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I take it that you are referring to Australian dollars? New releases here in the US average sub-$14 and have for a while. In a perfect example of your explanation of prices finding the right point on the curve, CDs were $20 in the US about ten years ago.

CDs costs under $14 now? The last tyme I bought new CDs, about three years ago, the cheapest I paid was $18. And they weren't hot pop performers, the last few new CDs I bought were by Niko Case and Norah Jones, I suppose you could say they're pop jazz. For both Amazon is showing for the street price about what I paid for most of their CDs. Now, the last CDs I bought were only half that but they were used and included Melissa Etheridge and other older ones.

I take it that you are referring to Australian dollars? New releases here in the US average sub-$14 and have for a while. In a perfect example of your explanation of prices finding the right point on the curve, CDs were $20 in the US about ten years ago.

CDs costs under $14 now? The last tyme I bought new CDs, about three years ago, the cheapest I paid was $18. And they weren't hot pop performers, the last few new CDs I bought were by Niko Case and Norah Jones, I suppose you could say they're pop jazz. For both Amazon is showing for the street price about what I paid for most of their CDs. Now, the last CDs I bought were only half that but they were used and included Melissa Etheridge and other older ones.

Also pick up the full 32-page version from his website or from Amazon. It's absolutely worth the 7 bucks he charges for it.

I see a lot of Slashdoters, claim the Libertarian mantle or attack it, without a clear definition of what "Libertarianism" is. Many seem to think it is a mix of the two prominent American political parties (social liberals and economic conservatives). Others seem to think it's just about individualism and so they embrace it out of love for individual rights or condemn it a "social Darwinism." In reality, it is much more fundamental and philosophical.

Here is a basic definition:
Libertarianism is the belief that it is immoral to use force or the threat of force on other people if they are not using force on you.

The application of this results in conclusions such as:

Drugs may have negative effects on the user, but as long as someone can smoke pot without endangering others, it is wrong to initiate force on him by arresting or punishing him.

Poverty and social ills should be solved with voluntary compassion rather than threatening others with government force if they do not pay taxes.

People should be able to interact in the market place freely without using force to institute monopolies (regulating competitors out of the market, using the military to prop up the oil industry, or using the government to protect so called "intellectual property") and without using force to demand products and services.

More detailed definitions can be gathered from:
Wikipedia
Internet Radio
Books

One of the more vocal FOSS advocates defines libertarianism here.

He self-designates as an anarchist (often considered far-to-the-left) but I suspect many would call him a right-libertarian.

As for me, I grew up in several hyper-authoritarian countries (Marcos's Philippines, Lee's Singapore, Park's Korea) and saw the negative effects of such authoritarianism. A trip to Panmunjeom on the border between North and South Korea pushed me over the edge into libertarian thinking. Seeing farmers doing their harvesting being herded by uniformed men with guns left a permanent negative afterimage in my brain. Taking a look at the two Koreas from space at night continues to persuade me that authoritarian governments are bad for humanity.

I was not a geek then (I was an English major who was teaching English as a Second Language at the time) but became a geek later, partly because I saw ("Revenge of the Nerds") the revolutionary possibilities provided by technology. For example, a geek named Dee Hock revolutionized business and commerce by inventing the credit card, one of the tools of a society where individuals are empowered to control governments rather than vice-versa.

Unless it does, of course. . .

The Feiner Points of Leadership
( Michael Feiner )

Presenting to Win 2e
( Jerry Weissman? )

The Definitive Business Plan 2e
( Richard Stutely )

Rapid Development
( Steve McConnell, iirc )

and you will have WAAAAY more than the *normal* manager, in terms
of principles-based coaching.

make The 7 Habits of Highly Effective { People || Families }
( Stephen R Covey ) one of 'em, too, and

Organizing from the Inside Out
( Julie Morgenstern )
( to get /how/ to work with our individual innate organization-patterns ), &

Corps Business: the 30 /Management Principles/ of the US Marines ( David H. Freedman )
( you NEED this one! )

A link to a good Amazon.com "Registry" is this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/3M2T4BH48O43D
It's a registry that hasn't a delivery-address, because
it's just my recommending of the best-of-the-best for all.

