketing, etc. But to succeed in a company structure, there are all these other skills outside of your core domain that you’re just expected to know. Skills like knowing how to: get buy-in for your ideas, assess the business environment, collaborate with leadership, or decide to leave your current role (and what to say when you do!).
I wrote this book to fill in those gaps.
ABA: How long did it take you to write this book?
VG: About two years—I started with a collection of patterns I’d noticed during my experience leading teams, then conducted original research for the book. I interviewed dozens of tech veterans, from CEOs to investors to engineering managers. I was also lucky to have excellent peer reviewers from different disciplines in the tech industry. Each chapter focuses on a common theme that happens during a company’s lifecycle, and readers will hear a number of perspectives on each theme.
ABA: When/where did you feel most in a state of flow while writing this book? Least?
VG: Most: Developing a change management framework that is agile enough for tech teams to actually use it. I call it AMICUS—because it makes change more friendly—and it’s already helping teams adapt to change around reduction-in-force, the focus on AI, and coping with leadership changes. I’m really proud of the workshop that came out of the book, and hope we can help more folks see opportunity in change.
Least: So, anyone who says that editing is easy is lying. My editors at A Book Apart are brilliant, and their expectations for quality are high—our readers are discerning and expect the best. This book is not an MVP—it’s a full version release that’s been bug-bountied.
ABA: How did you come up with the title for this book?
VG: 😬 ChatGPT came up with it. I’d read about another author who came up with his book title by running ads, and thought I’d try it out.
ABA: In one sentence, what is your book’s driving, or most important, idea?
VG: Organizations are going to change, but you can make those changes work for you—and I’m going to show you how.
ABA: Who did you write this book for?
VG: This book is for the folks who are in their first, second, or even third rodeo at a tech job, and find themselves frustrated. While work can be a challenge, it doesn’t have to be so hard. If you feel like every meeting is a ten-round boxing match, or you don’t feel heard, or you complain about your job to folks at home, this book will help.
For leaders at tech companies, this book will help your teams efficiently find clarity about what’s coming next, and build the muscle to adapt to change. It will also give you a clear, authentic framework for rolling out change to your team.
ABA: What part of the book was most challenging to write?
VG: The very end, the chapter about when to move on from your role. I feel like as an industry we’re in a period of transition—from the pandemic, to returning to offices, to the attention AI is getting—and transitions are challenging. At the same time, so many of us are questioning what work is for, and if our priorities are the right ones. It’s a cloudy time for decision-making, and I hope the tools I’m sharing will help.
ABA: Why will readers want to learn about this topic from you?
VG: This is a path that I’ve tread well. I’ve been a part of seven rapidly-growing organizations, led teams that grew from four to forty people, and also have a business degree from Stanford.
My background is as an instructional designer and I did my graduate research at Harvard and MIT, so I bring that experience to bear in the structure of the book, and in the insights I provide.
ABA: How do you hope the web will change once people read and apply lessons in your book?
VG: I might abstract the question one layer up—how will the organizations that make the web change once people read and apply these lessons.
My mission is to change organizational thinking from adversarial where it’s often “us vs. them” thinking or management vs. the rank-and-file—to collaborative where employees are empowered to step into their power at every level, and they treat their relationship to the company as a conversation.
Through that mindset shift, there is more ease, clarity, and informed decision-making. It also makes negotiation more approachable, and working with leaders less scary.
ABA: How did you choose the cover color for this book?
VG: It’s the blue on the walls in my dining room. It’s called “Dix Blue.”
]]>When we think of design primarily in terms of visual representation, we neglect an essential piece of the creative process. The words we use to form concepts can also powerfully shape a design project from start to finish—giving clarity to goals, precision to names and structure, and purpose to stylistic choices. Read on for more.
]]>Available Now
Design by Definition
by Elizabeth McGuane
When we think of design primarily in terms of visual representation, we neglect an essential piece of the creative process. The words we use to form concepts can also powerfully shape a design project from start to finish—giving clarity to goals, precision to names and structure, and purpose to stylistic choices.
Elizabeth McGuane offers a fresh, empowering framework for design. Drawing from her experience on the forefront of web, mobile, and product design, she shows us how to harness the potency of words and language to uplift and illuminate rather than encumber. Learn how to effectively apply semantic concepts, use language to frame design problems clearly, and integrate elements of style such as metaphor and nomenclature, to strengthen your design process.
➜ On sale now: paperbacks ship within 48-72 hours and ebooks are available for immediate download.
➜ Bundle it: buy this book with The Business Of UX Writing (or any other title) and save 10%!
•••
“At its heart, this powerful little book is about how to think deeply, clearly, and humanely about solving hard problems—with and for real people. Its message is relevant for those designing digital software, and for anyone striving to make meaning, build understanding, and create alignment in work and life.”
—AMY THIBODEAU
Chief design officer at Gusto
“Words are slippery. Elizabeth captures them with adeptness and poetic prose, perfectly explaining how they shepherd us along the winding path of product development. This book has invaluable advice for anyone who communicates or makes things with other humans.”
