Review of Joel on Software: And on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters That Will Prove of Interest to Software Developers, Designers, and Managers, and to Those Who, Whether by Good Fortune or Ill Luck, Work with Them in Some Capacity (Paperback)

There is a fair bit of hard-won wisdom here. It covers every aspect of the programming world, from praise of hardware, through product management and economics, back to testing and coding style, and on and on. There are a few real gems among these 45 essays (plus intro and appendix), untrammeled by the need for consistency. He's certainly unabashed about bucking current fashions, including all the silliness seen under the revival tent of the eXtremists.

At several points, Joel rails against the false economies of making code smaller and sniggers at the people to whom it matters so much, then (ch 39) he rails against the size of a Microsoft runtime support package. He also points out that antialiased fonts, other than things like headlines, are a bad idea. That was already common knowledge around DEC by about 1980, since the visibly blurred margins of characters led to eyestrain as the focussing muscles fruitlessly tried to find the edge. Modern display technology with far smaller pixel sizes seems to have reversed that decision, however, except possibly at the smallest character sizes - a blow-up of a screen capture will often show antialiasing on body text that looks quite good. If he came on a bit less strong to start with, these annoyances would be a lot less annying.

Joel's incredibly high opinion of Joel wore on me after a while. Despite all the good in this book, I had to drag myself through the last half of his pontifications, repetition, and tendency towards the absolute. If you're already a fan of his other writing, that might not bother you. For me, Joel, in his role as high priest in the cult of Joel, became tiresome. I'm sure he's a skilled developer and savvy business man, but I really don't think I'd enjoy meeting him.

//wiredweird

Product Description
Spolsky is knowledgeable, funny and free of unnecessary religious fervor. <i>Joel on Software</i> is a must-read....having (<i>Joel on Software</i>) in one place, edited, with an index, is probably the best twenty-five dollars you'll spend this year.</a></p></blockquote><p id="quoteAuthor">- Greg Wilson, Dr.(Joel Spolsky's) genuine desire to make the software world a better place keeps us coming back for more.</a></p></blockquote><p id="quoteAuthor">- Bruce Hadley, softwareCEO.This book will challenge, encourage, upset, and entertain you.Spolsky knows his stuff, and he's got the war wounds to prove it.This book is worth the price of admission...</a></p></blockquote><p id="quoteAuthor">- Tom Duff, Duffbert's Random Musings</p></div>

An entertaining oportunity to get to know one of today's most influential developer/authors.Spolsky based these observations on years of personal experience. <p>

The result just a handful of years later? Spolsky's technical knowledge, caustic wit, and extraordinary writing skills have earned him status as a programming guru! His blog has become renowned throughout the programming world&emdash;now linked to more than six hundred websites and translated into over thirty languages. <p>

<i>Joel on Software </i> covers every conceivable aspect of software programming&emdash;from the best way to write code, to the best way to design an office in which to write code! All programmers, all people who want to enhance their knowledge of programmers, and all who are trying to manage programmers will surely relate to Joel's musings.

From the Publisher
Announcing a new book from Apress: Read Joel Spolsky's unique and humourous insights.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Joel on Software: And on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters That Will Prove of Interest to Software Developers, Designers, and Managers, and to Those Who, Whether by Good Fortune or Ill Luck, Work with Them in Some Capacity (Paperback)

Review of Software Exorcism: A Handbook for Debugging and Optimizing Legacy Code (Expert's Voice) (Hardcover)

Software Exorcism is a mind-dump by an experienced maintenance programmer. Bill Blunden lists all the horrendous coding techniques he's come across in commercial software, while offering detailed tips on debugging and optimizing code. The very useful code examples are written in C++, C or assembly language, mostly on an Intel platform.

The aim of the book is to help computer science and engineering students jump the chasm to corporate life by giving them the real-life vocabulary and practices that they can expect to meet over the first few years of their professional life. Much of what they will learn is to forget most of what they've been taught in college -- from terse variable names to an infatuation with recursive routines.

Amongst the challenges that Blunden expands upon are the realities of corporate and office politics. Here are all the gory details of the name-and-blame game, information hiding and "Sysyphean" tasks aimed at pressuring people to quit.

Ultimately, Blunden concludes, software engineering, as a career path, has become a "quaint anachronism" and programming is "strictly a short-term occupation". If he's right, then it's a pity that this book probably won't be seen by most CS students until they're ready to graduate after paying all that tuition.

Also recommended: Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering by Robert L. Glass

Product Description
<b>YOU HAVE TO OWN THIS BOOK!</b><p><p><i>Software Exorcism: A Handbook for Debugging and Optimizing Legacy Code</i> takes an unflinching, no bulls$&# look at behavioral problems in the software engineering industry, shedding much-needed light on the social forces that make it difficult for programmers to do their job. Do you have a co-worker who perpetually writes bad code that <i>you</i> are forced to clean up? This is your book. While there are plenty of books on the market that cover debugging and short-term workarounds for bad code, Reverend Bill Blunden takes a revolutionary step beyond them by bringing our attention to the underlying illnesses that plague the software industry as a whole.<p>Further, <i>Software Exorcism</i> discusses tools and techniques for effective and aggressive debugging, gives optimization strategies that appeal to all levels of programmers, and presents in-depth treatments of technical issues with honest assessments that are not biased toward proprietary solutions. <p><b>Slashdot says . . .</b><p>"Leave it to a SubGenius preacher to take normally mundane subjects, like software maintenance, and expose the unholy conspiracy behind them. I think the following quote from the introduction sums up the tone of the book nicely: 'Rather than shield your eyes from the sordid realities of the software industry, I am going to dust off my old 8mm films and let you take a good look at the uncensored truth for yourself. You may want to keep a paper bag handy in case you get sick.<p><b>Readers are saying . . .</b><p><i>"Okay, I've worked with every moron in the book . . . was this [book] written about the guy who sits in the cube next to me?"</i><br>&emdash;Dan, VSLive 2003 Orlando attendee<p><i>"And I thought that I was the only person to ever actually throw my laptop across the room at a fellow coder."</i><br>&emdash;Anonymous, Microsoft PDC, Los Angeles<p>

About the Author
Reverend Bill Blunden is an alumnus of Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in physics. He also holds a master of science degree in operations research from Case Western Reserve. Reverend Blunden is an ordained SubGenius minister, and is currently at large in California's Bay Area.