Cheerses,

    -Antryg

Amazon's FPS can do recurring subscriptions (with multi-use tokens) as well - it's a bit more complex, of course, they give you the low-level stuff and leave it to you to build an application on top of it. The advantage here is you're the one triggering the billing each month - you don't have to rely on them to re-submit it for you. Of course, this is also a disadvantage, as your app needs to keep track of such things, and handle triggering the transaction at the proper times.

Amazon Unbox. Pretty simple replacement, really.

D) Download it from Amazon Unbox. You still get to pay the studio, get it (legally) at DVD-quality if it goes to your computer or broadcast quality if you send it to your TiVo.

There is competition in this field. iTunes is not the only option (and in fact has never been).

Why is it too much to ask that if you like the CD, you pay the money?

It's simple. I'm out of money. Instead of $15 for a 40 minute CD, I bought 4 120 minute DVDs for $20 at Blockbuster.

It is a matter of value. I don't have tons of money to buy both the value products and the expensive low value products. DRM on many CDs has lowered their value even further. If you can't put it on your MP3 player, it's useless. If you find this out ofter the sale, opened items are not returnable. I learned early on to not buy a pig in a poke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_in_a_poke

Many Jewel cases on retail shelves don't contain a real Phillips standard CD and are not clearly labeled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defective_by_Design

For a prime example of overpricing the easy to duplicate back catalog music is still at high prices as though they are still paying for production costs which were paid for long ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-White-Album/dp/B0000 02UAX

The outrageous price is simply from created shortage, not by any costs of production.

Instead of buying this overpriced item, I can buy 4 movies that took orders of magnitude more to produce.

Care to do a cost of production comparison for the Beatles White Album and the movies Monsters Inc, Cars, Toy Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Nemo, and other large cast or high tech creations.

When comparing value, the White Album costs more and has a much less talent and production complexity. At the current value/price points, I'm simply buying movies instead of albums. They don't have the value.

For what it's worth, the White Album was released as a regular CD and as a limited edition version, which basically replicated the original vinyl, complete with poster/insert and so on. I'm not sure if it would justify the price increase, but it's a fairly common practice. Likewise, I'm not sure if that's the White Album that the GP was referring to.

Us poor pirates can't win, can we? We get blamed when they put the price up and blamed when they bring the price down!

For what it's worth, the White Album was released as a regular CD and as a limited edition version, which basically replicated the original vinyl, complete with poster/insert and so on. I'm not sure if it would justify the price increase, but it's a fairly common practice. Likewise, I'm not sure if that's the White Album that the GP was referring to.

Us poor pirates can't win, can we? We get blamed when they put the price up and blamed when they bring the price down!

parent post is right.
I would also recommend reading some books that lay out examples of good management styles. My two favorite books on those topics are quick easy reads, that are interesting in themselves let alone for their "management skills".

Cigars, Whiskey & Winning: Leadership Lessons from General Ulysses S. Grant
"In 1861, Grant was a clerk in his father's leather work shop. Three years later, he was the commanding general of the United States Army. He was managing an organization of over on million men, the largest in the world at the time. He was overseeing simultaneous operations on multiple fronts that spanned the continent, and he was succeeding where everyone before him had failed".

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
"Sir Ernest Shackleton has been called "the greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none" for saving the lives of the 27 men stranded with him in the Antarctic for almost two years. He was able to save every one of them in the harshest environment on earth."

parent post is right.
I would also recommend reading some books that lay out examples of good management styles. My two favorite books on those topics are quick easy reads, that are interesting in themselves let alone for their "management skills".

Cigars, Whiskey & Winning: Leadership Lessons from General Ulysses S. Grant
"In 1861, Grant was a clerk in his father's leather work shop. Three years later, he was the commanding general of the United States Army. He was managing an organization of over on million men, the largest in the world at the time. He was overseeing simultaneous operations on multiple fronts that spanned the continent, and he was succeeding where everyone before him had failed".

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
"Sir Ernest Shackleton has been called "the greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none" for saving the lives of the 27 men stranded with him in the Antarctic for almost two years. He was able to save every one of them in the harshest environment on earth."

