Download PDF Managing Humans Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager Michael Lopp 9781484221570 Books

Download As PDF : Managing Humans Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager Michael Lopp 9781484221570 Books

Download PDF Managing Humans Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager Michael Lopp 9781484221570 Books

"Managing Humans is Michael Lopp's entree into blog-turned-book style that seems to be increasingly popular these days. And while the content from [...] has been edited and tweaked, a few reviewers have mentioned that it needs a bit more polish; I would agree.

While it has an amazing amount of insight into relevant issues delivered with surprising certainty, there isn't research, a philosophical premise, or numbers to back it up, only anecdotes that, while believable, are admittedly created for purpose. Lopp doesn't equivocate, and he doesn't present his views within the context of a greater argument or philosophy. As such, the book reads like a monologue about software companies from a drunk friend who you don't always see eye-to-eye with.

In this regard, the book is simultaneously annoying and stimulating. If you can stomach a point of view not frequently written in, and a blatantly unapologetic tone, it's worth the read. There are nuggets of wisdom to be found, but they are buried so deeply within the anecdotes, I found myself forgetting them after a few chapters.

I really wanted to like this book more, but it lacked a coherence that I may have mistakenly been expecting. Too bad there aren't half star ratings - 3 is a little short, but will have to do."

Product details Paperback 348 pages Publisher Apress; 3rd ed. edition (July 26, 2016) Language English ISBN-10 1484221575

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Managing Humans Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager Michael Lopp 9781484221570 Books Reviews :

Managing Humans Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager Michael Lopp 9781484221570 Books Reviews

• I was re-reading edition 2 of this book and got halfway through. Realized there was a third edition and went back and re-read the new one. There isn't a huge difference and there's a ton of value to be mined with either version but the new one has several new chapters - including one that was very much worth it.
  
  No matter where you are in your career, read this book. As an employee, you'll understand your boss and other teams. As a leader, you'll understand your role a little better and probably pick a few nuggets up.
• With a title like "...biting and humorous..." I was expecting to enjoy reading this book. Instead it felt like a chore with very few actual insights, and mostly attempts at cleverness where humor was intended.
  
  Once in a while you come across a quote where someone was able to cut through to the essence of a thing, and you're struck by the simplicity and utility of the author's statement or observation. Most of my favorite books on software are filled with such quotes. Lopp introduces an entire zoo of his own terms to describe commonly encountered personalities, situations, interactions, etc. Besides being a lot to remember, most of his classifications and rules are fairly simple, but just don't strike me as zeroing in on something fundamental.
  
  Maybe other readers will come away with a different impression. I really wanted to like this book.
• I read this book during my last semester as a Computer Information Systems student, as it was a choice on the list of required reading for the capstone class. I'm so glad I chose this one--it's some of the best, most coherent information I've ever read on how to balance the worlds of tech and business properly. It's a witty, insightful look into the way that people actually think and operate. I found myself saying "YES! Finally, someone has vocalized my thinking process!" at several times during the book.
  
  Not only that, but there are sections where Mr. Lopp lays out the expectations that the "other side" will have of you, the employee. There's a handy section on resumes (yes, I know, there are supposed to be accents over those Es, but I do not know the keyboard codes for them) and what a manager ACTUALLY looks at on them. There's a section on how to gracefully leave your job, because that WILL happen.
  
  Basically, I recommend this book for ANYONE who's making the transition from student to professional.
• A lot of reviews for this work have been posted here already, including a few which puzzlingly complain about the substance of what Michael Lopp has to share, even though the subtitle of "Managing Humans" contains the phrase "Biting and Humorous Tales". While Joel Spolsky, cofounder and CEO of Fog Creek Software, is quoted on the back cover as saying that this is "by far the most brilliant book about managing software teams you're ever going to find", I would argue that in my opinion this is by far the most witty book about managing software teams. The content that the author provides focuses on some of his personal experiences, the bulk of which were taken from previous contributions to his "randsinrepose" weblog, and abides by his premise to a T, which is to not offer a traditional management book based on the idea that there is a science behind management, but a witty book about how managers, "a strange breed of people who through a mystical organizational ritual have been given power over your future and your bank account", learn by doing. At the same time, the reader should not expect this book to explain the hows - it is simply about the software engineering management experiences of one individual and some of the insights he has gained along the way. Despite the fact that much of the content here consists of a wide variety of topics, sometimes seemingly random, for readers seeking more traditional content chapters 27-30 entitled "Incrementalists and Completionists", "Organics and Mechanics", "Inwards, Outwards, and Holistics", and "Free Electrons" provide some valuable content that is reminiscent of Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.'s "The Mythical Man-Month" chapter 3 entitled "The Surgical Team" (see my earlier review). In these chapters, Lopp takes a break from his customary humor and looks at some of the different work styles and associated personalities in this field. After a while, any successful professional will undoubtedly begin to figure out some of the traits possessed by colleagues, but Lopp does the best job that I have seen to provide some broad brushstrokes to help even those in the profession who are no longer neophytes; if anything, this portion of the book will serve as a second take into how professionals might approach different scenarios based on the individuals involved. This book is a quick read and recommended to anyone in the software engineering field willing to take a break for some humor about their own profession, and interested in hearing some life lessons provided by an individual who is not afraid to talk about himself.
• Managing Humans is Michael Lopp's entree into blog-turned-book style that seems to be increasingly popular these days. And while the content from [...] has been edited and tweaked, a few reviewers have mentioned that it needs a bit more polish; I would agree.
  
  While it has an amazing amount of insight into relevant issues delivered with surprising certainty, there isn't research, a philosophical premise, or numbers to back it up, only anecdotes that, while believable, are admittedly created for purpose. Lopp doesn't equivocate, and he doesn't present his views within the context of a greater argument or philosophy. As such, the book reads like a monologue about software companies from a drunk friend who you don't always see eye-to-eye with.
  
  In this regard, the book is simultaneously annoying and stimulating. If you can stomach a point of view not frequently written in, and a blatantly unapologetic tone, it's worth the read. There are nuggets of wisdom to be found, but they are buried so deeply within the anecdotes, I found myself forgetting them after a few chapters.
  
  I really wanted to like this book more, but it lacked a coherence that I may have mistakenly been expecting. Too bad there aren't half star ratings - 3 is a little short, but will have to do.