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Review of Microsoft Office 2007 SharePoint Server - Collaboration Features - Quick Reference Card - Office Collaboration Quick Start Cards: Computer Shortcuts, Cheats, Tips & Tricks Guides. 6 Pages Ea, Tri-Fold. Easy Storage-Windows Share Point Services-WSS (Software Quick Reference Cards) (Cards)

Excellent and easy to use tri-fold user reference that is also well designed. A great "getting started" tool for a new user.

Product Description
Quick Start Card for Microsoft SharePoint 2007, Collaboration Six tri-folded pages of easy-to-understand instructions for the collaboration features in SharePoint 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). --- Able to reduce help desk calls while giving users tangible training, BrainStorm's Quick Start Card for the collboration features of Microsoft Office SharePoint Services 2007 and for Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) is a ready reference SharePoint users and designers should never go without. --- From coordinating tasks to creating sites and workspaces, BrainStorm's Quick Start Card for the collaboration features of Microsoft SharePoint 2007 gives both MOSS SharePoint users and WSS SharePoint users a tangible training reference card that teaches novice to advanced end users how to perform the following SharePoint functions, plus many more. ---Coordinating Tasks ---Setting Up Announcement Alerts ---Using Discussion Boards ---Adding Project Tasks ---Connecting Calendars and Tasks with Outlook ---Creating a WikiPage Library ---Creating Sites and Workspaces --- BrainStorm's durable tri-fold cards are coated to protect against spills, fading, and running. These cards are perfect to hang in a cubicle for all-day reference or to take in a laptop bag. The full-color step-by-step illustrated instructions on each of the 6 full pages of content can also take the stress out of learning a new technological paradigm, like Microsoft SharePoint.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Office 2007 SharePoint Server - Collaboration Features - Quick Reference Card - Office Collaboration Quick Start Cards: Computer Shortcuts, Cheats, Tips & Tricks Guides. 6 Pages Ea, Tri-Fold. Easy Storage-Windows Share Point Services-WSS (Software Quick Reference Cards) (Cards)

Review of The ART of Trading: Combining the Science of Technical Analysis with the Art of Reality-Based Trading (Wiley Trading) (Hardcover)

What I liked about the book is that it covers all the various aspects of trading, from psychology to money management and explains the true realities of the markets which are price and volume. In his book, McDowell does not lull readers into thinking ART is a "get rick fast" trading system and instead instills the notion of strict risk control and discipline, essentially helping readers to learn how to trade in a market where odds are against traders.
The down side is that the trading ideas in the book are applicable for his software only. Therefore unless you purchase the software, the majority of the book is pretty much just nice to read but not that useful.

Product Description
An expert in the field of finance reveals his proven trading system

As a trading coach and financial advisor, Bennett McDowell has used his own proprietary trading system--Applied Reality Trading or ART to enhance the performance of his clients' portfolios. Now McDowell outlines the unique benefits of his system and makes the case for trading the reality--not the fantasy--of financial markets. Readers will discover the importance of simplicity in a trading approach; how to develop "The Trader's Mindset;" how to use ART(r) technical analysis software; and much more. The ART of Trading will enlighten readers in how to use reality to enrich both their financial portfolio and their own financial psychology.

From the Inside Flap

As a trading coach and financial advisor, Bennett McDowell used his own proprietary trading system-Applied Reality Trading® or ART®-to enhance the performance of his clients' portfolios. Now, with this new book, McDowell reveals the unique benefits of his system and makes the case for trading the reality, not the fantasy, of the financial markets.

The ART system is based on reality, and here you'll find the specifics on how to use reality to improve your trading and investing endeavors-whether you deal in stocks, bonds, the Forex market, commodities, or options-and you'll learn how to overcome the volume of information generated by today's markets.

Divided into five comprehensive parts, this reliable resource offers an extensive look at how the ART system and its companion software-which is compatible with a variety of platforms-can help you execute exact trade entries and exits, control risk, and capture consistent profits. Step by step, you'll discover how to:

• Use price and volume, the true realities of the market, to minimize distortions in your financial decision-making

• Combine technical analysis with live streaming market data to excel in your trading and investing

• Select the right financial market and the right time frame for you

• Apply advanced ART techniques to your trading rules, once you've become familiar with the overall system

Benefit from ART Trading Software first hand-a free trial of the software is included with the purchase of this book

While ART adds structure to your trading and investing activities, it can also be tailored to fit your personal style and experience level. You can use ART to trend trade, scalp, or countertrend trade-or you can use it to time your investments. As you'll see, ART is capable of doing all this and much more since it's not a "Black Box" trading system.

It takes both a winning methodology and the right trading software to achieve success in today's markets. With The ART® of Trading as your guide, you'll be introduced to a program that encompasses these essential elements and allows you to take control of your financial future.

Don't forget to view the DVD that accompanies this book. It skillfully illustrates the many concepts that have been presented throughout these pages and brings ART Trading Software to life.

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Review of OSS Essentials: Support System Solutions for Service Providers (Paperback)

This could have been *the* definitive reference on operational support systems. The author's uneven treatment of the subject and tendency to frequently go off topic or emphasize peripheral systems while leaving large gaps in the main subject have reduced this book to merely mediocre.

