Development Books

This book gets five stars, because from the first time I picked it up, it helped solve a problem I had at work with a highly annoying colleague who constantly went over my head to report to higher management anytime she even suspected I or a member of my team might be doing something wrong or not the way she would do it. Resorting to outright lies and spreading office gossip was not below her. Asking her to stop, being nice to her or being angry with her did no good. By following some of the advice in this book I was able to start to turn things around within a single day.

That is the really great thing about this book, it provides practical advice from experience project managers not only about tools and methodology of managing projects that work, but also the pitfalls of office politics and how to successfully deal with them.

The methods and tools presented in this book are very good, and are what the authors have found works in their projects. You might find that some of this is not applicable to you if you work in an organisation that already has an established methodology, or if the client insists things are done a certain way. It certainly presents some new ideas and tools to try that might improve your current proccess.

Another great thing about this book is its simplicity. There are many techniques for everything from project estimation to software testing, some of which require a high level of expertise. The techniques presented here are ones that are simple and easy to implement.

It is always good to learn from other peoples success, and this book gives you an insight into how its authors successfully manage their own projects that is valuable to every project manager.

I bumped into this book by way of "Head First PMP", also written by Stellman and Greene. Because I liked the PMP resource so much, I thought I should give this book a chance and I was not disappointed. Packed with useful information, case studies and examples, this book is a resource any technical project manager will want to have in their collection.
One bonus I did not count on was the companion website which includes downloadable templates, PPT slides and other electronic assets.

Highly recommended!

This is a nice book, everything about it is so neat and nice. I am glad I purchased this book from Amazon.

Applied Software Project Management
Reviewed by Steven D. Sewell, PMP
Project Management Institute, Tampa Bay Chapter

Having been peripherally involved as a software release project team member in the past, I knew enough to get my piece of the puzzle delivered. The information in this book allows me to broaden my perspective and actually comprehend the picture I see on the puzzle box cover. The book is written in a straight ahead manner. If you are one who like examples of what is being discussed, then this book is for you. The use of clear definitions makes each topic understandable and the analogies make them memorable. Tables and scripts are used throughout to exemplify each tool and technique. Most useful in practice are the sections that aid in the diagnosing of problems that can be encountered. This book definitely hits its goal of delivering a practical guide into the hands of a software project manager. The only improvement would be to have "handbook" or "guide" placed somewhere on the cover.

This book covers concisely all the modern aspects os software project management, without the complexity found in more formal PM sources like the PMBOK. Moreover, the job of translating the broad and general concepts covered in the PMBOK to practical day-to-day scenarios is the major benefit from buying it. It won't, however, cover an specific issue like estimation to the level that enables you to be an estimator (this subject, for instance, is only 17 pages long), but will provide you the guidelines and references to additional material to do so.

This is an excellent book to present to a classroom to help the students understand the persepctive and behavior of a peer who has autism. It raised many good questions from the students, and increased their understanding and tolerance of their peer's differences.

Book is good. It seems appropriate for kids who are in kindergarten or older.

I think this is a great resource for any child to use who might interact with a child with autism. Its meant to be an individual book, where the child writes their name in, and personalizes it. I thought it was more of a resource/story book- but it was a pleasant surprise!

I really like this book. I appreciate that it encourages the reader to find commonalities with a friend who has autism. It shows that people can be friends with those who have autism. I am an educator in my church and I plan to use this is children's small groups.

I have a son with Autism and this book helped my family understand many of the issues that my wife and I had been trying to explain for years. I actually have ordered 4 books!

While it is good to forgive and have an attitude of gratitude, I didn't get a lot out of this one. You might be better off reading the seven habits of highly effective people about sharpening the axe and then going to church.