—RANDALL SNARE
Content design director at Meta
“Whether we design with pixels or pencil marks on paper, we use words to share ideas. Elizabeth presents us with a roadmap for embracing the importance of words and shared language, and reminds us that when done intentionally, writing is a joyful act and the most galvanizing part of the entire creative process.”
—STEWART SCOTT-CURRAN
Cofounder and creative director at Design Business Company
]]>
We’re really excited to announce You Deserve a Tech Union, a new book by Ethan Marcotte, launching August 15! Ethan Marcotte is a web designer, speaker, and author, who is perhaps best known for creating responsive web design and writing the eponymous book, Responsive Web Design—helping the industry discover a new way of designing for the ever-changing web. Read on for more.
]]>You Deserve a Tech Union
by Ethan Marcotte
We’re really excited to announce You Deserve a Tech Union, a new book by Ethan Marcotte, launching August 15!
Ethan Marcotte is a web designer, speaker, and author, who is perhaps best known for creating responsive web design and writing the eponymous book, Responsive Web Design—helping the industry discover a new way of designing for the ever-changing web.
Since putting into motion and supporting the responsive web design movement, Ethan has been reading, writing, and speaking about labor issues in the tech industry. In 2021, he started talking with designers, graduate students, economists, engineers, and labor researchers. He’s spoken with people in the tech industry’s labor movement who were at varying points of the union-forming process—from beginning to organize, to winning initial contracts, to operating as full-time union leaders.
Now, in his third A Book Apart book, Ethan presents a deeply meaningful story about the activism and organizing that’s happened over the last few years, led by the very people whose work built this industry. It’s a book about tech work, and how unions can help us build a better version of it.
➔ Learn more about You Deserve a Tech Union
➔ Preorder now, available August 15
]]>Who says reading professional books should only happen at your desk? Not us! It’s summer here at HQ, and as much as we love reading while we’re in getting-things-done mode, we find it’s even more enjoyable to grab a book and some sunscreen, and head outside! We’ve gathered a short list of ABA’s favorite summer reads—plus: a few favorite podcast episodes. Read on for more.
]]>☀️ Summer Reading Recs
Who says reading professional books should only happen at your desk? Not us! It’s summer here at HQ, and as much as we love reading while we’re in getting-things-done mode, we find it’s even more enjoyable to grab a book and some sunscreen, and head outside!
To get you started, we’ve gathered a short list of ABA’s favorite summer reads. Whether you pick a recent release or a best seller, we hope we inspire you to find the perfect spot for R&R (reading and relaxation, of course).
•••
🎧 Listen Up
If you’re looking for something to listen to—instead of read—while you soak up the sun or lounge in the shade, our friend and author Aarron Walter has a podcast you’ve got to tune into. Aarron and cohost Eli Woolery explore creative collaboration, design, and innovation with the blue flame thinkers. Check out a few of our favorite episodes of the Design Better podcast—and subscribe wherever you like to listen:
We can’t wait for you to read You Deserve a Tech Union, a new book by Ethan Marcotte, launching August 15. In the meantime, we’re giving you a peek into the book with our Meet the Book Q&A series. Discover how Ethan describes this book’s most important idea, what part of the book was most challenging to write, and why you need to read this book now. Read on for more.
]]>We can’t wait for you to read You Deserve a Tech Union, a new book by Ethan Marcotte, launching August 15.
In the meantime, we’re giving you a peek into the book with our Meet the Book Q&A series. Read on to discover how Ethan describes this book’s most important idea, what part of the book was most challenging to write, and why you need to read this book now.
A Book Apart: What was the initial spark that motivated you to write this book?
Ethan Marcotte: Oh, jeez. This is an issue I’ve cared about for years, and one I’ve been actively learning about since 2016. I’m not sure there was one spark.
Actually, no—I’ve got a spark for you. It was 2018, and I was watching coverage of the Google Walkout in the news and on Twitter. Some twenty thousand workers had pushed away from their desks in protest, demanding that Google’s leadership implement real changes to address the sexual harassment, the discrimination, and the systemic racism at the company. And to get their bosses to listen, these workers conducted a worldwide work stoppage to get them to properly—and finally—listen. It was the first time I’d seen worker power exercised at that scale in our industry, and I can still remember thinking about how new and important and urgent it felt.
Tech workers haven’t stopped there, though. In the intervening years, they’ve continued to build power by forming unions. And for me, tech workers awakening to their status as workers has been one of the most inspiring things I’ve witnessed over the last several years. Heck, it might be the single most inspiring thing I’ve ever seen in the tech industry. That’s why I wanted to write You Deserve a Tech Union.
ABA: How long did it take you to write this book?
EM: I started interviewing people for the book—or, well, what eventually turned into this book—back in the summer of 2021. But in terms of actual writing, it took a little less than five months: I wrote my first, honest-to-goodness page at the start of September 2022; I handed over the completed draft to the fine folks at ABA at the end of January 2023.
