Comments on: Agile Project Management with Scrum - A Tough Read at Times http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:46:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Yuri Gadow http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1858 Yuri Gadow Sun, 11 May 2008 22:33:53 +0000 http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1858 Paul, I'm not sure any book on Scrum would be appropriate--while it has roots in durable goods development, it's a process emerged from and for software product development. Can analogies be made and concepts loosely carried over to, say, chores? Sure, but I'd bet high-energy particle physics, taken loosely, has lessons for horse ranching too. Anyway, as someone with a little experience in software products, I'd say, if I had to find something to be disappointed with in this book, it'd be that it was too high-level and glossed over many of the tough, detailed aspects of implementing what isn't, in practice, a simple or easy process, woof's withstanding. I suspect books like this might serve more to slightly dilute the efficacy of the processes described because they don't convey the technical or problematic nature of success by process (and so lead to more taking them on than ought.) If you want a quick, non-computer oriented read, Scrum's inspiration is so: "The New New Product Development Game." Paul, I’m not sure any book on Scrum would be appropriate–while it has roots in durable goods development, it’s a process emerged from and for software product development. Can analogies be made and concepts loosely carried over to, say, chores? Sure, but I’d bet high-energy particle physics, taken loosely, has lessons for horse ranching too.

Anyway, as someone with a little experience in software products, I’d say, if I had to find something to be disappointed with in this book, it’d be that it was too high-level and glossed over many of the tough, detailed aspects of implementing what isn’t, in practice, a simple or easy process, woof’s withstanding. I suspect books like this might serve more to slightly dilute the efficacy of the processes described because they don’t convey the technical or problematic nature of success by process (and so lead to more taking them on than ought.)

If you want a quick, non-computer oriented read, Scrum’s inspiration is so: “The New New Product Development Game.”

]]> By: mlevison http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1852 mlevison Fri, 09 May 2008 17:14:52 +0000 http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1852 The link for Alistair's book didn't work: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAgile-Software-Development-Cooperative-Game%2Fdp%2F0321482751%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1161911982%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=notesfromatoo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325- Caveat Emptor - if you buy any of the books after clicking on my link I get 4% of the price. In all likelihood that means I might be able to afford a coffee or two. The link for Alistair’s book didn’t work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAgile-Software-Development-Cooperative-Game%2Fdp%2F0321482751%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1161911982%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=notesfromatoo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325-

Caveat Emptor - if you buy any of the books after clicking on my link I get 4% of the price. In all likelihood that means I might be able to afford a coffee or two.

]]> By: mlevison http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1851 mlevison Fri, 09 May 2008 17:13:35 +0000 http://www.agileadvice.com/2008/05/09/bookreviews/agile-project-management-with-scrum-a-tough-read-at-times/#comment-1851 Paul - last year (after helping Mishkin with a course), I wrote a magnum opus (ok three posts) on the subject of Agile books (Top Books: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-book.html, Background: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-bo-1.html, Code related: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-bo-2.html) For your purposes I might consider (don't be put off by the word Software in the title): Agile Software Development: A Cooperative Game (2nd Ed) by Alistair Cockburn (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAgile-Software-Development-Cooperative-Game%2Fdp%2F0321482751%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1161911982%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=notesfromatoo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325-) Possibly the most interesting book I've ever read about agile software development. It's not about any one methodology, instead Alistair analyzes game play, individual communication, team cooperation: the elements that are the core of all software development. The book also includes sections on Agile outside of Software, a survey of the various methodologies and much more. Paul - last year (after helping Mishkin with a course), I wrote a magnum opus (ok three posts) on the subject of Agile books (Top Books: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-book.html,
Background: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-bo-1.html, Code related: http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/2007/11/best-agile-bo-2.html)

For your purposes I might consider (don’t be put off by the word Software in the title):
Agile Software Development: A Cooperative Game (2nd Ed) by Alistair Cockburn (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAgile-Software-Development-Cooperative-Game%2Fdp%2F0321482751%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1161911982%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=notesfromatoo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325-) Possibly the most interesting book I’ve ever read about agile software development. It’s not about any one methodology, instead Alistair analyzes game play, individual communication, team cooperation: the elements that are the core of all software development. The book also includes sections on Agile outside of Software, a survey of the various methodologies and much more.

]]>