I am a wife, mother of two young children, professional and I am unexpectedly dealing with some serious health issues. "The Daily Six" was recommended by a friend and it has completely changed the way I view my current situation. I find myself feeling gratitude instead of despair; using "quiet time" as tool for maintaining a positive attitude; smiling despite my pain; enjoying small moments with my husband and my children. The difference this book has made in my life, during a very difficult time, is truly amazing. As the author points out, "when the student is ready, the teacher shows up". "The Daily Six" has become my teacher and I am grateful.
Cheri
Savannah, GA

The Daily Six: Six Simple Steps to Find the Perfect Balance of Prosperity and Purpose comes from one who used his six steps to change the priorities of his own life, bridging personal and career success and affording the author a new, more memorable career. These steps are simple ones that consider the value of service to others, willingness to keep learning and accept change, and more, and focuses in on the elements which really make for happiness. No other book provides such easy lessons - and such specific connections.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I have read many professional improvement books. However, The Daily Six taps into something I have yet to find in other books--Chappelear, through his personal experience, creates an "A ha" moment for the reader! I realized: I can apply these simple tenants to my daily life.

Thanks, John!

This book is the best motivational / self help book I have yet read. The six steps in this book are easy to use in every day life. The book is clear and to the point. The Daily Six are steps that anyone can follow. Of all the self help books I have ever read, this one contains the best advice I have ever heard.

Outstanding Service, received book very quickly and the book was in better shape then described. Would do business again with Marla

My daughter is 4 and she is too young to understand it.

My son who is almost 7 has always wet the bed. It was a non-issue in our house as we knew he couldn't help it. He wore Pull-ups nightly. But about a month ago, he came to me expressing his desire to stop. I researched the various methods which can help children become dry. I was intriqued by the reviews for this book that I read on here, so we decided to buy it. We also bought a Wet-Stop bedwetting alarm. My son loves this book and we happily reviewed it every day. Within days of using the alarm and this book, he started having a few dry nights. This is a child that had only one or two dry nights a YEAR before we started this. It is now almost a month since we started this program and he has had 14 totally dry nights in a row!! We are ready to stop the use of the alarm tonight and he is so, so excited and proud! We will look at his book together until he decides to stop (he likes it so much, I'm not sure when that will be!) Of course, since we used the two methods, it's not totally possible to say how this book would have worked for us by itself, but I have an inkling that the book helped the most. It is also very good for a child's self-esteem. We are so very happy with this wonderful book and want to thank the author, too! Because of a family history of bedwetting, we assumed that my son would probably go on bedwetting for years. What a wonderful surprise for us and especially for him. This book has helped turn this whole thing into a positive experience for my little boy. He feels confident and now feels that he has control over this part of his life.

I tried this on my four-year-old daughter, although only half-heartedly because I did not want to pressure her. First, she stopped wetting during her naps. Then she would stay dry at night on and off. Then she said she wanted to stop doing the chart. ANd then she stayed dry night after night. That was six months ago and she doesn't even have accidents.

What I love about this book's approach is that it empowers the child to have control over their bladder. I find other approaches, such as alarms, to be a bit punitive and makes the child feel like it's their fault for wetting at night. The author obviously understands and loves children. Her compassion shines through every page.

Thank you very much, Alison Mack!

I used to wet the bed, but after reading this, I stopped!! I thought that after 16 years of bed wetting, I was doomed to a life on wet lonliness, but no longer!! Thank you David Wilensky, you've saved my life, now I can share a bed with other people!!

Eboni Chronicles is a thought provoking book that can help anyone become more effective in managing their emotions, problem solving and decision-making. It allows you to learn how to manage your emotions for maximum results in your relationships.

In Eboni Chronicles, Ms. Jones has provided a platform for the unsung heroines of Black America. It is a passionate plea to and from mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends alike on the subject of self-esteem, beauty, God, children, and money. Pain, despair, triumph, hope and love leap from the pages of Eboni Chronicles. Kudos to Ms.Jones for sharing "Black women's ideas, beliefs and lifestyles" in a new way. I encourage you to buy this book. It's real. It's raw. And in some instances, it's remarkably funny. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eboni Chronicles, and know that you will too.

Rashun writes from the heart. This is a excellent book with valuable lessons for everyone.

Eboni Chronicles gives a honest look at how Black women have demonstrated resilience in their day to day lives. It contains a inspiring educational message for Black women regardless of their age, background or life experience. I recommend this book to all black women.