The strong points:the chapter on customer care and billing processes is remarkable.Here is a list of things that caught my attention and make this chapter so valuable: (1) the customer care maturity model is well thought out and serves as an excellent benchmarking tool, (2) the customer analysis and acquisition is on the mark, and (3) the customer interface management process and associated diagram comprise an excellent model for OSS processes.I also thought the way the author covered the problem handling process represents best practices, as does the section on SLA management.This is the stuff OSS is made of and it's covered both well and contains ideas and models in which service providers will be interested.The chapter provisioning and order processing is also strong and filled with excellent information for those who are seeking OSS-specific knowledge.

Weaknesses: Not only does this book overemphasize the network operations, which is important, but not central, but the author manages to drop this information into unexpected areas throughout the book. An example:Section 4.4 is an engrossing piece on the sales process that is succinct and filled with information, including tables and a diagram that reinforce the excellent information the author is imparting. Right in the middle of all this is a diagram that shows the use of a DMZ to separate intranets and extranets - not something anyone interested in sales processes cares about and is a big distraction.This happens throughout the book. Also, I agree with the comments made by a previous reviewer about wasting page count on product-specific information.This information needs to be moved to a web site where it can be maintained in an up-to-date fashion.Ironically, the publisher does this for other books.Finally, there are some major gaps:(1) no mention of the TeleManagement Forum, which is a global non-profit organization that is devoted to OSS.This organization has a technology integration map and numerous OSS-related processes that are De Facto standards in the OSS world, yet no mention of the organization and no mention of the wealth of material available that is directly related to OSS.(2) Section 7.4, which addresses migration from an existing to new billing system, misses some key considerations, which could have been developed into a discussion of strengths and weaknesses.For example, how do you segment and migrate subscribers?By CSA? Bill cycle? Region?Price plan? As the industry consolidates this particular issue keeps cropping up and a more in-depth treatment here is warranted.(3)No mention of TL 9000, which is an encompassing quality standard for telecommunications service providers.A portion of this standard applies directly to OSS.

Overall, this book contains some of the best information about OSS that has been collected and compiled into a single book.In fact, it's the only book on the subject. What is needed to make it great is a strong editor who understands OSS and who is not reticent about removing large pieces of superfluous material from this book.More information about standards that are directly related to OSS should also be included.If you work with operational support systems you really have no choice but to buy this book - I just hope that the next edition addresses the weaknesses.

Product Description
A guide to mastering one of the most strategically critical aspects of any telecommunications, ISP, or ASP business
Operational Support Systems (OSS) refers to the technical infrastructure that enables telecommunications companies, ISPs, ASPs, and CLECs to provide services directly to customers. In this important book, author Kornel Terplan draws upon his 25 years of experience as a top global telecommunications consultant to provide telecom operations managers and developers with the expert information and guidance they need to make strategic decisions about OSS in their companies. He reviews protocols and technology for service support, explores best practices for service development and provisioning, and provides expert guidance on tools and human resources for the technical service provider. Throughout, Terplan's approach to teaching OSS principles and practices is to present a real business problem and then walk you through the best solution.

From the Back Cover
The ultimate business survival guide for telecommunications service providers

If you're involved in the telecommunications industry, then you know how hard it can be to develop effective support and billing systems amid the dizzying rate of change and rapidly evolving Internet technologies. In this book, Kornel Terplan teaches you how. He cuts through the deluge of protocols, business processes, and tools, and guides you through best practices and real-world solutions you'll need to succeed in the digital marketplace.

Using ample practical examples and flowcharts, Terplan shows you not only how to meet the technical and administrative challenges facing today's service providers, but also how to take advantage of emerging opportunities in voice, data, and wireless services. Whether you work with telcos, ISPs, ASPs, CLECs, or another type of service provider, you'll want to know what Terplan has to say about:

• The impact of different services and products on your company's infrastructure
• Traditional, enterprise, and Web-based protocols-from Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) to XML
• A wide range of customer issues, including QoS, customer relationship management, and the billing process
• Order processing and provisioning, from inventory and service development to security management
• Network operational processes, from performance monitoring to data collection and management
• How to integrate support, documentation, and management systems and choose from existing products
• Human resources as a critical success factor, whether in stream-lining job profiles or the art ofteam building

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Review of How To Be a Successful Technical Trainer: Core Skills for Instructor Certification (Paperback)

This is a very useful book to help prepare for the CTT exam; and considering the fact that it isn't that expensive - I recommend it. However, be aware that it is only a helpful tool and not anywhere close to a complete or comprehensive study guide - although, as far as I know, this is the best thing available. That is because there is almost nothing else available. You can go out to the Comptia site and through them get official materials - however, these materials are EXTREMELY VAGUE & EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE. In my mind, they really aren't worth getting; and I've had both the Competencies Booklet and their nearly useless Videotape.
This book weighs in at close to 400 pages, but it is a really quick read - even for a slow-poke reader like me. And the 2 authors break the book down to analyze the competencies in real human terms, as opposed to the vague generalities that fill the official booklet. They also provide lots of very helpful & useful observations that will help you as an instructor - even if they don't relate directly to the exam.
There are 2 shortfalls with this book however.
ONE, they have quite a number of practice questions in the book. But these will not prepare you in the least, for the real CTT written exam. Their questions are quite good; but way too straight-forward.The CTT exam is the most insane, subjective exam I've ever seen; and as a bootcamp instructor for nearly 3 years; I've taken close to 100 certification exams from about 8 different vendors. Their questions are a good start, but you need to go out to google and search on "CTT practice". I found 2 practice exams when I took this... Both of these practice question sets were wild & flakey;but they got me in the right frame of mind for the insanity that is the: "CTT written exam" - it was much crazier. And without seeing those practice questions, I would not have even scored 25%, let alone pass. There is a certain type of wrong /insane answer that you need to learn how to recognize in order to pass that test.
THE SECOND SHORTFALL WITH THIS BOOK IS THAT IT SAYS NOTHING TO HELP YOU WITH THE VIDEOTAPE YOU MUST SUBMIT AS THE 2ND STEP TOWARDS THE CTT Certification. It does reprint the CTT handbook that was current when the book was published, and that does contain references to the videotape you must prepare - but it is again, extremely vague. The official videotape that you can get through COMPtia, is likewise, extremely vague, and in my opinion
nearly worthless.
...

