#Book Review
206 articles
Why Programs Work, 3rd Edition: Essential Programming Knowledge
A review of Why Programs Work, 3rd Edition. A book that carefully explains everything from how CPUs and memory work to how programs actually run. It is well suited to systematically revisiting the kind of fundamentals taught in a computer science curriculum.
A Complete Guide to HR and Labor Practices
A review of a book that gives a complete picture of HR and labor practices. An introductory guide for broadly learning the practical work of human resources and labor administration in one volume, and a good foothold when you want to grasp the overall landscape of systems and procedures around HR.
Illustrated Introduction to Human Resource Management: 100 Tips on Theory and Practice for Those Who Want to Master HR Basics from Scratch
A review of Illustrated Introduction to Human Resource Management. A book that clearly organizes the basics of HR management as 100 'tips' from both theory and practice, with illustrations. A good introduction for those who want to grasp the whole picture of HR from scratch.
Revised 2nd Edition: A Quick Guide to Social Insurance and Labor Insurance Procedures
A review of A Quick Guide to Social Insurance and Labor Insurance Procedures (Revised 2nd Edition). A book for quickly looking up and learning the filings and procedures for social and labor insurance. Even as the variety of forms and frequency of legal changes can be overwhelming, it helps you grasp the practical essentials fast.
All for SaaS
Reading notes on All for SaaS. It organizes concepts and metrics worth knowing when launching and running a SaaS business, from the difference between ASP and SaaS to recurring revenue (deferred revenue) and unit economics. Suited to viewing SaaS from a business angle.
Building the Right Thing the Right Way
A review of Building the Right Thing the Right Way. Asking what it means to build a product and what lies beyond agile, it puts the product development process into words, organizing key ideas such as risk management-covering requirement, technical, staffing, and political risks-and expectation management that aligns stakeholders.
Customer Success
A review of Customer Success. Unlike customer support, which centers on handling complaints, it explains customer success as the work of helping customers succeed. You learn how, in subscription businesses, it maximizes LTV and serves as a profit center that contributes to revenue, positioned within the sales process of 'The Model.'
Kaizen Journey
A review of Kaizen Journey. In a story format, it lets you vicariously experience the journey of crossing borders, from the individual to the team and on to the organization. More than the details of individual agile practices, you feel a strong message about the purpose and meaning of crossing those borders.
The Model
A review of The Model. A book explaining The Model, the systematized approach to sales cultivated at Salesforce. Through the division of labor and collaboration across marketing, inside sales, field sales, and customer success, it reveals how sales, so often labor-intensive, gains reproducibility.
A Comprehensive Guide to Database Design: For Those Who Don’t Want to Stop at Beginner Level
A review of a thorough guide to database design for those who don't want to stop at the beginner level. It explains DB design systematically and clearly, covering the essentials of normalization and table design as a guide for stepping beyond the basics.
Knowledge and Skills of Accounting Systems for Engineers
A review of 'Knowledge and Skills of Accounting Systems for Engineers.' Assuming a grounding in accounting and bookkeeping, it explains how an accounting system turns various inputs into outputs, helping engineers who find accounting daunting grasp the big picture.
Knowledge and Technology of Financial Systems for Engineers
A review of Knowledge and Skills of Financial Systems for Engineers. A book that weighs financial domain knowledge more than the systems themselves. It explains the operations and systems of banks, insurers, securities firms, and credit card companies, useful even for engineers working on payment systems.
Knowledge and Skills of Inventory Management Systems for Engineers
A review of Knowledge and Skills of Inventory Management Systems for Engineers. A book for learning the domain of inventory management systems. It concretely conveys the difficulty of inventory management, tied to production, sales, purchasing, accounting, and costing, and the complexity of the functions it demands.
Knowledge and Skills of Production Management Systems for Engineers
A review of Knowledge and Skills of Production Management Systems for Engineers. A book for learning the domain of production management systems. It brings home, well beyond production management, that deeply understanding business workflows greatly affects system quality.
Knowledge and Technology of Logistics Systems for Engineers
A review of Knowledge and Skills of Logistics Systems for Engineers. A book for learning the domain of logistics systems. It explains how to optimize the flow and management of goods together with business knowledge, offering a foothold for understanding logistics-related systems.
Beginning SQL, 3rd Edition
A review of Beginning SQL, 3rd Edition. An easy-to-understand SQL primer you will wish you had read early in your career, also just right for revisiting how to write basic queries and the underlying ideas, and easy to recommend to those starting out with SQL.
Practical Introduction to Databases: Efficient SQL through the Relational Model
A review of a practical introduction to databases taught from theory via the relational model. Learning databases from relational theory helps organize how you approach RDBs, grounding the principles behind efficient SQL in set theory and logic.
SQL Anti-Patterns
A review of SQL Antipatterns. A go-to classic that introduces the antipatterns you tend to fall into with databases and SQL, with clear explanations. Knowing common mistakes and how to avoid them helps with design and implementation decisions.
Mastering SQL: A Comprehensive Guide for Advanced Beginners, 2nd Edition
A review of Mastering SQL: A Comprehensive Guide for Advanced Beginners, 2nd Edition. A book for learning the varied expressions of SQL beyond the basics. Full of oh-you-can-write-it-this-way moments that expand your repertoire, it suits those who want to step beyond the beginner level.
Practical Introduction to SQL: Writing Fast and Understandable Queries
A review of Practical Introduction to SQL. A book that organizes what to keep in mind when writing SQL. Grounded in execution plans, it teaches how to write queries that are both fast and easy to read.