Best IT Project Management

The added chapters contain (1) a crisp condensation of all the propositions asserted in the original book, including Brooks' central argument in The Mythical Man-Month: that large programming projects suffer management problems different from small ones due to the division of labor; that the conceptual integrity of the product is therefore critical; and that it is difficult but possible to achieve this unity; (2) Brooks' view of these propositions a generation later; (3) a reprint of his classic 1986 paper "No Silver Bullet"; and (4) today's thoughts on the 1986 assertion, "There will be no silver bullet within ten years." My co-authors of that study, and our executive secretary, Robert L. Patrick, were invaluable in bringing me back into touch with real-world large software projects. In preparing my retrospective and update of The Mythical Man-Month, I was struck by how few of the propositions asserted in it have been critiqued, proven, or disproven by ongoing software engineering research and experience. In hopes that these bald statements will invite arguments and facts to prove, disprove, update, or refine those propositions, I have included this outline as Chapter 18. For a wonderful willingness to share views, to comment thoughtfully on drafts, and to re-educate me, I am indebted to Barry Boehm, Ken Brooks, Dick Case, James Coggins, Tom DeMarco, Jim McCarthy, David Parnas, Earl Wheeler, and Edward Yourdon. I thank Gordon Bell, Bruce Buchanan, Rick Hayes-Roth, my colleagues on the Defense Science Board Task Force on Military Software, and, most especially, David Parnas for their insights and stimulating ideas for, and Rebekah Bierly for technical production of, the paper printed here as Chapter 16. Analyzing the software problem into the categories of essence and accident was inspired by Nancy Greenwood Brooks, who used such analysis in a paper on Suzuki violin pedagogy. Two persons' contributions should be especially cited: Norman Stanton, then Executive Editor, and Herbert Boes, then Art Director. Boes developed the elegant style, which one reviewer especially cited: "wide margins, and imaginative use of typeface and layout."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Fred Brooks was a software engineer at IBM for some decades and later chair of the UNC CS department."
"A great book that tells you everything your project manager and lead architect are doing wrong, leading to the depressing realization that there is nothing you can do."
"Classic book which is proven by time."
"It contains four additional chapters: No Silver Bullet, yet another influential essay by Brooks that was not in the original edition; an overview of all his points (the entire book) in an easy-to-digest format; his thoughts 20 years on from writing the original, and how the industry has changed in that time; and finally, his responses to various criticism he has received over the years specifically in response to the "No Silver Bullet" essay."
"Other topics include the distinction between the "essential" and "accidental" elements of software design; the distinction between building a computer program vs. designing a "programming a systems product" (and the ninefold difference in complexity and time between the two); the quest for software engineering's elusive "silver bullet"; the importance of documentation; the surprisingly small percentage of time that actual writing of code occupies on the timeline of a typical software-development project (as contrasted with time needed for testing and debugging); large teams vs. small "surgical teams" (and why the latter isn't always the answer for all projects); the "buy versus build" dilemma; and many others."

“If you want to understand the essentials of Agile development and Scrum, The Elements of Scrum by Chris Sims and Hillary Louise Johnson is a must read.” -Dave Moran. Hillary Louise Johnson is an author and former business journalist who has written on innovation, technology and pop culture for Inc magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book covers the basic principles and tools of Scrum in a really succinct manner."
"This booklet contains only the Agile principles and values."
"If you would like to know specific details about scrum, then i recommend the book The Elements of Scrum."
"It's a little pricey given that it's super short and all of this is available online."
"S good summary of you are new to scrum."
"Short but very accessible and easy to understand, perfect for an apprentice likes me who needed a brief introduction to Scrum."
"If you already know anything about scrum already, you probably won't learn anything new."
"You can get more information in a single Google search."