Product Description
This one-of-a-kind guidebook is designed to help you meet the need for competent trainers in the exploding technology sector. Follow instructional principles approved by the International Board of Standards for Training Performance. Learn to use questions, group dynamics, feedback, and other training tools effectively. Thoroughly addresses training styles and learning needs in 14 delineated principles.

From the Back Cover
As an expert in your technical area, you may be indispensable to those around you. But, until you become a certified trainer, you won't earn the career or financial recognition you deserve. This one-of-a-kind guidebook is designed to help you meet the need for competent trainers in the exploding technology sector. Follow instructional principles approved by the International Board of Standards for Training Performance. In addition to providing step-by-step teaching assistance, and developing your career, this invaluable resource may also help you become a more informed technical expert!

• Apply clearly defined and illustrated principles to your technical training regimen
• Communicate effectively with learners of diverse background and experience
• Convey authority while maintaining your personal style
• Provide positive reinforcement and motivational incentives designed to reach all learners
• Synthesize course information, personalities, and instructional media
• Cultivate multiple training styles to meet individuated learning needs
• Design coaching and feedback strategies, including student evaluations
• Pace lessons appropriately to maximize information absorption
• Determine objectives, evaluate the audience, then deliver effective presentations
• Accommodate training certifications that recognize CTT, including Novel's CNI,Microsoft certifications, Adobe's ACE, Corel's CCI, and Lotus' CLI

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Review of Human Factors for Technical Communicators (Paperback)

If you do any kind of writing for your job buy this book and read it coverto cover.With that said my review follows:

There are so many positivesin this book that I will list the negatives first, there are few and veryminor at that.

The cover has got to go.It does not represent the depthand wealth of the information inside.To be honest, it looked so poorlythought out and old, I felt the contents of the book must be too. Thankfully, I dropped my bias and was very pleasantly surprized.

Theother negative may be my own personal preference, but I like the footnotedetail at the bottom of the page, so when I see it I don't have to scoot tothe end of the chapter to see what it is.This is how good the book was, Iread all the footnotes and references too.

Marlana Coe has created a bookthat I hope not only do Technical writers from all over read, but HumanFactors professionals too. As a fanatic-pursuer of documentation meetingits goal to communicate, this book says it all.The usability measurementon documentation is whether or not it allows the author to communicate tothe reader and Marlana Coe shows you just how to do that.In fact, sheshows you while doing that herself.

I bought this book because as a HumanFactors professional, I find we do not practice what we preach.We reviewa product and come up with wonderful ideas to make it better and thenproceed to hide that in a document that is not geared for the reader. Manytechnical reports, even the ones that only have a small group of customers,don't meet those customers needs.There are no pictures, tables anddiagrams and worst of all no logical organization for the reader to createa structure around the information. The documents are geared for thewriter to regurgitate data, not for the reader to absorb it.Granted thisis not all, but too much of a majority in a group of people that shouldknow better. Most human factors professional know, how to increaseusability of everyone else's product but their own: the technical reportthey create on products they review.This book bridges that gap, for HFprofessionals especially.Yes, I'm including myself in this category (Idid buy the book after all).

For all the rest of you, this gives youreasons for all the practices that good technical writers should use. Fromthe amount of white space to use to the number of fonts and colors.Thereare also suggestions on organization and on construction of thesedocuments.One section discussed content and the importance of context ofusage.This is something, I never really thought of that much.(Oops).

Another thing the author has done was fashion a book on atechnical subject and made it readable.This is something she also coversin her book. Her language is natural and she has not fallen into the trapof using technical words or ones that may escape the average readersvocabulary.

In a word: Fantastic!

Product Description
A crash course in human factors theory and practice for technical communicators

If you're a technical writer, technical editor, documentation manager, user-interface designer, usability tester, or any other type of technical communication professional, you've probably found yourself becoming more and more involved in the development, design, and testing of technical communication products. In order to handle your expanded responsibilities effectively you need a solid grounding in human factors, the art and science of designing for people. And now this book gives it to you-fast.

First, expert Marlana Coe takes you on a fascinating tour of the burgeoning science of human factors. In terms that you can understand, she explains all about the psychology and physiology of how users access, learn, and remember information; the impact of colors, shapes, and patterns; learning styles; approaches and obstacles to problem solving; action structures; and more. And, with the help of real-life examples of various technical communication products, she vividly demonstrates what works, what doesn't, and why.

Then, she shows you how to apply what you've learned to create the best technical communication products possible. You'll find out how to:

• Analyze users' needs and learning styles
• Get and interpret user feedback and create partnerships with users
• Select the most effective layouts, colors, fonts, and graphics
• Build better navigational infrastructures
• Develop content that gives users everything they need to quickly identify and resolve problems
• Test and improve your product's usability

From the Publisher
Designed for those who need to learn (and quickly!) the human factors basics that were not part of their initial education or training. Commences with an introduction to human factors theory using easy-to-understand language with examples applicable to technical communicators. The latter half demonstrates how to translate the theory into practice by analyzing and learning from end-users; applying color, graphics, different layout and type designs, online help screens, graphical-user interfaces, icons and normal messages that appear on a computer screen or in a manual.