You might have read it in a novel.

I think Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio (http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Radio-Greg-Bear/dp/ 0345459814/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9184374-4734362?ie= UTF8&s=books&qid=1188518531&sr=8-1 novel is based on that premise.

Pick up Resident Evil 4 for the Wii. I didn't play it earlier on the GC or PS2, so it was completely fresh to me anyway, but I really think the Wiimote is flat out perfect for that series. I always thought the RE series was boring, but it's great on the Wii. I haven't played any of the other shooters for Wii (they're all rehashed and uninspiring to me), but the Wiimote sure does work well for the close quarters tense zombie combat of RE4. For what it is, it's nearly a perfect game really.

Agreed. RE4 was nearly a perfect game on the Gamecube, then they added more missions (from the later PS2 version) and offered real tight control with the Wiimote. It's one of (if not THE) best game on Wii (and yes, I love Zelda also). If you DO like RE4 however for the suspense look up "Eternal Darkness" . The game is very good, and well worth the price (+ a Wavebird, and memory card).

cheers.

with a book by Gertrude Friedberg called "The Revolving Boy."

Friedberg imagined what life would be like for someone who had an affinity towards this One True Direction.

Good read.

I just started reading The Accidental Manager. Seems well written into Chapter 2.
http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Manager-Gary-S-To pchik/dp/0814474497/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5551658-54 83621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188474628&sr=8-1

I just started reading The Accidental Manager. Seems well written into Chapter 2.
http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Manager-Gary-S-To pchik/dp/0814474497/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5551658-54 83621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188474628&sr=8-1

And that this wouldn't undermine capitalism within any particular nation provided that it was done by force of the state rather than whim of the capitalist.

I'm wonder if you know what capitalism is. As anyone who's read Adam Smith, especially "On Wealth of Nations" , should know there is not capitalism if there's governmental interference. Capitalism requires a voluntary exchange but when government is there there is no voluntary exchange. Government puts restrictions on all sorts of things.

Also, if you are right, then wages globally should rise in proportion to productive output as capitalism becomes more competitive. That's actually not what happens. And that's why illegal aliens in the US earn lower -- not higher -- wages for doing the work that (supposedly) workers in the US aren't willing to do.

Ah, while those so called "illegal aliens" or immigrants aren't making as much as an American would make doing the same job those immigrants still make a lot more money than they made at home in Mexico. Mexicans sent hme, back to Mexico, some $23 million in 2006. That's Mexico's second biggest source of international income. The biggest is oil, after Canada Mexico is the US's biggest supplier of oil. As for why US citizens aren't doing those jobs, because they want to be paid more than the employers are willing to or can pay.

From just a couple of days ago;
http://www.insidecrm.com/features/Manager-Common-S ense-Rules-082207/

Also, I'd recommend the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Theory-Pr actice-OReilly/dp/0596007868/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8 644951-0733743?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188403226&sr=8 -1

The Art of Project Management (by Scott Berkun).

I've worked for too many managers who just have no freaking clue how to properly put together a schedule for a project - and every single time, you see the examples and rules documented in THIS BOOK, violated, and you end up with a disaster.

Workers who are not permitted to succeed, are unhappy workers.

No matter what you pay them.

Please read this book, and put it into practice. Your workers will thank you. Your customers will thank you. Your superiors will probably fire you.

I have made the transition from knowledge/skill worker to management, and the most useful management books I have found are Marcus Buckingham's. Start here:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Break-All-Rules-Differ ently/dp/0684852861/ref=pd_sim_b_title/102-8240354 -6750512

In my experience, most management gurus suffer from one or both of the following: their experience is limited to a given field or company, and therefore not replicable elsewhere, or their success is due to personal characteristics not obtainable by others. Another problem is anecdote-based books... nothing against anecdotes, but I like something a little more rigorous.

Buckingham's work is solidly research-based, abstracting general principles expressed by the managers with the best-performing employees who were also rated very highly by the employees themselves. My organization has had great success (as reflected in employee retention and satisfaction) by using his performance planning approach.

