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Helen Oleynikova!

Senior Robotics Researcher

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Books I Keep Recommending

Not a comprehensive list, just books I’ve found myself recommending repeatedly. If you want to think like Helen, read these (at your own peril).

Communication & Influence

Where I learned my social skills (and arguing skills).

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Never Split the Difference — Chris Voss
How to win arguments, or at least how not to lose them. The first time I read this I just kept thinking, "oh, THAT'S what I did wrong in that situation."
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How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie
Where I got my social skills from. Feels corny to read it, but the lessons are real (spoiler alert: ask people questions about themselves and then listen to the answers).

Gender in Engineering

This one gets its own category because I recommend it more than any other book.

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Unlocking the Clubhouse — Jane Margolis, Allan Fisher
A clear, evidence-based explanation of how gendered dynamics actually operate in technical organizations and why the pipeline is leaky. Everything is backed up by scientific studies.

How to Think

As prescriptive as the title is, these books have really reflected and shaped my attitude towards chasing the truth and being honest with oneself.

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Grit — Angela Duckworth
Do you need to be mega-talented to succeed? Why effort and hard work trump talent, and why doggedly pursuing your passion trumps everything else.
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The Scout Mindset — Julia Galef
"Scientific thinking", the mindset. How to stop being afraid of being wrong or not knowing things.

Management

Practical, engineering-friendly management books that don’t pretend leadership is magic, starting from being an IC.

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The Manager’s Path — Camille Fournier
Are you an IC? No idea what your manager is supposed to do? This will tell you. Are you a manager? No idea what you're supposed to do? Same.
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The Making of a Manager — Julie Zhuo
Very gentle and well-grounded approach to starting out as a manager and common mistakes. Super people and growth-focused.