Eboni Chronicles is a informative book for young women in the 90's. The "true" stories from the women in this book can help one deal with issues of racism and sexism. Issues that are often experienced but rarely ever talked about in such a open and honest manner. It also focuses on the everyday dilemmas like self esteem, work/education, managing emotions, problem solving, resolving conflicts and spirituality. I really enjoyed this book because it helped me see a lot of issues that I was dealing with and positive solutions to these issues. Eboni Chronicles contains a inspiring educational message for black women regardless of their age, background or life experience. It would also be useful to anyone interested in learning more about the ideas, beliefs and lifestyles of the Black woman from the eyes of the Black woman. I recommend this book to all Black women. Alicia Prince, Reviewer

This book has laid out examples in detail and when needed given both sides (positive and negative) examples to emphasize balance required on some soft skills.

I would highly recommend this book to any.

I liked the way topics were broken down into bullet statements and examples. It took longer to read than I expected because there's no filler material. Now my co-workers are all reading it in an effort to relate better to other departments.

This book is spot on about being the "hard truth" about soft skills. We can often get caught up in what we think is "fair", what companies "should" do and how people "should" behave and all of those things are honestly irrelevant. It is not until people are ready to face the hard truths that they are able to make decisions about their willingness to make changes to their work styles that will impact their career track.

This book explained in detail, how to survive in the workplace. It has many examples on how to follow the unwritten rules (usually gained from many years in the work environment). I plan to purchase books for my employees and other young adults entering the workforce

More or less a book about being nice at work. More of general guidelines as opposed to structured advice on learning to deal with people. Perhaps a good launch pad, but a little thin in content.

if you are already in filmmaking you might know all that this book covers. if you are not, i don't see how this book could help you to get in. maybe if you have no idea of what you want to do in the business... but even than...

The book is great. If you want to get in the to industry (that's what people call the film industry in Southern California), buy the book. It gives a complete break down of all the people that are required to make any movie. So next time when you watch the ending credits, you'll know what a key grip, best boy, art director, first assistance director does and be able to tell your friends as they walk out of the theater asking, "What's a best boy?"

It was informative and not at all boring. A must-read for those who are new to the Industy. Explains the steps of advancement for nearly every job in the entertainment industry. Excellent resource for goal-setting/ career management.

I purchased a number of "get into film/hollywood" books and this one was by far the most helpful. While it doesn't have much of the typical career advice (how to write your resume, cover letters etc.), which are better covered in more general job hunting books, it is the perfect book to read to get a sense for the jobs that do exist in Hollywood. If you're interested in the industry, but find it something of a "black box" or are unsure exactly what type of position to try and look for, this book is the ideal starting point. Levy walks through the entire industry, from agencies to studios, to actors, directors, costume designers etc. Given the wide canvas, none of the positions are covered in too much detail, but I think the book ideally serves as an excellent starting point from which to know where to pursue more information.

Finally, the tone of the book is excellent - one of excitement and encouragement. While it's a small point, dry and depressing hollywood career books abound - it's refreshing to find one that's has an enthusiasm and optimism to match your own.

I am an entertainment buff and I thought this book was great for people who want a survey of jobs they can pursue. It gave an in depth look at a lot of the positions in the film business. If you want a general look at the possible jobs, get this book. If you are more interested in television, this book is a great start, but it doesn't say anything about that since its primarly about film so look for another book for further reading. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to break into the business, it was really helpful for me.

I bought this book based on the raving reviews I read on Amazon from other users, but when I received it I found some MAJOR issues. This book is a true and utter disappointment for any intermediate or low-intermediate designer.

The Good
- This book is very comprehensive and good for TRUE BEGINNERS as it covers the basics of html, xhtml, php, javascript, and image editing.
- The only mildly useful bits for the hobbyist web designer are the PHP and Javascript chapters... but you can find the same, or better information on the basics of these two technologies posted for free on the net. You don't need to pay 40.00+ bucks for this info.