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Review of A Beginner's Guide To Understanding Technical Support (Paperback)

This book was pretty informative, however, I was a little disappointed paying $11 bucks for something that was very small, I don't even think that there are 100 pages.Good information in a small space but I just expected more for my money.

Product Description
A Beginner's Guide To Understanding Technical Support is a unique guide designed for anyone wishing to venture into the field of technical support. This book will inform you of the different areas within technical support, walk you through the process of how issues are resolved, and hopefully motivate you into creating new ideas to improve certain aspects of the industry.

About the Author
Jose-Albin D. Afable is president of JDA Systems, Inc. a systems consulting firm based in Chicago, Illinois. He has over 10 years of technical experience in database development, technical support, data analysis, Internet related technologies, and customer relationship management. With a decade of technology experience, he founded JDA Systems Inc. to assist small businesses by providing affordable and effective technical solutions.

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Review of Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer's Handbook (Hardcover)

Mastering Technical Sales provides a terrific foundation for the newly-minted Sales Engineer, a growth vehicle for the developing journeyman, and rich source-book for the seasoned professional.

While there are numerous "sales methodology" books available today, nearly all focus on the sales people and provide little or no information for the Sales Engineer and others who address the technical sale portion of the overall sales process.Mastering Technical Sales focuses on this critical area and shares how to manage and execute technical sales tasks to enjoy the highest success rates, both in the sales process and in one's professional growth.

Advice to SE's:Buy it and read it.

Advice to SE Management:Purchase copies for all of your new hires.

Product Description
Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer's Handbook covers all of the key areas of selling high-technology products, including detailed action plans to establish personal excellence in key performance drivers in technical sales. This comprehensive volume teaches you how to be more successful as an individual contributor, helping to better ensure promotion within your sales organization, or advancement elsewhere within your company. The book gives you the practical guidance you need to sharpen your skills in sales and technology. Moreover, for the technical manager it explains how to build an infrastructure to support continuous high sales growth.

You are encouraged to use the tested and proven frameworks provided, working with the best practices specially adapted for the sales engineer, to develop a more effective, personalized and systematic approach to improve your personal performance. Special attention is given to the team sales concept and the importance of the contributions of the technical professionals who directly support sales. This book is not the usual update, or rehash of "years-ago" methodologies. Instead, it shows you how to deal with today's vastly higher levels of sophistication in technical products and customer needs.

About the Author
John Care is regional technical director at Business Objects, San Jose, CA. He received his B.Sc. in technical Chemical Engineering with honors from Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, England.

Aron Bohlig, director of vertical product management at Nortel Networks, received B.S. degrees in both information technology and English from the University of Puget Sound. He is currently earning his M.B.A. at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

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Review of Microsoft Windows Nt Technical Support Training (Microsoft Certified Professional) [CD-ROM] (Paperback)

This is an excellent training kit. It is not only simple to follow, but it covers all the basics that a Network Administrator needs to know in the field of Windows NT Technical Support. I recommend this book for allbeginners who want to develop their carrier in the field of NetworkAdministration and Support, but definitely purchase the book "Windows NTNetwork Administration" before you purchase it. I really appreciate boththese books and CDs.

Product Description
This complete self-paced training program is for those who favor self-training over classroom training and those who want to supplement their classroom work. This kit, successor to the bestselling kit for version 3.x, is designed for computer professionals responsible for the administration and support of Windows NT. COVER TITLE.

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Review of Delivering World-Class Technical Support (Paperback)

This is one of the most authoritative, information-rich books on technical support that I have read - and as a consultant who specializes in service delivery and problem management processes I have read many.

It hits all of the critical success factors in designing, implementing and managing an effective support organization.It goes far beyond IT help desks - the material here is applicable to support professionals responsible for product support, technical services representatives in customer care organizations, and tier-2 support.

I like the process- and business-oriented approach.The book fully covers all of the parts of mature support processes:people, process and technology.It provides excellent insights into what you should be measuring and reporting, and how to handle gaps in your support processes.

Also, in view of the high turnover in experienced support professionals that most organizations suffer the section on staffing alone is worth the price of the book. It is obvious that the authors have grappled with this critical issue and they provide sound advice on how to overcome the people aspect of technical support.

As a consultant I found the planning and budgeting section to be a big help - the information contained here will not only allow you to determine support costs (which should be factored into product prices if your organization is supporting a product), but also how to effectively manage the cost component of technical support.If you are a consultant, this section will also give you some ideas on how to craft an effective value proposition for providing outsourced technical support services.

This book makes a valuable contribution to the technical support profession and adds considerably to the general body of knowledge. If technical support or service delivery is your business you need this book.

Product Description
A total guide to developing, managing, and marketing a world-class technical support organization

When shopping for computer hardware and software, one thing that every customer looks for is quality technical support. Written by two technical support experts, Delivering World-Class Technical Support tells you everything you need to know to plan, develop, market, and manage a top-flight technical support operation that wins and keeps customers.

Drawing upon their extensive experience at award-winning technical support organizations, Kay Khandpur and Lori Laub tell you everything they know about:

• Which services to offer or not to offer.
• How to recruit, train, and motivate technical support staff.
• Using the Internet and Web to connect with and service your customers.
• Work distribution, scheduling, and other organizational issues.
• How to budget for and staff your department.
• Selecting the right tools for increased productivity.
• How to price and market your support offerings.
• Measuring and improving department performance.
• Using technical support to gather valuable customer information.
• How the efficiency of technical support impacts on your company's bottom line
• Outsourcing and partnering technical support to third parties.

Delivering World-Class Technical Support shows you how to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your technical support department while winning new customers.

From the Publisher
Technical support is essential for any computer vendor, whether to answer application questions or to handle the problems that inevitably occur. This book will help any company develop a top-flight technical support department, offering guidelines on organization and development. It discusses such topics as: work distribution, scheduling and organization; measuring and tracking department performance, outsourcing the tech support function, and taking advantage of the Internet as a departmental tool.

