Addison-Wesley Professional just released a few new books that sounded interesting to me. I am hoping to pick up copies of these books in the next few weeks to see if they are any good. The books that I though looked interesting are:
User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development
By Mike Cohn.
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; (March 1, 2004)
ISBN: 0321205685
Thoroughly reviewed and eagerly anticipated by the agile community, User Stories Applied offers a requirements process that saves time, eliminates rework, and leads directly to better software. The best way to build software that meets users' needs is to begin with "user stories": simple, clear, brief descriptions of functionality that will be valuable to real users. In User Stories Applied, Mike Cohn provides you with a front-to-back blueprint for writing these user stories and weaving them into your development lifecycle.
You'll learn what makes a great user story, and what makes a bad one. You'll discover practical ways to gather user stories, even when you can't speak with your users. Then, once you've compiled your user stories, Cohn shows how to organize them, prioritize them, and use them for planning, management, and testing.
- User role modeling: understanding what users have in common, and where they differ
- Gathering stories: user interviewing, questionnaires, observation, and workshops
- Working with managers, trainers, salespeople and other "proxies"
- Writing user stories for acceptance testing
- Using stories to prioritize, set schedules, and estimate release costs
- Includes end-of-chapter practice questions and exercises
User Stories Applied will be invaluable to every software developer, tester, analyst, and manager working with any agile method: XP, Scrum… or even your own home-grown approach.
Agile Project Management : Creating Innovative Products
by Jim Highsmith
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co; (March 29, 2004)
ISBN: 0321219775
Now, one of the field's leading experts brings together all the knowledge and resources you need to use APM in your next project. Jim Highsmith shows why APM should be in every manager's toolkit, thoroughly addressing the questions project managers raise about Agile approaches. He systematically introduces the five-phase APM framework, then presents specific, proven tools for every project participant. Coverage includes:
- Six principles of Agile Project Management
- How to capitalize on emerging new product development technologies
- Putting customers at the center of your project, where they belong
- Creating adaptive teams that respond quickly to changes in your project’s “ecosystem”
- Which projects will benefit from APM—and which won’t
- APM’s five phases: Envision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt, Close
- APM practices, including the Product Vision Box and Project Data Sheet
- Leveraging your PMI skills in Agile environments
- Scaling APM to larger projects and teams
- For every project manager, team leader, and team member