The Bad
- This book is extremely, extremely outdated. Most of the design tips date back to the time when IE 5.5 and 6 were the cutting edge, and the examples are aimed at IE and Netscape Navigator users! Hence, the tips & techniques are virtually useless now that IE 7 is standard, IE 8 on the horizon, and FFox 3 about to be released.
- This book is filled with statements such as "PNG-8 and PNG-24 formats have only recently received FULL support from the most used-browsers, Netscape Navigator 6 and Internet Explorer 5"(pg 290). THAT's how old this book's tips are.

DO Buy This Book...
- If you have NEVER built a web page before
- If you want the basics to build a personal web page, a hobby web page, a static site with less than 10 pages and no functionality other than a mailto form.
- If you don't mind building your site for primarily for IE users.
- If you don't mind your web page looking like the Geocities Sites of back in 1999.

DO NOT Buy This Book.
- If you know how to style a paragraph using CSS.
- If you have ever used an editor like Dreamweaver, or Adobe Golive, or even FrontPage.
- If you want a site with any sort of interactive functionality like wikis, blogs, discussion boards, etc.
- If you are aware that the world has moved on from Netscape Navigator 6.

In summary, I found this book to be a giant pile of rubbish. In the future, I would strongly recommend NEVER buying a Web Design book that has been published more than 1 or max 2 years before your actual date. Its 2008, DON'T buy anything written prior to 2006 in order to learn basic web design. You'll end up wasting your time, as I did.

This book is outstanding. It covers everything you need to know about web design. It was highly detailed, explaining everything you need to know. And it's well written.

Inside the chapters are small sections that they refer to as Tips, such as Explaining the Uses of a Table as a layout tool. With the tips, it makes it a lot easier to go back and look over something you forgot or don't understand.

Overall, exellent book, and I highly recommend it as a resource

A friend of mine recommended this book to me. I read it in about a week. It was very simple and understandable. Plus I learned some very intresting things I never knew about CSS.

The best coverage of PHP that I have found. Excellent discussion of tweaking server, appl, and session variables. Security discussion was very easy to apply.

I found this book to be excellent. It is very rare today to find a computer science book that is thorough, logical and well organized, yet brief and to the point. This can be said for all of the chapters in this book. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about web programming.

This is a great book and I recommend EVERYONE should read it. Parents, grandparents, and even teens! Too often adults feel they are too old to learn. Children should be taught from an early age to love learning and that learning doesn't just happen 5 days a week from 8 - 3. This book is awesome and I wish my parents had read and followed it when I was a child.

A book for everyone interested in how children learn. It would be of special interest to unschoolers or natural learners. Very eye-opening regarding the way children perceive the world and how they constantly learn from it, even when we interfere with this learning process.

Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I'm no fan of public school and recently began homeschooling/ unschooling, and I've done a lot of reading on both sides of that coin. Still, something about how John Holt writes about children and how they learn and the little things that can make it or break it... captures my attention, makes me laugh, and continues to enlighten me. I wish there were more passionate people in the world like him.

This is as good as all his other books. Very practical as well. Several other sources are listed in the text, as well as many materials and a wise way of using them.

Once your read this book Holt's ideas will be so obvious and self-evident that you will feel stupid for not realizing them yourself. He truly loves children and has tremendous respect for them and their capacity as human beings.

This book completely changed the way I think about children. It had a domino effect that had me reevaluating my entire worldview.

ProudBody.com loves Jeanie's down-to-earth child-rearing advice! I have a 17-month old son and have been searching for a book that provides practical and heart-warming tips on raising a child to become an independent and loving adult who is a productive member of society. Jeanie's book is delightful!! Written in a story-telling fashion, I read it from cover to cover and reflected upon the traits I want to instill in my son and the practical ways to develop these traits in him through my parenting choices. Jeanie takes the mystery out of raising a child and has given me simple ways to give my son the skills he needs to become a responsible and caring adult. Thank you Jeanie for writing "Life Teachings: Raising a Child."

"In our lives, people and experiences have formed who we are at this moment. From the time we are born until we die, people and experiences show us a way to conduct our lives."

Jeanie Davis Pullen remembers how wisdom was passed from adult to child in a more relaxed setting. In a time when family "matters" were settled on the porch with a glass of ice tea in a easy, musing fashion. Her parents didn't have to be experts, they just learned from their own experiences.

