| "As a collection, it really does embody its philosophy and has
been put together with an observing eye to ensure that the essays congruently
aid the understanding of the reader and serve as small nuggets of wisdom with
an easy going smile. "There is a vast array of information in this
book and many truisms here, but more importantly there is enough room that you
can slot in your own and the book helps open you up to the experiences you have
already learnt from." —Alan Richardson
Compendium
Developments
"Amplifying Your Effectiveness
is full of interesting, thought provoking . . . essays from a group of successful
consultants that resulted from the first Amplifying Your Effectiveness conference.
. . . "When I read a book, I use a highlighter to mark the passages
that I find interesting, informative, or thought provoking—the ones that
I want to reread later. Then I judge the book by the amount of yellow as I flip
through the pages. . . . there were a lot of interesting ideas (a lot of yellow).
Some of my personal favorites included: ". . . Weinberg's 'Congruent
Interviewing by Audition' . . . recommends including a written test, a problem-solving
exercise, or even a code-reading exercise as part of the interviewing process.
This is . . . [an idea] worth repeating and remembering. . . . "Ester
Derby's 'Modeling Organizational Change' . . . provides an excellent example of
how to use simple diagram of efects models to evaluate potential change ideas.
. . . "There is enough diversity in this book . . . that everyone should
find something useful." —Linda Westfall
Software Quality Professional
"If you're involved
in software development, the following chapters will justify your purchase of
the book: - Don Gray: 'Solving Other People's Problems'
- S.M.
& K. Roberts: 'Do I want to Take This Crunch Project?'
- Gerald Weinberg:
'Congruent Interviewing by Audition'
- Johanna Rothman: 'It's Just the
First Slip'
". . . the whole book is stimulating and easy to
read in one sitting. Recommended for your project-management shelf." —Conrad
Weisert
Information Disciplines, Inc.
"Since
it is not possible to extend the length of the day, the only hope is to improve
what you do with this most limited of resources. . . . As a group, IT workers
commonly work 50-60 hour weeks filled with 'crisis' after 'crisis.' The only hope
to break this destructive cycle is to either cut the hours or make them more fun,
and there is sound advice in this book that will help you do both." —Charles
Ashbacher
Charles
Ashbacher Technologies
posted on Amazon.com
"Successful software consultants present powerful ideas on how software
engineers can be more effective as individuals, members of teams, and members
of organizations. . . . Some subjects are crunch projects, dealing with irate
customers, recognizing runaway projects, and creating a process for developing
scientific software. " —SciTech Book News
"[Amplifying Your Effectiveness]
can help you master your own fate and become a more productive employee, team
member, and team leader. The editors have collected 19 essays from software developers
and managers who write about their own experiences and how they have become more
effective in their roles. . . . "Most of the essays—even those
with a software-development theme—apply to any engineering endeavor. You
can learn much from this short book. . . . "Given that the authors
have only a few pages to get across a few key points. . . they stick to the topic
at hand and give readers plenty of helpful advice. You'll learn from essays titled
'The Role of Testing,' 'The Peril of Parallel Projects,' and 'Recognizing Runaway
Projects.' . . . "Because the essays come from many writers, the tone
and level changes from one section to the next. But in this book, these changes
don't hurt the flow. The ways people manage vary, and so do the writers' voices.
In fact, it's nice to have some personality come through in the essays. ".
. . the book's message is clear and on target. Using some basic tools and common
sense, you can get projects back on deadline, teams working together, and products
delivered on time. . . . "I enjoyed this book's firsthand accounts
of projects. It's an easy volume to read and you can plow through it in a weekend
or a few evenings. It's the kind of book you'll want to share with others in your
organization." —Jon Titus
Test
& Measurement World
"Software consultants present
ideas on how software engineers and managers can amplify their personal effectiveness—as
individuals, team members, and organizational members. Topics cover personal empowerment,
interpersonal interaction, mastering projects, and changing the organization.
One essay deals with interpersonal interactions and life as a software architect." —IEEE
Computer | 