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Review of Microsoft Office 2000 Technical Support Training Kit [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

Microsoft is famous for having the most popular operating system in the world and rightly so. They are also the leading manufacturer of application suite software with Microsoft Office 2000. Now Microsoft Press gives you the ability to pass exam 70-090 with this training kit.

This combinationbook and cd-rom is simply one of the best study guides for Office 2000going today. The complete and detail book, which is also on the cd rom,gives the information you need in order to support Office 2000 and also topass the exam and obtain your MCP.

You find information on planning yourdeployment and upgrading software, customizing Office 2000, setting up andmaintaining Web Server services, increasing productivity and alsoinformation on the applications as well.

Like other Microsoft TrainingKits, this is certainly a winner. Whether you are the Application supporttechnician or the Network Manager there is something in this kit for you.Why spend thousands of dollars on formalized training when ............ you can have all the information at your fingertips.

Product Description
The OFFICE 2000 TECHNICAL SUPPORT TRAINING KIT addresses the objectives for a new MCP exam, Exam 70-090: Implementing and Supporting Office 2000 on Windows NT(r) 4.0.The Kit covers the installation, deployment, and collaboration support of the various Office applications, as well as upgrading, web support, supporting remote users, and customizing Help. The OFFICE 2000 TECHNICAL SUPPORT TRAINING KIT is designed both to train professionals in the skills they need to do their job and to assist them in passing the exam.

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Review of The Software Test Engineer's Handbook: A Study Guide for the ISTQB Test Analyst and Technical Analyst Advanced Level Certificates (Rockynook Computing) (Paperback)

The first edition of this volume has `ISTQB' on the front cover, but apparently is not sanctioned by the International Software Testing Qualification Board. Don't let that put you off, as the volume is closely aligned to the exam syllabus for two of the three advanced level testing qualifications administered by this board. Books tightly aligned to a syllabus can lose readability, but that has not happened here. However, it is fair to say that this is only for testers or those with a serious interest in testing, and being an advanced book, the audience may be a little limited.

There is a wealth of experience combined in the pages, and a rich vein of real-life stories ("war stories"). That is what makes this very readable. The chapters are identified with one of the two authors (apart from chapter 1 - both), so it is clear immediately who the `I' is in a particular chapter. There is also a long-running testing project which works well, with the requirements being clarified as the book progresses - just as happens in real life. With regard to the `Marathon' testing project, I am not too sure what the authors know about marathons. Bear this in mind as you read; an observation, not necessarily a criticism.

The authors' style is chatty and engaging, and both are well aware of the nuances of the syllabus, being members of the international core team that produced it. This volume brings life to the document that covers the advanced level qualification for Test Manager (not covered in this book), Test Analyst and Technical test Analyst (both of which are covered). Syllabus coverage may be patchy in parts (orthogonal arrays, the Classification Tree Method, Risk Based Testing, the defect process and people issues could be covered in more detail). However, there is a small glossary, and details of books / web-sites to obtain more information on these and other topics

This is a good buy, and I would recommend it, not just for a person studying for the examination, but as a sound second-level testing book. It is NOT specialised, but does have good coverage of some of the less well defined areas, especially non-functional testing (performance, usability, security - although the jury is out as to whether `security' is functional or non-functional).

If intending to sit one of the two exams for which it is intended, note that there are no sample exam-style questions, but sample exercises. There are not generally any answers to these - at this level of testing maybe there are no longer any answers, but just opinions. That is hard when contemplating a multiple-choice exam. For those intending to take either exam, buy the book. But do not use it as your sole source of information as you study, and it will probably need more than this book alone for self-study.

Peter Morgan (morganp@supanet.com)


Product Description
There are a lot of books around covering functional testing techniques, but relatively few cover both functional and technical testing. This book will fill that gap. Authors Graham Bath and Judy McKay are core members of the ISTQB Working Party that created the new advanced level syllabus, which will be rolled out worldwide this year.

This book brings both functional and technical aspects of testing into a coherent whole, which will benefit not only test analyst/engineers but also test managers. Based on the "Certified Tester" Advanced-Level syllabus issued by the ISTQB in 2007, the book covers everything you will need to know to successfully sit the examinations for Test Analyst and Technical Test Analyst.

For those planning to take one or both of these exams, the book provides a solid base for preparation and clearly indicates which sections apply to which specific examination.

About the Author
Graham Bath™s experience in testing spans over 25 years and has covered a wide array of domains and technologies. As a test manager, he has been responsible for the testing of mission-critical systems in spaceflight, telecommunications, and police incident-control. Graham has designed tests to the highest levels of rigor within real-time aerospace systems such as the Tornado and Eurofighter military aircraft.

As a principal consultant for the T-Systems Test Factory he has mastered the Quality Improvement Programs of several major companies, primarily in the financial and government sectors. In his current position, Graham is responsible for the company™s training program and for introducing innovative testing solutions to Test Factory™s large staff of testing professionals.

Graham is co-author of the new ISTQB Advanced Level Certified Tester syllabus. He is a long-standing member of the German Testing Board and chairman of their Working Party on the advanced syllabus.

Judy McKay has spent the last 20 years working in the high tech industry with particular focus on software quality assurance.She has managed departments encompassing all aspects of the software lifecycle including requirements design and analysis, software development, database design, software quality assurance, software testing, technical support, professional services, configuration management, technical publications, and software licensing.Her career has spanned across commercial software companies, aerospace, foreign-owned R&D, networking, and various Internet companies.

Judy has been conducting training seminars nationwide for seven years.Her informative courses are based on the real world application of practical data.Her courses cover the spectrum of software quality assurance, including creating and maintaining a world class quality assurance team, designing and implementing quality assurance and effective testing, and creating and implementing useful test documentation and metrics.