ABA: When/where did you feel most in a state of flow while writing this book? Least?
EM: Oof, what a great question. But honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced “a state of flow” while writing! When I was knee-deep in the first draft of this book, I blogged about how I moved through feeling stuck while I’m writing. (Or how I tried to move through it, anyway.) Thankfully, that post prompted my friend Mandy to share this line from Verlyn Klinkenborg:
Flow is something the reader experiences, not the writer.
I desperately needed to read that while I was writing. And I do hope that anyone who reads You Deserve a Tech Union feels that sense of flow—it was a hard book to write, but I’m real, real proud of where it landed.
ABA: How did you come up with the title for this book?
EM: This is an easy one! There’s a line you’ll hear often in labor circles: “every worker deserves a union.” It’s a simple statement, but I think that’s what makes it so powerful. Every worker—every worker—should have access to the power and protections of a labor union.
ABA: In one sentence, what is your book’s driving, or most important, idea?
EM: As a tech worker, you have a tremendous amount of power—and by standing together with your coworkers to form a union, you can do remarkable things to protect each other, and improve where you work.
ABA: Who did you write this book for?
EM: If there are things about your job you want to change, I wrote this for you.
If there are things about your job you love—things that you want to keep from changing—I wrote this for you.
If you don’t know much about unions but you’re curious to learn more, I wrote this for you.
If you want to unionize your workplace but you’re not sure how to start, I wrote this for you.
If you’ve ever wished the tech industry was better than it was, I wrote this for you.
ABA: What part of the book was most challenging to write?
EM: Oh my goodness, the first chapter. Easily the first chapter.
I mean, look: beginnings are always difficult, sure. But the first chapter is a look at what it means to work in the tech industry. And two weeks after I started writing, Twitter was purchased by a capricious billionaire, who promptly started firing most of its workers; shortly after that, thousands and thousands of people began losing their jobs, in wave after wave of layoffs across the tech industry.
Losing a job unexpectedly is a tragedy, full stop. I don’t want to suggest that any difficulties I had starting this book could in any way compare to what folks have been through. With that said, I mention the context to note that watching these layoffs unfold did reshape my book pretty dramatically. Over the last year, many tech workers have experienced firsthand just how much precarity is involved in our relationship to tech work—and that’s something unions are uniquely positioned to address.
ABA: Why will readers want to learn about this topic from you?
EM: I’m not sure they want to learn from me, not exactly. I mean, I’ve been reading, writing, and speaking about labor issues in the tech industry for several years now, because it’s a topic I care deeply about. But I’m a web designer who’s worked for himself for most of his career—and that means I don’t have much practical, hands-on experience with organizing a workplace, much less forming a union.
That’s why this book features people who do have that experience.
Over a year and a half, I interviewed dozens and dozens people across the tech industry’s labor movement. I heard from tech workers who were in the middle of organizing their first union; I spoke with workers who’d won their first contract, and learned how they’d improved their jobs. I met with full-time union organizers, who shared hard-won lessons and strategies with me. Honestly, I’m still floored by the people who donated their time, lessons, and thoughts, both on- and off-the record. Every one of them shaped this book just as much as I did. What’s more, I firmly believe readers will want to learn about this topic from them.
ABA: How do you hope the web will change once people read and apply lessons in your book?
EM: I hope it helps readers understand not just how unions work, but why they’re so critically important. If this little book makes people feel they can form a union, I’ll be incredibly happy. (Because they can! They really, truly can.)
ABA: How did you choose the cover color for this book?
EM: I always knew I wanted a red cover, for two reasons. The first was because of the Bread and Roses strike, which is such a central story in the book.
But the other reason was because it’s a callback to the very first labor poster I ever saw, in the hallway of a house belonging to an old friend and writing mentor—the one who taught me what organized labor was, as it happens. I didn’t completely know what the poster was at the time, much less what it represented. But the image has stayed with me over the years as I’ve learned more about organized labor. I’m so grateful Jason picked out such a perfect color—it’s the one I had in my head as I wrote.
]]>We’re really excited to announce Design by Definition, a new book by Elizabeth McGuane, launching July 25! Elizabeth McGuane draws from her deep expertise and shows us how to harness the potency of words and language to uplift and illuminate rather than encumber our design—and our design process. Read on for more.
]]>Design by Definition
by Elizabeth McGuane
We’re really excited to announce Design by Definition, a new book by Elizabeth McGuane, launching July 25!
Elizabeth McGuane is a user experience design director and content designer who leads large, multidisciplinary design teams to solve problems in wayfinding, communication, and cross-platform design. In her new book, Elizabeth draws from her deep expertise and shows us how to harness the potency of words and language to uplift and illuminate rather than encumber our design—and our design process.
➔ Learn more about Design by Definition
➔ Preorder now, available July 25