Learn how the ambiguously-named "PM" (product manager / program manager) role varies across companies, what experience you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover letter look like, and finally, how to master the PM interview questions (estimation questions, behavioral questions, case questions, product questions, technical questions, and the super important "pitch"). Career Advancement. Tips and Tricks for Career Advancement. Q & A: Fernando Delgado, Sr. Director, Product Management at Yahoo. Q & A: Ashley Carroll, Senior Director of Product Management, DocuSign. Q & A: Brandon Bray, Principal Group Program Manager, Microsoft. Q & A: Thomas Arend, International Product Lead, Airbnb. Q & A: Johanna Wright, VP at Google. Q & A: Lisa Kostova Ogata, VP of Product at Bright.com. Behavioral Questions. Why These Questions Are Asked. Preparation. Follow-Up Questions. Types of Behavioral Questions. Product Questions. About the Product Question. Type 1: Designing a Product. Type 2: Improving a Product. Type 3: Favorite Product. Preparation. Tips and Tricks. Sample Questions. Case Questions. The Case Question: Consultants vs. PMs. What Interviewers Look For. Useful Frameworks. Product Metrics. Interview Questions. Appendix. Top 1% PMs vs. Top 10% PMs. Be a Great Product Leader. The Inputs to a Great Product Roadmap. How to Hire a Product Manager. "If you were looking for a comprehensive, well-researched book about how to get a job in product management, look no further than Cracking the PM Interview. --Jason Shah, former Product Manager at Yammer/Microsoft & instructor of How to Get a Job in Product Management. Previously, she worked as a Product Manager at Google, where she joined as part of the elite Associate Product Manager program, and as a Program Manager at Microsoft.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book - Besides giving you frameworks with which to prepare for a PM interview, it's chock full of sage advice on becoming/being a good PM in a digital world."
"i also really liked how the "culture" of each of the larger tech companies and the 'behind the scenes' interview process was laid out."
"This book goes straight to the point, with very useful information and examples to prepare for a product manager position job interview."
"a quick guide to preparing."
"Good handling of interview questions and topics and good advice on preparing "top 5 stories"."
"Good book to brush a range of behavioral and PM question."
"I'm currently in the process of trying to hire a PM, and found this to be a fantastic resource."
"Speaks of the PM role in various industries but nothing in terms of helping you prepare for actual interviews."
Best Software Project Management

The added chapters contain (1) a crisp condensation of all the propositions asserted in the original book, including Brooks' central argument in The Mythical Man-Month: that large programming projects suffer management problems different from small ones due to the division of labor; that the conceptual integrity of the product is therefore critical; and that it is difficult but possible to achieve this unity; (2) Brooks' view of these propositions a generation later; (3) a reprint of his classic 1986 paper "No Silver Bullet"; and (4) today's thoughts on the 1986 assertion, "There will be no silver bullet within ten years." My co-authors of that study, and our executive secretary, Robert L. Patrick, were invaluable in bringing me back into touch with real-world large software projects. In preparing my retrospective and update of The Mythical Man-Month, I was struck by how few of the propositions asserted in it have been critiqued, proven, or disproven by ongoing software engineering research and experience. In hopes that these bald statements will invite arguments and facts to prove, disprove, update, or refine those propositions, I have included this outline as Chapter 18. For a wonderful willingness to share views, to comment thoughtfully on drafts, and to re-educate me, I am indebted to Barry Boehm, Ken Brooks, Dick Case, James Coggins, Tom DeMarco, Jim McCarthy, David Parnas, Earl Wheeler, and Edward Yourdon. I thank Gordon Bell, Bruce Buchanan, Rick Hayes-Roth, my colleagues on the Defense Science Board Task Force on Military Software, and, most especially, David Parnas for their insights and stimulating ideas for, and Rebekah Bierly for technical production of, the paper printed here as Chapter 16. Analyzing the software problem into the categories of essence and accident was inspired by Nancy Greenwood Brooks, who used such analysis in a paper on Suzuki violin pedagogy. Two persons' contributions should be especially cited: Norman Stanton, then Executive Editor, and Herbert Boes, then Art Director. Boes developed the elegant style, which one reviewer especially cited: "wide margins, and imaginative use of typeface and layout."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Fred Brooks was a software engineer at IBM for some decades and later chair of the UNC CS department."
"A great book that tells you everything your project manager and lead architect are doing wrong, leading to the depressing realization that there is nothing you can do."
"Classic book which is proven by time."
"It contains four additional chapters: No Silver Bullet, yet another influential essay by Brooks that was not in the original edition; an overview of all his points (the entire book) in an easy-to-digest format; his thoughts 20 years on from writing the original, and how the industry has changed in that time; and finally, his responses to various criticism he has received over the years specifically in response to the "No Silver Bullet" essay."
"Other topics include the distinction between the "essential" and "accidental" elements of software design; the distinction between building a computer program vs. designing a "programming a systems product" (and the ninefold difference in complexity and time between the two); the quest for software engineering's elusive "silver bullet"; the importance of documentation; the surprisingly small percentage of time that actual writing of code occupies on the timeline of a typical software-development project (as contrasted with time needed for testing and debugging); large teams vs. small "surgical teams" (and why the latter isn't always the answer for all projects); the "buy versus build" dilemma; and many others."
Best Technical Project Management