Jeanie is an educator, consultant and speaker with an advanced degree in gifted education. She also teaches high school and graduate courses at the university level.

Jeanie has often been asked to give talks about child raising, communication and growth paths in education and life. She has raised two daughters who are now successfully living their own lives. Over the years, people also started asking Jeanie to write about the importance of an individual creating a responsible, personal way of life.

The first story is about how the author is listening to her two daughters having a conversation in their late twenties. She began to wonder how children developed to this point. How they became happy, confident adults who contributed positively to society.

In the second chapter we learn about the list the author made in order to guide herself in parenting. She wanted her daughters to have a love of words, be confident, have wisdom, be able to see beauty in everyday things and have a sense of wonderment.

I love the way this book is written, it is really a conversation with the reader. I am pretty sure you are supposed to be sitting in a rocking chair on a porch while reading this book. ;)

Jeanie really pours out her thoughts and they are quite refreshing. She explains how she discovered that respect was a huge over-arching theme, how she made time for her children and the beautiful way she taught her children to get her attention even if she was talking to someone (I don't think "mom," "mom," "mom," "mom" worked well for me as a child.;). I love her idea but I'll let you read about it!

This book is so filled with wisdom. Not only does the author want to encourage her children to be the best they can be, she makes agreements with them so they are "in on the process."

The thoughts in this book are so beautiful. Play becomes her daughers' work. Play becomes highly valued as a learning experience. She buys her children beautiful books that they can keep, so they have permanent books in their lives.

Through memories of her own childhood and memories of beautiful moments in her own children's lives, Jeanie brings together a collection of heartfelt stories to inspire parents to love and appreciate their children and the moments they have to teach them valuable lessons in life.

A beautiful gift for all parents and the children who will benefit from their wisdom.

~The Rebecca Review

Jeanie Davis Pullen's template for parenthood is not detail specific, rather it is future focused: how would you like your child to be twenty years hence?

As most parents want for their children the foursquare basics: shelter, food & clothing, oh yes, & by the way, lots of money, this author's Wish List might seem, at first glance, obvious & a bit warm & fuzzy, however Jeanie Davis Pullen has far deeper concerns.

A delightfully meditative, immediate & informative weaving of the stories of this author's life & experiences, with insights into authentic emotions, little family gestures, which no one else would notice, to forestall her child's need to be heard NOW! How learning that not being able to afford something, was a luxury in disguise. That there is more to an adult's life besides parenting. That as "monkey see/monkey do" our children learn from us, how then, do you want your children to be?

The author and I are in the same age range group which made the book even more interesting, since many of her thoughts have been my thoughts. I like her. And would probably want her as a friend if she lived nearer me. Her writing style is like a conversation, or what I often refer to as constructive thought. She isn't the type to talk for talk sake, but seems to grasp the concept of not opening ones mouth unless they have something of value to offer.

I especially like her Chapter 17 piece titled Not Being able to afford something can be a luxury, because some women I know have been debating the whole idea of whether children should know what the family finances are. My belief is that children need to know about rent/house payments, utilities, medical and food expenses so they know how much things cost. She writes about financial honesty a great deal and each story has such value that the book is hard to put down.

Maybe this has more to do with my stay at home Mom mode for so many years, since one parent at home means sacrifice and careful planning. But her wisdom is sorely needed today. And with the holidays fast approaching I wince when I think of the life of lies or denial of reality that many parents will embrace, buying to much with plastic money and depression and other negatives as the unspoken by product.

She writes eloquently about how her children learned because of their fathers hearing problems to look people in the eye and speak distinctly and well. And how she writes about not letting ones own fears be the child's fear. In this case it was snakes.

The book is around 111 pages and is a series of mini stories or life lessons. I would often find myself picking the book up with all intentions of reading a couple of stories and then finding the book hard to put down because I wanted to learn more wisdom and what the next lesson was.

This is also a book the men in my family like. And she deals with this in section 33 where she writes about Parents have aspects to their lives other than parenthood. And how having a non parent life is what keeps us alive and fresh. This is something I have also been reminded of a lot via the local Hospice caregivers support group I attend. It is really important to make time for oneself. And is often easier said than done.

