arfield22, Author at Amber R Field

March 3, 2026February 27, 2026Book Review

Popsicle Sticks and Retros: The Surprising Parallels Between Pixar and Agile Software Development

Creativity, Inc book cover by Ed Catmull

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull has been on my reading list for an embarrassingly long time. It’s one of those books that everyone in both the creative and tech worlds raves about, and I finally made time to read it. Despite its length and age, it is a refreshing view of management and the parallels between how Pixar works and how software is built are uncanny.

February 24, 2026February 23, 2026Intentional Living, Making Time

Ruthless Prioritization: Doing Less to Accomplish More

If you have five things on your to do list today, how do you ensure you are as productive as possible? The answer, which is my best suggestion for living the life you want is: delete four of them. That’s not the punchline to a joke, it’s a very effective strategy for getting more of your most important things done and I think of it as ruthless prioritization.

February 17, 2026February 16, 2026Book Review

Why Every Technologist, Politician, and, Well, You Needs to Read Enshittification by Cory Doctorow

If you’ve had the sneaking suspicion that the internet is worse than it’s ever been, you’re not imagining it. Over time, your favorite app gets cluttered with ads or a platform you’ve invested years into suddenly locks you out or changes the rules. Cory Doctorow calls it “enshittification,” and his book is the most important tech policy book I’ve ever read.

February 10, 2026February 5, 2026Early Retirement

Why I Unretired (And Why Re-Retiring Was Even Better)

Unretiring -Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I retired at 41, went back to work as a COO, and quit again four months later. Here is what “unretiring” taught me about the true value of time.

February 3, 2026February 2, 2026AI

The Hilarious (& Magical) Things That AI Can Do

Today, I’d like to tell you the story of my weekend, which involved a team-matching algorithm and some AI.

January 27, 2026January 25, 2026Intentional Living

The Permission to Pivot: Why It Might Be Time for an Intentional Relocation

The truth is, Madison, WI is a great place to live and was an intentional relocation when I moved here in 2017, but it may not be the right place for us moving forward. And your location might not be either. If you’ve ever wanted to move, but felt stuck where you’re at, this article is for you. You’ve got one life to live and where you live makes a big difference for your happiness, health, and even your net worth.

January 20, 2026January 16, 2026Intentional Living

Is Life Better Without Social Media? Here is What I Found.

I’ve essentially been off all social media for about six months. It’s time that I report on how I’m doing, what I’m feeling, and how I’m dealing with the “disconnection” of being off social media. My hope is that if you’re on the fence about leaving social media, then this article will help you figure out what to do.

January 13, 2026January 9, 2026Book Review

Stop Trading Your Life for Money: The 5 Types of Wealth Book Review

Bloom’s core mission in his book, The 5 Types of Wealth, is to break us from the singular focus of earning money. He argues that by obsessing over money, we often bankrupt ourselves in the areas that actually make life worth living. It’s time to focus on other areas like time wealth, physical wealth, mental wealth, and social wealth.

January 6, 2026January 5, 2026Book Excerpts

Dirty Your Boots: Why Resolutions Fail and Systems Win

It’s the season of resolutions and I don’t know about you, but I am completely over them as a means to accomplish life goals. So, for those of you who have amazing goals this year, but no actual plan or system yet to achieve them, I’d like to share the following first draft from my new book. It’s the most basic way that I know to create a plan that will help you actually accomplish your goals.

December 30, 2025December 29, 2025Book Review

My Favorite Books of 2025

This has become one of my favorite posts of the year, the one where I get to share my favorite books of the year. This is my Top 10 best books of 2025 list. Some of these books are brand new and some are old, but if you’re looking for a good read to get you through January, look no further.