Drawing on the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, Head First PMP offers you a multi-sensory experience that helps the material stick, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep. Learn PMP's underlying concepts to help you understand the PMBOK principles and pass the certification exam with flying colors Get 100% coverage of the latest principles and certification objectives in The PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition Make use of a thorough and effective preparation guide with hundreds of practice questions and exam strategies Explore the material through puzzles, games, problems, and exercises that make learning easy and entertaining. Andrew Stellman is a developer, architect, speaker, agile coach, project manager, and expert in building better software.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have time yo study both Rita's book and Head First I HIGHLY recommend studying both! 2) Buy Rita's book and read as much as you can. 3) Get McGraw-Hill's PMP Certification Mathematics with CD-ROM to help with the math section (take the practice test on the CD-ROM) 1-2 days before the test. Take the first test to see where you are, study study study the knowledge areas where you are weak take exam 2 if you get less than 80 go back to Rita's book! 5) I LOVED Head First PMP but if you don't have time to study everything I would say to buy this book as a companion to Rita's book. This book is a fun read and makes the concepts easier to understand. 6) Make sure your referencing the PMBOK 5 (Most Important). During the exam (make sure your doing good on time before you follow these directions). 1) If you believe in prayer (PRAY) - ummmm you also do not need to tell anyone your taking the test, just in case........ 2) Breathe and relax. 3) Do the first 50 - 75 questions (Take a break, go to the bathroom, get some water, sit in the waiting room, just get away from the test). 4) Go back in do the next 25 - 50 questions (take another break). 5) Keep doing this until you finish. 6) Before you review your questions, take your final break come back review your questions, (I took another break!!!!!"
"Personally, I would recommend attending a class aswell as the test is hard and somewhat pedantic in its questions and answers."
"Very good method for getting information into your head, and sticking."
"I would recommend this book as a supplement to the PMBOK guide when studying for the PMP exam."
"The content is fine but definitely needs some editing."
"Passed my PMP exam on the first try using this as one of my 2 main study guides."
"The information is getting dated but still relevant for the current exam."
"This really does a great job of explaining how to take the PMP exam. My only complaint is that the sample exam questions are numeric; 1,2,3,4."
Best 90-Minute Computers & Technology Short Reads

The Echo Show is one of Amazon’s newest and most innovative devices, and since it is teaming up with the Alexa system, it can bring you amazing content, all from your voice.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This area show off the Echo Show totally."
"The book has guides to so many things the Echo Show can do, like personal assistant capabilities, smart home capabilities, and ebooks and audio books."
"The tone of this book is easy to follow, and it offers step by step guides to all of the things you can do with your new Echo Show."
"We'll really expound on a portion of the key highlights of the Alexa framework, and how they're utilized with the Echo Show keeping in mind the end goal to enable you to get the most out of this and to make your life simpler also The Echo Show is prepared for you, so certainly consider this in case you're needing to experiment with the new and astonishing Alexa framework the truth is out there readily available."
"This book is a concise, step-by-step, easy to follow guide to setting up and making the best use of your new Amazon Echo Show."
"Most useful Amazon Echo Show book."
"A great to start enjoying the Amazon's Echo."
"All guidelines and suggestions are exceptionally definite, clear, powerful and accommodating."
Best Business & Management Technology History

