I wrote a book!

So, this is the big one.
After several months of late nights, broken containers, and more “why isn’t this working” moments than I care to admit, I can finally say it out loud:

📘 I’ve written a book!!!!

It’s called Mastering Docker on Windows, and it’s being published with Packt in January 2026. AND I'M OVER THE MOON ABOUT IT!!!

What’s it about?

This isn’t a book that just parrots the official documentation back at you. If you’ve ever run into stubborn networking issues, tried to squeeze performance out of a dev laptop, or just wanted a clearer way into the Docker world on Windows, this book’s for you.

I’ve been working with containers in production since 2016 if I think about it, and a lot of what you’ll find in these pages comes directly from lessons I’ve learned the hard way. Some are my own “what just broke?” battles, others are from projects I’ve been in the middle of where Docker either saved the day or made me wish I’d gone for another coffee first.

So, the book covers:

• Getting Docker running smoothly on Windows
• Managing CPU, memory, and networking so containers don’t chew up your machine
• Scaling setups beyond a single container with Compose and orchestration tools
• Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising performance without losing your weekend
• Using Docker as a foundation for AI and enterprise workloads

And tons more in between.

Think of it like a guide from someone who’s already made the mistakes, so you don’t have to.

What happens next?

This post is just the start now I can officially talk about it. Between now and release, I’ll be sharing:

• Sneak peeks at chapters and lessons learned along the way
• Extra Docker tips that didn’t make it into the book
• Honest stories about the things that nearly derailed the writing process (spoiler: networking almost always comes up)

And after the book’s out, I’ll keep building on it here with more lessons, walkthroughs, and Docker experiments you can follow along with.

I'm also going to try and post more on Tiktok (PeripheralMike) and some stuff over on Linkedin (also PeripheralMike)

If you’ve been meaning to really master Docker on Windows, or you’ve just wanted a clear, no-nonsense resource you can keep on the desk while you’re debugging, I think you’ll get a lot out of this.

👉 You can pre-order Mastering Docker on Windows now: https://amzn.eu/d/8glq9da

And if you stick around here, expect more Docker deep dives and practical lessons in the weeks and months to come alongside some more Software Testing content!

This has been a proper journey, and it’s only just getting started.

I WROTE A BOOK!!!