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Review of Great Demo!: How To Create And Execute Stunning Software Demonstrations (Paperback)

In Great Demo, Peter Cohan applies his own methodology for how to give a demo in how he writes a business book.Even though the book is nearly 300 pages, it gets directly to the main premise.Show your prospect the best part, the most valuable aspect, of your product right at the front of your demo.Cohan does this with the book as well by giving us the "punch line" on page 5, not page 205.Just after the Introduction, the author gives us the "answer" to effective software demonstrations - "Do The Last Thing First."Show them that part of the killer demo that's meant to knock their socks off; that part traditionally following the grand build up like a symphony musical.Just skip the prelude, build up and all that other stuff and show the customer what they really want to see. Then you have their attention to fill in the details because you've proven (hopefully) up front that you are relevant and worth their time.It is interesting to observe how many proven advertising schemes already have this grab `em-up-front tactic built in.This can be seen in some television and magazine ads, most trade show tables, and yes even SPAM.Great Demo addresses this human need for immediate resolution - why is this worth my time at all? - in the board room during demos.

With 250 more pages of regular content (not counting the Appendices, glossary, etc.) Great Demo has a lot more to say about knowing what the most relevant part of your system might be to show each individual client and how to deal with the inevitable questions, etc.But, the core of Great Demo is simple, memorable and effective.I have had the opportunity to give several demonstrations since reading Great Demo and I have found this up front approach really changes the dynamic with the prospect in a healthy way.I think it helps differentiate our company/products since competitors may not be leading off with their best foot forward so intentionally.There are also practical benefits since executive level prospects/audience members may be present only in the beginning of a demo but not the end.If the opposite is true you can always show the best stuff again (and may be asked to do so), but if that exec leaves the presentation early and you haven't shown your best stuff, they may never see it at all. Of course, the book is well aware of this and many other practical benefits.Cohan has a web site called DemoGurus so he has a good base of info in addition to his own extensive experience to build the Great Demo method upon.

Interestingly, the book develops as if it is following its own method by unfolding more and more answers about the method itself as the chapters progress (as if it were the product being demo'd). In the early going this can be a little slow to develop, but by the middle of the book, there is a wealth of knowledge being presented.The presentation of the entire book also has business appeal.The pages are short and most follow a checklist type format.This makes the content easy to locate and train/test others on.

In addition to the Do the Last Thing First tactic, Great Demo also emphasizes showing only those Specific Capabilities that are necessary to address the customer's problem.This second point is also extremely important, but unlike the Do the Last Thing First advice, it can be found in most contemporary software demo methods.Great Demo, like its rivals, is smart enough to know software products these days are just too deep or broad to show in their entirety, this would only frustrate the prospect.Great Demo is very good about combining up to date management insights with its own unique contributions.In fact, Great demo is partially based upon the best thinking from the field of personal performance such as Covey's 7 Habits, and Solution Selling from Bosworth.Bosworth's Solution Selling is recommended multiple times as an important supplement to Great Demo. These thought leaders inform Cohan's organization of the Great Demo method.A reading list at the end of the book has helpful comments on these books and others the author has found valuable.

As the chapters progress, practical topics such as preparing the sales setup, tech aspects of the demo and dealing with questions are discussed point by point.The preparation chapters (especially technical) receive a lot of pages and account for about a quarter of the book. Chapter 11 is about doing remote demos and is worth the price of the book because it clarifies some practical approaches to this increasingly common medium for demos.As many of us can attest by now, remote demos can be really tedious/ineffective. In a nutshell, you must make the remote demo interactive even though it seems like a poor medium for doing so.Chapter 11 tells you how to manage the remote demo so you can turn it into an advantage for everyone.

I've read/reviewed other books on giving software demos and I think the Great Demo method is the most up-to-date and down-on-the-street effective. If you want to differentiate your demos from the usual fare everyone is tired of, do it by making them Great Demos.


Product Description
Great Demo! provides sales and presales staff with a method to dramatically increase their success in closing business through substantially improved software demonstrations. It draws upon the experiences of thousands of demonstrations, both delivered and received from vendors and customers. The distinctive 'Do the Last Thing First' concept generates a 'Wow!' response from customers.

The Great Demo! method is presented simply and clearly, and is elaborated more fully in each successive chapter, providing a rich toolkit for software sales teams. Real-life anecdotes, examples, and axioms offer humorous and effective punctuation.

Updated with new best practices, tips and techniques, this second edition now includes a complete chapter on remote demonstrations-an area of increased activity and unique challenges. An additional chapter on managing evaluations (for fun and profit) extends the utility of the book to those in sales and management.

Great Demo! is a terrific read on an airplane or between customer visits. It offers a straightforward process for creating and delivering highly compelling software demonstrations, excellent advice, tips, and the occasional epiphany.

About the Author
Peter Cohan leverages twenty-five years of experience in selling and marketing business software and as a customer. The Great Demo! method comes directly from extensive firsthand experiences in developing and delivering software demonstrations, and in coaching others to achieve surprisingly high success rates with their sales and marketing demos.

