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"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
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