The main thing to remember, though, is just that management is about working with people. Technical skills will help you work with technical people, but people skills are absolutely essential. Tact, diplomacy, insight, empathy, and firm and unflinchingly honest support of the people you manage will see you in good stead. Finally, a deep understanding of the principles (ethical, financial, legal) of your business will give you the foundation to make sound decisions without undue effort. Good luck!

According to the Bush administration, a warrant is NOT required to set up the bugging. They've been doing warrantless eavesdropping since October of 2001. Read How Would a Patriot Act? for more.

It would certainly help if you had your MBA. A lot of the gripes I see on this thread are misplaced, angry retorts by hardcore developers who have no idea what the difference between leadership and management is; they're only victims of it. I've been a developer for about as long as you have. I've grown tremendously as a developer, but the last few years I've realized I'm ready to do other things. I want to do other things at a higher level. I returned to school and got my MBA, and also passed the CMBA exam. It was definitely worth it; you understand the other side of the coin, the big picture. It explained so very much to me. If school isn't an option for you, I can recommend two decent books:

Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers
http://www.amazon.com/Herding-Cats-Primer-Programm ers-Lead/dp/1590590171

The Ten-Day MBA 3rd Ed.: A Step-By-Step Guide To Mastering The Skills Taught In America's Top Business Schools
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Day-MBA-3rd-Step-Step/dp /0060799072/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0787190-8957248?ie =UTF8&s=books&qid=1188391102&sr=1-1

These books won't give you management experience, but they will get your feet wet in a proper way. Also, here is a helpful list, from one developer who transitioned to management to another (I don't remember where I got this list, but I've kept a copy of it ever since):

Ten Signs of an Incompetent Leader

Poor leadership surrounds us, it's a fact of life and they seemingly find a way to keep their jobs. They are more focused on their personal needs and not of the professional needs of those below them. They have a hard time developing their employees because they lack the proper management techniques to do so. A leader is someone who you would follow to a place you would not go alone. Leadership is about action not status.

However, the question is, how do we know when we are dealing with these flaw-ridden individuals? A lot of the time, a poor manager can make the perception that he/she is busy and organized. I have developed a small guideline that can help pinpoint these leaders.

1. Incompetent Leaders will:
2. Delegate work rather than balance work loads. This allows all attention to be diverted from them in case of failure. It may seem to them that are managing their people but in actuality they are creating work imbalances within the group. It can create unnecessary overtime for some and under utilization of others. A good manager is aware of the skill sets of all the people below them and should allocate work accordingly while trying to enhance the skills of everyone to be even more productive.
3. Reduce all answers to Yes or No rather than explaining their reasoning. This is an example of a crisis manager who can not think farther than a few hours ahead. A yes/no manager finds it a waste of time to find the real answer through intellectual thought. They are already thinking about the next crisis.
4. Not separate personal life from professional life. They will bring their personal problem to work. Working for these types of managers can be very dramatic. They are unable to separate their emotional imbalances while trying to manage people. They are less focused and will not give you the attention and direction you need for success.
5. Manage crisis. If you are a company that has crisis managers, then you can say goodbye to innovation and progression. Proactive thinking is critical to the success of any company. If you are not finding ways to stop or reduce the amount of crisis that has to be managed, then your competition will pass you by. Leaders have to think out of the box and make change.
6. Create an environment where mistakes are

It would certainly help if you had your MBA. A lot of the gripes I see on this thread are misplaced, angry retorts by hardcore developers who have no idea what the difference between leadership and management is; they're only victims of it. I've been a developer for about as long as you have. I've grown tremendously as a developer, but the last few years I've realized I'm ready to do other things. I want to do other things at a higher level. I returned to school and got my MBA, and also passed the CMBA exam. It was definitely worth it; you understand the other side of the coin, the big picture. It explained so very much to me. If school isn't an option for you, I can recommend two decent books:

Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers
http://www.amazon.com/Herding-Cats-Primer-Programm ers-Lead/dp/1590590171