I just cannot recommend this book highly enough and would give ten stars if allowed.

This is a beautifully designed and presented little book. There are 35 "teachings," each two, three or four pages long. Pullen's tone is conversational and measured. Her thesis is an important one: be involved with raising your children and be aware of what you are doing and why.

My feeling has always been that kids grow up in spite of their parents and they can overcome some fairly poor parenting, although things like physical and mental abuse, alcoholism and drug addiction can be devastating. Sometimes it is the adverse circumstances of the larger society that make things difficult for the kids, poverty in particular. But that should be no justification for neglect. Many of us were too busy with our careers and finding ourselves to be the perfect parents we would like to have been. Pullen was not. Apparently she had the sense to realize from the very beginning that parenting was a full time job, one that required self-examination and logic as well as love.

So she has written this book telling us how she did it and as a guide. For the young person who reads this book and is inspired to be an involved and conscientious parent, Pullen's efforts will be justified because virtually everything in the book amounts to good advice, some of it very telling and valuable. I particularly liked the idea of talking things out and being open and logical about everything as much as possible. This helps both child and parent. (Sometimes it is the parent who is operating under a false premiss or two that will be exposed on verbalization!)

I also liked Pullen's insistence that logic and emotion are both important considerations in what we do, and that we should be aware of that. Even little things can be important if only because they add up. For example, Pullen and her husband would say, when money was scarce, not that we "can't afford it," but rather there is "No money right now" a subtle but psychologically important difference. (p. 53)

My favorite teaching was teaching number 25, in which Pullen tells her girls to listen for the urgency in a person's tone of voice. My first thought was that children don't need to be taught that. They can hear it! But upon reflection I realized that what Pullen is doing is making something that is largely unconscious and automatic full of awareness and deliberate. In this way the child might develop a superior ability to listen. This "teaching" is typical of Pullen's well-thought out methods.

Being the incorrigible cynic that I sometimes am, however, after a few chapters I found myself looking for instances of inadvertent self-revelation on the part of the very careful Mrs. Pullen. Somehow she was beginning to remind me of the lovable but all too precise Clifton Webb of Cheaper by the Dozen (1950). I took some small delight in copyreading as I went along, but I found only two typos ("quite" for "quiet" on page 23 and a "neither-or" that should be a "neither-nor" on page 65), and only one sentence that might be recast, the inverted for no apparent reason first sentence on page 98. I did find a slew of hyphens posing as em dashes on pages 4, 14, 15, 22, 30, 31, 49, 62, 73(2), 92, 106, and 109 which I am hereby pleased to point out so that she may have the opportunity of correcting them in a future edition. (Grin.)

While this is an excellent book as it is, I would (naturally!) like to offer the following small suggestions:

Interesting would be a candid critique of their parents' upbringing techniques by the two girls, Lara and Julie. I have no doubt that it would be highly positive; however one suspects they may have a joke or two to share. To Pullen's credit she does (slyly or inadvertently, I'm not sure which) share something like that with us in the chapter on her fears. She is afraid of snakes, but she did not want to transfer that fear to her girls, so she did everything she could to avoid appearing afraid when once in a while a snake would appear. Naturally we know that she could not completely hide her fear from her children who would also recognize that she was pretending not to be afraid. We can see this in the way she has Lara announce "with wonderment and curiosity in her voice, Mommy, there is a snake by your legs!" (p. 58) Or, on the next page where at the supermarket, Lara leans close to mom and whispers in her ear, "Mommy, there is a great big rabbit behind you!" (A man in a rabbit's outfit.) Pullen ends the chapter with, "She never comments on the animals until they are very close to me."

(Just as children sometimes tell little lies that parents overlook, leaving the child to believe the lie worked, sometimes children pass over their parents' eccentricities or even outright faults with only the most gentle satire.)

I also think it would be good to spell out the "particular way" Lara's math teacher insisted that the long division work be shown. (p. 63) I also would like to know what happened to the Himalayan Jack Rabbit!

Bottom line: this is a wise and inspirational little book that you might want to buy for someone expecting their first child.