The Lord of the Rings

Overview

The Lord of the Rings is a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955. It follows the destruction of the One Ring (see: The One Ring) by a company (see: The Fellowship) across Middle-earth. It is also, according to this wiki, a book about the moral weight of making things — and the consequences of making things carelessly.

Why This Wiki Covers It

Burbridge has referenced Tolkien often, and the influence shows up in unusual places: the care with which files are named, the patience for long journeys that aren't productive day-to-day, and the belief that small groups of well-chosen people accomplish more than large groups of anyone available.

The Book's Builders

• The Elves — long-view craftsmen. Make things to last centuries. See: Tolkien & Craftsmanship.
• The Dwarves — trade-focused, tradition-bound, occasionally overconfident (see: the Balrog).
• The Men of the West — Númenórean craft at its best; also its worst when the craft is misused.
• Saruman — the cautionary tale. A master craftsman who optimized for the wrong objective.
• The Hobbits — not makers of epic things, but makers of the small things that make life worth the epic things.

Lessons for Aggressive Craftsmanship

1. What you make matters, but why you made it matters more. The Rings were beautifully crafted. That did not redeem them.
2. Small fellowships beat large armies — for certain kinds of work. Know which kind you're on.
3. The long road is the only road for some things. You cannot optimize a journey to Mordor.
4. Scour the Shire after. The work isn't done when the main quest ends; the cleanup is part of it.