---
title: Rework
subtitle: A sharp, illustrated manifesto for working smarter, not bigger
slug: rework
author: Stefan Imhoff
date: 2010-04-27
description: "Reading recommendation for the new book from Basecamp: Rework. A short, well-illustrated book on product development and how to run a company that has not been wrongly put on the bestseller list for a long time and has been praised to the highest standards."
cover: /assets/images/cover/rework.webp
tags: ["book", "recommendation"]
---

## Change the Way You Work Forever

Today, I recommend a book that I finished recently and read a second time: _Rework_ by _Jason Fried_ and _David Heinemeier Hansson_.

I have long been a great believer in the philosophy of simplicity which is cultivated by 37signals successfully. Their first (free) book [Getting Real](https://basecamp.com/books/getting-real) (as <ProductLink asin="0578012812" text="paperback version" />) I read with great interest.

<Bookshelf>
  <AmazonBook asin="0307463745" alt="Rework" />
  <AmazonBook
    asin="0578012812"
    alt="Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application"
  />
</Bookshelf>

But with _Rework_ they have achieved a true masterpiece. Not without reason, it is a bestseller in the US and the UK. Critics and CEOs praise the book in the highest terms (Seth Godin, John Maeda, Chris Anderson, and others).

And unlike the simple _Getting Real_, there’s _Rework_ as a hardcover version, in an attractive binding and with fantastic drawings by Mike Rohde.

The [official website](https://basecamp.com/books/rework) of the book offers a sample excerpt, three funny promotional videos, tons of words of praise and quotes, photos of enthusiastic readers, and a full chapter overview.

Getting Real was created for programmers who want to complete a project. _Rework_, on the other hand, is suitable for every employee and employer, from the managing director to the administrator.

With 21,000 words, the book offers valuable tips for getting a productive and fulfilling working day. Much of this is not new (similar topics can be found in _Getting Real_), and none of this has been invented by 37signals, but I’ve read nowhere as many good tips in brevity and conciseness.

And for the lazy people, there is even an <ProductLink asin="0307704513" text="audiobook version" />.