(co-editors: James Bach and Naomi Karten)
ISBN: 0-932633-47-1 160 pages softcover
Dorset House Publishing
(translated into Japanese, Portuguese, German, Chinese)
“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
“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. ” – ciTech 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