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Summary: Rethinking the Way We Work and Manage
Review: My boss gave this to each member of our team as a Christmas gift. He admitted that his motivation was quite selfish as he wanted us to adopt the principles outlined in the text. It turned out to be a great gift!Have you often wondered why you've felt stifled and unmotivated? Have you ever wondered why, despite all of your efforts, you can't get a project completed until after hours? Do you find yourself arriving earlier and earlier and getting less and less done? This book speaks to those issues by describing how the modern, cubicle-studded workplace and unenlightened managers make it difficult to work, produce, and succeed. The authors' insights are easy-to-digest as they give practical, real-life examples of their observations. Additionally, they offer tips on how to change personal strategies and your environment to heighten personal fulfillment and productivity. On a personal note, I had wondered why my productivity has not been great the past several weeks. While reading this book, I traced the change back to a switch in our office's chemistry. A new team member recently moved into our 4-person office. (This guy is in sales. This requires him to make lots of boisterous phone calls and frequently entertain visitors. I'm a writer who requires quiet and concentration with occasional collaboration. In short, it's a recipe for disaster!) For a while, I contemplated asking for a desk reassignment but thought I was just being picky. This book taught me that I wasn't being oversensitive. I was wasting my time and costing the company money! The result? I have scheduled an appointment with our Office Manager to request a change. This book profoundly changed the way I think about management. Very highly recommended.
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Summary: A must read for knowledge workers & people that manage them
Review: This book outlines some basic elements that cab have can bearing on team productivity. Things as simple as noise levels, interruptions, office space and work area design can have considerable impact on productivity. The book also delves into team building and provides some excellent insight as to how and why teams jell. One of the most interesting chapters was on teamiside, common managerial and organizational behavior that can destroy successful teams. Also, discusses is the hidden cost of turnover. The authors present a compelling argument for investing in employees (training) as it will in the long run payoff in significantly lower turnover and significantly more productive employees. The authors correctly assert that managers can't squeeze work out of employees, the only thing managers can do is facilitate. Managers that read this book may find that they are part of the problem. This book is extremely readable. A must read for knowledge workers and people that manage knowledge workers.
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Summary: Cubes suck, your company doesn't have to
Review: If you are a software developer you know that cubicles suck and that you can't get anything done with the telephone ringing all the time. Read this book to get the facts on building a great environment for anyone who needs to think while at work. If you are an entrepreneur and you employee software developers or any other people who need to think for you to be successful, you need to read this book. Trust me, it works.
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Summary: Insight every manger needs!
Review: Manage effectively! This book clearly identifies the common pitfalls many technical managers fall into today. Very fast read with invaluable information -- if you do not have time to read many books this one is a must. Great information related to human resource, office configuration, and productivity estimation issues.
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Summary: Classic text for middle managers
Review: If you are moving into new office space and want to justify giving everyone an office, this is the book for you. The classic answer is "cubicals are cheaper." Peopleware refutes this bad idea with hard data you can use. Studies at reputable companies, white papers and cost analysis. Things even an accountant will understand. Its a book for "moles" in the corporate organization. People who are trying to humanize the workplace and yet still get something done. Have a new manager? Need to give them some help in managing you? Give them this book. It will make your life a lot easier. The other target audience is the H.R. Dept. Unfortunately they usually don't know about it, nor can they affect the changes necessary to make things better. However if they are on the same band wagon it will make the fight for decent work space easier. Its a classic along with "The Mythical Man Month", and the now out of print "The 59 Second employee." So if you are up late wondering how your projects got so late, why your staff is complaining/leaving, read this book and get a clue.
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Summary: Must Read - Think Survival Here
Review: While some of the details in this book may be argued, all of its major premises are valid, its perspective is brilliant and it comes from major authorities in the field of software engineering. Check out the Atlantic Systems Guild for more awesome resources. DeMarco is one of them. The consultancy I work for has had to play the cavalry for alot of companies over the years and their IT problems always come down to either complexity management or ignorance of the ideas in this book.
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Summary: All PM's need to read this
Review: If you talk about 5 programmers, 1 designer etc. then you're missing the big picture. If you didn't think people mattered, think again and read this book. Free coke and water guns'll only get you so far but this book'll get you all the way.
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Summary: Anyone managing software projects should read this!
Review: As summer interns at Microsoft, my friends and I used to take "field trips" to the company supply room to stock up on school supplies. Among the floppy disks, mouse pads, and post-it notes was a stack of small paperback books, so I took one home to read. The book was Peopleware, by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister. This book was one of the most influential books I've ever read. The best way to describe it would be as an Anti-Dilbert Manifesto. Ever wonder why everybody at Microsoft gets their own office, with walls and a door that shuts? It's in there. Why do managers give so much leeway to their teams to get things done? That's in there too. Why are there so many jelled SWAT teams at Microsoft that are remarkably productive? Mainly because Bill Gates has built a company full of managers who read Peopleware. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is the one thing every software manager needs to read... not just once, but once a year.
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Summary: Insight without mumbo-jumbo nonsense
Review: I actually give this book a rating of six stars. Very readable, practical knowledge without the condescending attitude that many software management or process books impart. I found myself putting those little tab markers on every chapter until I realized they were going ON EVERY CHAPTER. Just read the whole thing. It is a fast read and each chapter is a quick insight into best and worst practices in the industry. jj
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Summary: Simply Fantastic
Review: I would highly recommend this book for anyone who manages technical people. Very easy to read and understand the concepts. The authors provide solid examples on how deal with all aspects of technical project management. I am a firm believer in the authors style on how to handle all aspects of project management and resource management as well. Simply put one fantastic book.
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