Open source reading list
Edit this guide on GitHub21 Must-read books for open source program managers, recommended by members of the TODO Group community.
New Frontiers in Open Innovation , OUP Oxford, by Henry William Chesbrough (2014)
An overview of research findings on open innovation in the enterprise.
The Open Organization: Igniting Passion and Performance , Harvard Business Review Press, by Jim Whitehurst (2015)
Red Hat’s guide on how to structure and manage an organization that’s open source to the core, from the world’s first billion-dollar open source company.
The Open Organization book series from Opensource.com
The open organization community turns Jim Whitehurst’s The Open Organization into a book series, with installments including The Open Organization Leaders Manual, The Open Organization Guide to IT Culture Change, and The Open Organization Workbook .
Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating And Profiting from Technology , Harvard Business School Press, by Henry Chesbrough (2005)
A foundational work that takes an academic view of how and why IT companies have effectively innovated through collaboration.
Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape , Harvard Business School Press, by Henry Chesbrough (2006)
Builds on Chesbrough’s previous work and reads as a guide to making money through open innovation.
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything , by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams, (2006)
The Cathedral and the Bazaar : Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary, O’Reilly Media, by Eric Raymond (1999)
A seminal work that defined the open source movement and its role in the enterprise.
The Magic Cauldron by Eric Raymond (1999)
A free essay from The Cathedral & The Bazaar on the economics of open source.
Philosophy of the GNU Project , by Richard Stallman
Whether you agree or disagree, it’s helpful to understand Stallman’s perspective.
Producing Open Source Software : How to Run a Successful Free Software Project, O’Reilly Media, by Karl Fogel (2005)
A guide to how successful projects operate, the expectations of users and developers, and the culture of free software.
Open Sources 2.0 : The Continuing Evolution, O’Reilly Media, by Chris DiBona, Mark Stone, Danese Cooper
A collection of essays on the impact open source has on diverse industries, from an experienced group of enterprise open source managers and advocates.
The New Kingmakers , O’Reilly Media, by Stephen O’Grady (2013)
Read this if you want to understand the role of developers in technology decision-making today.
The Software Paradox , O’Reilly Media, by Stephen O’Grady (2015)
Learn why the commercial software market has changed from a RedMonk analyst.
The Art of Community: Building the New Age of Participation , O’Reilly Media, by Jono Bacon (2012)
An essential guide to creating and working with open source communities from former Ubuntu community manager Jono Bacon.
Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution , O’Reilly Media, by Eric S. Raymond (1999)
A free collection of essays from some of the early leaders in open source.
Codev2 , by Larry Lessig (2005) http://codev2.cc/
A classic treatise on Internet regulation and the role of code as a form of law.
Open Source for Business: A Practical Guide to Open Source Software Licensing, 2nd Edition by Heather Meeker
Read this to understand open source software licensing.
The Open Source Alternative , Wiley, by Heather Meeker (2008)
A user manual for understanding open source licensing issues in business.
“The Success of Open Source” , by Steven Weber
Great for understanding the significance of open source from an outsider’s perspective.
http://www.amazon.com/Intellectual-Property-Open-Source-Protecting/dp/0596517963 – Intellectual Property and Open Source, by Van Lindberg
A book on open source licensing from an engineer’s rather than a lawyer’s perspective that includes a little history of the relevant laws. Why do we have trademarks? Why do we have copyright? Etc.
Managing 3rd-Party Software Licenses, Self-published, by Giles Middleton (2016)
A quick read that covers a lot of ground.
The International Free and Open Source Software Law Book , Open Source Press, by Ywein Van den Brande, Shane Coughlan, and Till Jaeger (2014)
A free and fascinating read on how different countries’ laws affect open source licences by preeminent attorneys in FOSS law.
