Keep learning

User expectations are constantly growing. The products that we use every day are also improving in quality and the experiences are becoming more and more delightful. Whether you're an aspiring ux'er or a seasoned professional there will always be something new to learn. Below I've listed a few books that helped me understand how people think and behave. Some books are great for understanding our minds and some taught me how to become a better presenter. The links to the store will provide a tiny referral for me if you choose to purchase the books. Either way, always keep learning.

Don't Make Me Think

By Steve Krug
It was one of my first UX related reads. This is not so much about trends but rather a common sense thinking about how to make things easy to use. Make sure to get the latest copy. As of this writing there are at least three versions.
get a copy for yourself

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman
This is an amazing book about how we think. A must read.
get a copy for yourself

The Design of Everyday Things

By Don Norman
Classic.
get a copy for yourself

Sprint

By Jake Knapp
For a while this book was on a shelf of a bookstore at every airport. One of my former colleagues also taught a workshop. This is more of a playbook or a methodology to get something solved in a few days. I've used some of the methods here and there for various projects but never in a full sequence as described in the book.
get a copy for yourself

Lean UX

By Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
This pretty much describes 80% of my professional UX career. Having the experience in real life made it very easy to relate. It is probably very useful for someone just starting out in this field. If you're a seasoned practitioner then this should be rewritten as a blog post for you.
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100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People

By Susan M. Weinschenk
You need to read this book because every designer has read this book. There are lots of interesting facts and trivia throughout the book. You will feel smarter when you hear one of the facts during a meeting or design review. Just nod your head saying "..but of course."
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Hooked

By Nir Eyal
Doing something out of a habit is something you do without thinking. So create a product with features that make people return to the product habitually. Sounds kind of evil but that's how the Facebooks, Twitters, Instagrams and Youtubes work. Ask people to invest just a tiny amount of work and they'll get hooked even more. This is because we perceive the value of our work a lot more than it's actually worth.
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The Charisma Myth

By Olivia Fox Cabane
Suggest this book for your book club. It was very interesting to discuss the new things I learned about charisma during my book club weekly meetings. Imagine a group of co-workers trying to be extremely charismatic towards each other. Fun. This is not a soft read. The author is also a public speaker and executive coach. In this book she demystifies that charisma is something you're born with. Lots of good knowledge that will help you become a a more charismatic person and team player. Don't forget to listen to other people.
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Never Split the Difference

By Chris Voss
Former FBI dude teaches negotiation tricks for the business folk. It's an entertaining read. Not David Sedaris kind of entertaining but you won't be bored. Sometimes when you present solutions, other people may disagree with you because you're prescribing your solution and they feel excluded. This book has some ideas of how to make people accept your ideas as their own. You will be able to work more efficiently and waste less time on disagreements.
Also, there are stories from his FBI days intertwined in the theoretical stuff.
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Predictably Irrational

By Dan Ariely
Go to Coursera right now and follow Dan Ariely. Make some time to take his class about human behavior. Super insightful on how we think, make decisions and take actions. You'll never look at the world the same.
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