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2011 : It is difficult to read the opening pages of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs without feeling melancholic. Now, just weeks after his death, you can open the book that bears his name and read about his youth, his promise, and his relentless press to succeed. Few in history have transformed their time like Steve Jobs, and one could argue that he stands with the Fords, Edisons, and Gutenbergs of the world. This is a timely and complete portrait that pulls no punches and gives insight into a man whose contradictions were in many ways his greatest strength. Isaacson: Andy Hertzfeld, who worked with Steve on the original Macintosh team, said that even if you were aware of his Reality Distortion Field, you still got caught up in it. Fortunately, as people read the whole book, they saw the theme of the narrative: He could be petulant and rough, but this was driven by his passion and pursuit of perfection. Isaacson: He was a genius at connecting art to technology, of making leaps based on intuition and imagination. “A frank, smart and wholly unsentimental biography…a remarkably sharp, hi-res portrait… Steve Jobs is more than a good book; it’s an urgently necessary one.” — Time. “If you haven’t read the bestselling, superb biography and inspiring business book, Steve Jobs , by Walter Isaacson, do so. “For the generation that's grown up in a world where computers are the norm, smartphones feel like fifth limbs and music comes from the Internet rather than record and CD stores, Steve Jobs is must-read history…The intimate chapters, where Jobs' personal side shines through, with all his faults and craziness, leave a deep impression. It is on the one hand a history of the most exciting time in the age of computers, when the machines first became personal and later, fashionable accessories. And it is a gadget lover’s dream, with fabulous, inside accounts of how the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad came into being. What makes the book come alive, though, is Isaacson’s ability to shape the story as a kind of archetypal fantasy: the flawed hero, the noble quest, the holy grail, the death of the king.”— Booklist. “A nuanced, balanced portrait that is sure to become mandatory reading for anyone with an interest in big business and popular culture…Isaacson is to be commended for explaining the genius of Jobs in fascinating fashion, launching a discussion that could reach infinity and beyond.”— Christian Science Monitor. “Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs comes as a breath of fresh air…a reliable and captivating guide to a man who reshaped the computing industry and more.” — CNET.com. “It's a testament to Isaacson's skill as a biographer that readers can at last obtain the picture of Steve Jobs as a human being rather than a legend…anyone who's ever wondered how so very much about the technology landscape has changed so fundamentally in just 35 years, owes it to themselves to read this book.”— TUAW.com. “Isaacson's biography lives up to the hype, showing readers the private turbulence that spurred Jobs to public greatness”— ShelfAwareness.com (- ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The author did a brilliant job showing the good the bad and the ugly of Steve Jobs while taking the reader through the journey of Jobs life from being adopted as a baby, searching for himself through the use of drugs and meditation, his journey into India and eventually becoming much more than the CEO of several American companies including Apple and Pixar, but the man that shaped computing, graphic interface, telephones, movies and more for many years to come."
"I do not claim to be a technology history buff, but from reading this book, I came away thinking; where would technology be now if it weren't for Steve Jobs' contribution? As I was reading the book, I found myself getting more and more sucked into the stories and I found that I wanted to keep reading and not being able to put the book down."
"Always knew that Jobs was an ego-maniac, but never realized the extent to which he disrespected certain industry peers, company employees and large numbers of people he crossed paths with."
"Steve Jobs would probably have fit right into a small group of college students who touted their genius, insulted others without warning and would proclaim that things were either insanely great or stupid (or worse!). He might have had a better time of it had he spend a few years at a science and engineering college where budding geniuses with Mr. Jobs' personality were brought down to size daily. Steve Jobs, rewarded while he was still young with sizeable wealth (deservedly so) apparently raised this behavior to a high art form according to Mr Isaacson. Of course, as Isaacson makes perfectly clear Steve was a genius, countering this character fault, with major contributions in computers, annimated graphics (Pixar), telephony, music distribution and publishing and this really doesn't consider the iPad. Nevertheless, because Jobs was always in the decision loop and could and did make major design changes that everyone in the book says really improved the product one has to wonder if future devices will have the same impact. This book was probably rushed to market shortly after Steve's death and consequently cannot provide the type of long insight that can put an individual's life into prospective."
"I would have to say in preface I feel the reader needs to have had some history with the Apple products as the book, while describing the personality of Steve Jobs, also goes into a chronological explanation of the development of both the hardware and software."