The Ten-Day MBA 3rd Ed.: A Step-By-Step Guide To Mastering The Skills Taught In America's Top Business Schools
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Day-MBA-3rd-Step-Step/dp /0060799072/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0787190-8957248?ie =UTF8&s=books&qid=1188391102&sr=1-1

These books won't give you management experience, but they will get your feet wet in a proper way. Also, here is a helpful list, from one developer who transitioned to management to another (I don't remember where I got this list, but I've kept a copy of it ever since):

Ten Signs of an Incompetent Leader

Poor leadership surrounds us, it's a fact of life and they seemingly find a way to keep their jobs. They are more focused on their personal needs and not of the professional needs of those below them. They have a hard time developing their employees because they lack the proper management techniques to do so. A leader is someone who you would follow to a place you would not go alone. Leadership is about action not status.

However, the question is, how do we know when we are dealing with these flaw-ridden individuals? A lot of the time, a poor manager can make the perception that he/she is busy and organized. I have developed a small guideline that can help pinpoint these leaders.

1. Incompetent Leaders will:
2. Delegate work rather than balance work loads. This allows all attention to be diverted from them in case of failure. It may seem to them that are managing their people but in actuality they are creating work imbalances within the group. It can create unnecessary overtime for some and under utilization of others. A good manager is aware of the skill sets of all the people below them and should allocate work accordingly while trying to enhance the skills of everyone to be even more productive.
3. Reduce all answers to Yes or No rather than explaining their reasoning. This is an example of a crisis manager who can not think farther than a few hours ahead. A yes/no manager finds it a waste of time to find the real answer through intellectual thought. They are already thinking about the next crisis.
4. Not separate personal life from professional life. They will bring their personal problem to work. Working for these types of managers can be very dramatic. They are unable to separate their emotional imbalances while trying to manage people. They are less focused and will not give you the attention and direction you need for success.
5. Manage crisis. If you are a company that has crisis managers, then you can say goodbye to innovation and progression. Proactive thinking is critical to the success of any company. If you are not finding ways to stop or reduce the amount of crisis that has to be managed, then your competition will pass you by. Leaders have to think out of the box and make change.
6. Create an environment where mistakes are

Uhhhm: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/565108/ref =pd_ts_pc_nav/103-8042767-7247807 ?

5 out of the top 10 best-selling laptops on Amazon are Macs. Add to that the fact that many hardcore Apple fans buy mostly through Apple.com, and it gets pretty hard to make the case that the picture isn't exactly the same in online sales.

http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-Manageme nt-Programmers/dp/0976694026/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7 947205-1114222?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188376543&sr=8 -1 I found this book invaluable. It covers everything you need to manage people in a way that's easy to understand.

I'm in the transition phase from sysadmin to manager, and the most help I've had came from Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook.

On a more serious note, there seem to be three main sorts of manager, at least initially:

1. Doesn't change a thing, goes with the flow. This works fine as long as what you're inheriting people and procedures which work OK and don't really need your help - but doesn't do anyone any good if you hit issues.

2. Makes radical changes without stopping to think of the potential impact of them. Things like deciding "Let's cancel the staff christmas party" some time around the end of November. Yes, it gets you known as someone who's not afraid to make decisions. It also gets you known as a thoughtless moron who cares not one whit for his staff if he can save a little cash - which is an extremely good way to guarantee that the feeling is reciprocated by your staff. Realistically, unless your company or team is in real trouble the "radical changes" bit shouldn't be necessary - and even if they are, "failure to think about what you're doing" is still a bad move.

3. Looks at what's currently happening, tries to engage brain and see what could be improved while leaving well alone if all is well.

I've tried to follow 3.

One other piece of advice: Learn to delegate. It's hard initially but at the end of the day, there's no point managing a team if you're going to try and do all the work yourself. Make sure you know all the strengths and weaknesses of the people who work for you, and delegate work to them accordingly.

I did this transition about 10 years ago, after a few years as a developer. I was working at one of the 2-3 largest software companies in the world, and I managed to succeed more as a manager than as a developer.

I read a whole slew of books, but only one really stood out: "First, Break All the Rules". It's a fascinating book based on Gallup research of managers who are successful across all different sorts of fields. Many of the points it makes are counter-intuitive, but they've worked quite well for me in practice. Don't miss this one.