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Review of Practical Support for CMMI-SW Software Project Documentation Using IEEE Software Engineering Standards (Paperback)

I am in a very large organization that is making all of our projects (at the least) CMMI Maturity level-3 compliant. We have Level-5 software factories (offshore centers), some Level-4 programs/projects, and 1,000s of Level-3 compliant (internally appraised) projects.
However, we have "custom" project management document templates that still rely tremendously on the author's (project manager) previous experience writing these references or LUCK (b/c a lower level grunt is actually writing the document!).
The IEEE project management documents (project management approach, risk and issue management plan, change management plan, etc.) are not perfect, but they ARE based on hundreds of project experiences and years or experience and input from 100s of IEEE member organizations.
This book provides the table of contents from the IEEE documents but Not 100% of the text (you have to spend a few $100usd to be a IEEE member to get the actual templates).
BUT, if you are starting a SEPG (software engineering process group) or Quality Management System (QMS) team dont waste time trying to create your templates from scratch. Step-1, get this book and create the ourline of the documents, step-2 harvest the best examples from your projects and insert the best sample sections into the templates.
Remember that 60-80% of these documents are essentially "boiler-plate" that apply to most of your projects, or projects of a certain type.
I RECOMEND that you fill in your templates with as much of the "boilerplate" as possible and make these management documents as close to "fill in the blank" as possible.Using the IEEE standards as a baseline for the structure and content will help you significantly.

CAVEATS: IEEE standards, like way too many I.T. documents, includes the Glossary section in the beginning of the document. Although this may be helpful to define key words before they are encountered, I find the least obtrusive location for the Glossary is as an Appendix. This is not only a common location for documents in many many other fields, it encourages the glossary to be as small or large as it needs to be, rather than drowning the reader with terms they may already know in the beginning of the document.
DITTO for large Tables and Diagrams. I suggest they are located either in the Appendix or as a separate external file that is maintained separately (and is easily referenced by several documents - something dificult to do if they are buried in a single document).

Product Description
Software process definition, documentation, and improvement should be an integral part of every software engineering organization. This book addresses the specific documentation requirements in support of the CMMI-SW^® by providing detailed documentation guidance in the form of:

• Detailed organizational policy examples.
• An Integrated set of over 20 deployable document templates.
• Examples of over 50 common work products required in support of assessment activities.
• Examples of organizational delineation of process documentation.

This book provides a set of IEEE Software Engineering Standards-based templates that support the documentation required for all activities associated with software development projects. The goal is to provide practical support for individuals responsible for the development and documentation of software processes and procedures. The objective is to present the reader with an integrated set of documents that support the requirements of the CMMI-SW^® Levels 2 and 3. This book is meant to both complement and extend the information provided in Jumpstart CMM^®/CMMI^® Software Process Improvement Using IEEE Software Engineering Standards. Jumpstart provides a detailed mapping of both the CMM^® and the CMMI-SW^® to the IEEE standards set and provides a logical basis for the material contained within this text.

It is hoped that this book will provide specific support for organizations pursuing software process definition and improvement. For organizations that do not wish to pursue CMMI^® accreditation, this document will show how the application of IEEE Standards can facilitate the development of sound software engineering practices.It also comes with a CD-Rom.

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Review of Technical Support on the Web: Designing and Maintaining an Effective E-Support Site (Paperback)

This book contains information that will be equally useful to call centers supporting customers and internal IT help desks that are exploring the benefits of web-based issue management via a corporate intranet.The previous reviewed has provided a comprehensive assessment of this book, so I'll address the highlights that I found to be useful:

(1) The business-case first approach that the author takes is straightforward and provides step-by-step procedures for determining the true business value of web-enabled technical support vs. traditional call centers.I especially liked the discussion of first, second and third generation site models because it gives you a target model and shows both the business and technical value of each.I also liked the way ROI factors and ratings were used to determine ROI potential.The factors are management, functions and tools, and the ratings are a simple Good or Poor.This is placed into context with a table that shows the combinations of factors and ratings and their associated potential and gives you a structured decision tool at a glance.

(2) Scope approach given in the book is complete in that it takes into account all stakeholder views (business, technical support and users/customers).This forces you to take a realistic look at goals and objectives and, using ROI information, begin making intelligent and informed trade-offs.

(3) Site creation map is consistent with good project management practices in that it uses a task and associated details approach.The details provided include deliverables and what the deliverables should contain.Project planners and managers will find this section particularly valuable.

(4)Support processes and procedures are well thought out and can be used as a benchmarking tool as well as planning and implementation guidelines.

(5)I like the way the section on site management is goal-driven and traceable back to ROI.If this approach is followed you will have processes that are designed for continuous improvement.

(6)The use of tables and lists throughout the book provides a wealth of information on nearly every topic.

There are a few areas that were weak: no mention of portal technology, which can be employed to create user-customizable features and incorporate advanced knowledge management functionality into a web-enabled support system.Also, there was no discussion of configuration control over content or legal issues that need to be considered when providing technical support to customers (as opposed to internal end users).

Overall this is an exceptionally valuable book that is among the best on the subject.Highly recommended to IT help desks and product technical support center managers.

Product Description
In order to stay competitive in today's business world, both technology-based and nontechnology-based organizations must move their sales and product support to the Web. This book provides you with all the tools and information you'll need to make that move. Leading expert Barbara Czegel clearly shows you how to create an effective Web-based support site that meets all of your stakeholder requirements and generates a healthy return on investment.

Czegel takes you through the entire process of planning, staffing, designing, building, marketing, and managing your support site. She includes templates and examples that you'll be able to follow when developing your site. You'll also discover a comprehensive troubleshooting guide that will help you recognize and avoid problems and ultimate disaster in the site-creation process. And you'll find real-world case studies that identify the challenges you'll face when building your site and uncover lessons learned from other companies.Focused on the needs oftoday's e-business decision-makers, this book covers:

• The advantages and disadvantages of moving to a Web-based support site
• The most important goals to consider for your site
• The features that make an effective support site
• The best way to set up and manage an implementation plan
• The key steps for evaluating performance and improving the site

About the Author
BARBARA CZEGEL is President of SIRIUS3, a Toronto-based company that provides consulting for support services and training for Help Desk professionals. She is a member of the Support Services Association (SSA). Czegel is also the author of Running an Effective Help Desk, Second Edition and Help Desk Practitioner's Handbook (both from Wiley).

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