Book Review: Inbound Marketing

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Authors: Brian Halligan, Dharmesh Shah
Published: 2010
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
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The traditional way of marketing is Outbound Marketing where the businesses bombard the prospects with promotional brochures, TV advertisements, spam mails, telemarketing calls and so on. The authors are of the opinion that the prospects have become smart enough to avoid such interruptions and get the information they need through online searches. In this book they propose Inbound Marketing as a solution to this problem.
Inbound Marketing is all about the businesses creating an effective online presence which results in their “getting found” by the prospects (vs searching for prospects) through online searches and social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn etc.
The book consists of 16 short chapters written in a very simple and easy to understand language, illustrated with several real life examples. In every chapter there are recommended measurements to track the progress in inbound marketing journey.
The chapters also have short case studies in inbound marketing.
These case studies covered include – the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, the music group The Grateful Dead, Wikipedia, and Google.
A very good introduction to the field of Inbound Marketing !

For more details visit Bookworm Reads:Inbound Marketing

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The Myths of Security

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: John Viega
Published: 2009
Publisher: O’Reilly Media Inc.
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Through 48 short yet interesting articles (4-5 pages average, 10 pages maximum.) , the author provides his perspectives on the security industry, identifies glaring problems, shows what the industry can do differently to give the end users more value for their money. He promises no “silver bullet”, but hopes that the security industry takes note of his criticism and correct the things which are fundamentally wrong.

Read more details about this book at Bookworm Reads:The Myths of Security.

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Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Mike Cohn
Published: 2010
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley India Pvt. Ltd

Scrum is a deceptively simple agile framework for developing software products in a complex and dynamically changing environment. Theoretically understanding the framework is easy but successfully implementing and reaping the benefits is not.
This book by Mike Cohn aims to provide you the know-how to “Succeed with Agile” (or to be more precise “with Scrum”) based on his 15-years experience in implementing Scrum.
A very useful and handy guide book for Agile/Scrum implementers at all levels in an organization.

Read the Book Summary at Bookworm Reads:Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum.

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The Code Book

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Simon Singh
Published: 1999
Publisher: Fourth Estate Limited

The entire history of cryptography is the story of ongoing battle between Cryptographers (code makers) and Cryptanalysts (code breakers). And this story – right from the origin of ciphers in ancient Greece till the recent advances (till 1999) in Quantum Cryptography- is brilliantly narrated by Simon Singh in this book.
The technical concepts in this book are very lucidly explained and should no pose problems for a lay reader. Also an extensive list of further readings has been provided for the readers who seek more details.
One of the most interesting books I have read this year. It has sparked an interest for Cryptography in me. Hence strongly recommend it as an introductory book on history and concepts of Cryptography and Cryptanalysis !

Read the Book Summary at Bookworm Reads:The Code Book.

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Agile Project Management with Scrum

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Ken Schwaber
Published: 2004
Publisher: Microsoft Press
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Scrum framework is simple but appearances can be deceptive ! Implementing Scrum in an organization is not a trivial exercise. The mindset of managing and executing projects in a traditional manner poses major challenges in effective implementation of Scrum.
This book contains over 20 real-world case studies drawn from author’s wide experience in implementing Scrum in the organizations he consulted. The problems described in these case studies are the ones which are typically encountered by the organizations who are in initial stages of Scrum adoption.
Hence I highly recommend this book for such the organizations since it can provide very useful insights and guidance to avoid the common pitfalls in their Scrum journey.

For Key Insights and Lessons from the Case Studies, visit Bookworm Reads:Agile Project Management with Scrum.

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The Secrets of Success in Coaching: 12 Ways to Excel as a Coach

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Mick Cope
Published: 2010
Publisher: Pearson Education Limited
According to the author the coaching can be really successful only when the coach is truly competent, follows a client-centric coaching approach, has a deep sense of ethical responsibility and seeks to help the client deliver change that is of value and sustainable.
Through this book the author shares with the reader his years of coaching experience and intends to help them become a highly successful and competent coach.
The book offers a tool kit of 12 techniques to excel as a coach. Each technique is supplemented by a list of questions to ask the client. Answering these questions will develop a sense of self-awareness in the client which will be of great help in their professional or personal journey towards self-improvement.
The techniques described are simple and practical. However couple of them are somewhat idealistic in my view – for e.g. not to coach the clients who do not take ownership of their goals, objective of the coaching being to make the client self-reliant and not dependent on the coaches anymore.
Really noble intent ! But how many coaches follow this principle !
The book is elegantly written using a very simple language and in short self-contained chapters, so that one can read a chapter and apply the idea immediately with their clients. A real handy and concise guide which every consultant or coach will find useful.

Key Takeaways from this book are posted in Bookworm Reads: The Secrets of Success in Coaching: 12 Ways to Excel as a Coach.

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Where in the World is my Team

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Terence Brake
Published: 2008
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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This is a business fiction about successfully working in a globally distributed team. It is all about 6Cs Framework of Global Collaboration – Cooperation, Convergence, Coordination, Capability, Communication and Cultural Intelligence
The whole story is narrated in a very entertaining manner with ample doses of humor.
A must read for every member in a Global Team. !

For a summarized key takeaways from this book visit Bookworm Reads:Where in the World is my Team

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Integrating CMMI and Agile Development: Case Studies and Proven Techniques for Faster Performance Improvement

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Paul E. McMahon
Published: 2010
Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional
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A very useful guide for all quality and process improvement professionals irrespective of the school (CMMI or Agile) they belong to.
Also a Highly Recommended Must Read for all CMMI Lead Appraisers and Assessment Team Members. This book will surely help them pragmatically interpret CMMI and minimize the appraisal costs and effort, thereby getting better buy-in when they perform assessments in organizations with agile mindset.

Detailed Book Summary posted atBookworm Reads: Integrating CMMI and Agile Development: Case Studies and Proven Techniques for Faster Performance Improvement.

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Nanovation – How a Little Car Can Teach the World to Think Big

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Authors: Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, Dain Dunston
Published: 2010
Publisher: Penguin Books India
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This is certainly one of the most interesting and fascinating book I have read in recent times.
The book is much more than the story of Nano. It is also a great lesson on the process of Innovation (or Nanovation as authors put it) using Nano and many other examples as case studies.
A must read for everyone who needs doses of inspiration to think big, be brave, act bold and achieve the seemingly impossible !

For a detailed summary visit my blog Bookworm Reads:Nanovation – How a Little Car Can Teach the World to Think Big

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Implementing Six Sigma and Lean – A Practical Guide to Tools and Techniques

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Gopinath

Author: Ron Basu
Published: 2009
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
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The author’s objective is to provide a single source of reference tools and techniques commonly used in any quality initiatives especially – Six Sigma and Lean – in a comprehensive, user-friendly and hands-on book.
On the whole a very useful book for non-IT people !
Useful for IT professionals too, however since there are hardly any examples from IT industry, they need to put in some extra effort to see how they can map these tools and techniques to their day-to-day work.

More details about this book in my blog Bookworm Reads: Implementing Six Sigma and Lean – A Practical Guide to Tools and Techniques

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