Other than that: 1) Keep up with your technology area. You need to be able to make judgment calls and have your employees respect them. If you're still coding, this probably isn't a big problem. 2) Know the strengths and weaknesses of all your employees. A manager is 50% psychologist, frankly. 3) Be confident and decisive, but admit your mistakes.

So there is some good and not so good advice here. Normal for /.
Anyway, a couple of good books I discovered which were helpful and haven't already been mentioned were by Patrick M. Lencioni:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Meeting-Leadership-Fab le-About-Business/dp/0787968056/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/10 4-5599184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370691&s r=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leade rship-Fable/dp/0787960756/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-5599 184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-3

Here's one more that I haven't read:
http://www.amazon.com/Silos-Politics-Turf-Wars-Com petitors/dp/0787976385/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-5599184 -8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-2
These are easy reads which have some really good points regarding how to run meetings and lead a team. Good luck.

So there is some good and not so good advice here. Normal for /.
Anyway, a couple of good books I discovered which were helpful and haven't already been mentioned were by Patrick M. Lencioni:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Meeting-Leadership-Fab le-About-Business/dp/0787968056/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/10 4-5599184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370691&s r=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leade rship-Fable/dp/0787960756/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-5599 184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-3

Here's one more that I haven't read:
http://www.amazon.com/Silos-Politics-Turf-Wars-Com petitors/dp/0787976385/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-5599184 -8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-2
These are easy reads which have some really good points regarding how to run meetings and lead a team. Good luck.

So there is some good and not so good advice here. Normal for /.
Anyway, a couple of good books I discovered which were helpful and haven't already been mentioned were by Patrick M. Lencioni:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Meeting-Leadership-Fab le-About-Business/dp/0787968056/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/10 4-5599184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370691&s r=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leade rship-Fable/dp/0787960756/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-5599 184-8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-3

Here's one more that I haven't read:
http://www.amazon.com/Silos-Politics-Turf-Wars-Com petitors/dp/0787976385/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-5599184 -8599935?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188370818&sr=8-2
These are easy reads which have some really good points regarding how to run meetings and lead a team. Good luck.

I've found The Disney Way book very interesting to me (who want to know what happen in my work place). I don't know what others may think of it as I am not a manager or even a wannabe one atm :D.

... but. I found myself in exactly the same position not so long ago. I was a member of a medium-sized development team (25+ people) which had no management at all. The result was that various people from different parts of the organization were giving us tasks and nobody really knew who they reported to. Yes, it was a mess and I would often bitch and moan about it - I could afford that because I was on friendly terms with the top management.

Then one day something karmic happened: I was told I was becoming the manager of that team. As I didn't have a manager to look to for example, I had to learn somewhere else. So I went to Amazon and I bought every book on the subject which looked promising in the reviews. Here's my top 5 in order of preference:

1. Peopleware
2. Managing Humans
3. Joel on Software
4. The Art of Project Management
5. Up the Organization

Beware of number 5 - not everything applies to software development teams, but it's a good books nevertheless.

... but. I found myself in exactly the same position not so long ago. I was a member of a medium-sized development team (25+ people) which had no management at all. The result was that various people from different parts of the organization were giving us tasks and nobody really knew who they reported to. Yes, it was a mess and I would often bitch and moan about it - I could afford that because I was on friendly terms with the top management.

Then one day something karmic happened: I was told I was becoming the manager of that team. As I didn't have a manager to look to for example, I had to learn somewhere else. So I went to Amazon and I bought every book on the subject which looked promising in the reviews. Here's my top 5 in order of preference:

1. Peopleware
2. Managing Humans
3. Joel on Software
4. The Art of Project Management
5. Up the Organization

Beware of number 5 - not everything applies to software development teams, but it's a good books nevertheless.

... but. I found myself in exactly the same position not so long ago. I was a member of a medium-sized development team (25+ people) which had no management at all. The result was that various people from different parts of the organization were giving us tasks and nobody really knew who they reported to. Yes, it was a mess and I would often bitch and moan about it - I could afford that because I was on friendly terms with the top management.

Then one day something karmic happened: I was told I was becoming the manager of that team. As I didn't have a manager to look to for example, I had to learn somewhere else. So I went to Amazon and I bought every book on the subject which looked promising in the reviews. Here's my top 5 in order of preference:

1. Peopleware
2. Managing Humans
3. Joel on Software
4. The Art of Project Management
5. Up the Organization

Beware of number 5 - not everything applies to software development teams, but it's a good books nevertheless.

... but. I found myself in exactly the same position not so long ago. I was a member of a medium-sized development team (25+ people) which had no management at all. The result was that various people from different parts of the organization were giving us tasks and nobody really knew who they reported to. Yes, it was a mess and I would often bitch and moan about it - I could afford that because I was on friendly terms with the top management.

Then one day something karmic happened: I was told I was becoming the manager of that team. As I didn't have a manager to look to for example, I had to learn somewhere else. So I went to Amazon and I bought every book on the subject which looked promising in the reviews. Here's my top 5 in order of preference:

1. Peopleware
2. Managing Humans
3. Joel on Software
4. The Art of Project Management
5. Up the Organization

Beware of number 5 - not everything applies to software development teams, but it's a good books nevertheless.

... but. I found myself in exactly the same position not so long ago. I was a member of a medium-sized development team (25+ people) which had no management at all. The result was that various people from different parts of the organization were giving us tasks and nobody really knew who they reported to. Yes, it was a mess and I would often bitch and moan about it - I could afford that because I was on friendly terms with the top management.

Then one day something karmic happened: I was told I was becoming the manager of that team. As I didn't have a manager to look to for example, I had to learn somewhere else. So I went to Amazon and I bought every book on the subject which looked promising in the reviews. Here's my top 5 in order of preference:

1. Peopleware
2. Managing Humans
3. Joel on Software
4. The Art of Project Management
5. Up the Organization

Beware of number 5 - not everything applies to software development teams, but it's a good books nevertheless.

It will come from the people to manage.

Get yourself Michael Lopp's Managing Humans, or read his blog Rands in Repose.

This is a light but competent take on the human factors of sofware engineering. For the more formal approach, I recommend Scott Berkun's The Art of Project Management.

Between these two books and your experience, you should be golden. But it is also good to have a mentor. Approach the best manager you have had in your career as a tech and ask them to have a coffee with you once a month. They don't have to work for the same company, as you won't be discussing the strategic or technical side of work, but rather talking about the practical side of coordinanting people.

Congratulations on your new position (I somehow assume it is better paid), and good luck with your new challenges.

Get yourself Michael Lopp's Managing Humans, or read his blog Rands in Repose.

This is a light but competent take on the human factors of sofware engineering. For the more formal approach, I recommend Scott Berkun's The Art of Project Management.

Between these two books and your experience, you should be golden. But it is also good to have a mentor. Approach the best manager you have had in your career as a tech and ask them to have a coffee with you once a month. They don't have to work for the same company, as you won't be discussing the strategic or technical side of work, but rather talking about the practical side of coordinanting people.

Congratulations on your new position (I somehow assume it is better paid), and good luck with your new challenges.

Humphrey has written quite a few books on software engineering and management, and you would do well to read the lot of them. However, most software engineers would probably find his methodology too formal, as most programmers I know prefer a loose, casual working style. But there's no doubt that the SEI's methods are worthwhile when quality and reliability is important.

Also, before buying any technical book, check to see if the Associaton of C and C++ Users has reviewed it - try typing "management" into the search for their. (I'm afraid their book review server is down just now but I expect it will be back up soon.)

The ACCU makes a point of reviewing books that they suspect might be stinkers, so they can write reviews that warn you away from books that suck.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.

Being a good manager is about using Leadership and Influence skills, proper delegation and time management and being aware of power equations. A knowledge of Negotiations too helps. But the most important aspects are taking care of the team and motivating them. Some good books that you can try are:

1. Influence: Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
2. Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
4. 48 Laws of Power
5. Execution by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
6. Getting to Yes, Bargaining for Advantage
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
D.