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Daniel Shefer writes "Joel on Software is a collection of essays from the Joel Spolsky's Joel on Software web log. Spolsky is also the author of User Interface Design for Programmers (previously reviewed on Slashdot) and is the principal of Fog Creek Software. In this book, Spolsky distills his technical knowledge, wit, and years of experience into an engaging collection of essays on programmers, programming and the software world. Spolsky covers everything from the technical aspects of writing code to software project management, and even offers insights into software marketing." Read on for the rest of Shefer's review. Joel On Software author Joel Spolsky pages 362 publisher Apress rating 9.5 reviewer Daniel Shefer ISBN 1590593898 summary Great insights into programming, software in general and how to do it right.

The essays in this book are even-handed. While he focuses on Windows, Spolsky is not a fanatic believer in one approach over another; if C# works better than Visual Basic for a specific task, so be it. His approach is refreshing when so much is written by opinionated members of the "Microsoft is the source of all evil" camp.

Spolsky starts with down-to-earth topics, such as how to estimate the length of time programming tasks will require, and the ratio of QA people to developers needed for a healthy product. He then moves on to share his thoughts on managing developers and higher-level software-related issues.

One of the book's opening salvos, "the Joel Test for Better Code," is a simple "irresponsible" test that Spolsky created to provide insight into how well a development organization is functioning. The test looks for things like using source-code control, and having testers create daily builds with a single click of a button. As someone who has worked companies that would have failed the "Joel Test" miserably, I can attest to the importance of these criteria.

The chapter on Unicode is a short and to-the-point overview on the topic and should be required reading for any software developer and product manager who wants an introduction to Unicode.

Clean and bug-free code is a common thread in several essays in the first part of the book. Spolsky explains the inappropriateness of developers performing QA and stresses the need to "eat your own dog food." Having developers conduct testing is a waste of resources and upsets them just the same; forcing developers to use their own product will motivate them to create a better one.

In "Fire and Motion," Spolsky takes issue with the "architect astronauts" who generate vague technology announcements that are often counterproductive by creating fear, uncertainty and doubt. While these announcements may drive competitors to waste cycles in converting their code base to the latest technology, they offer no real substance. Misguided companies, mesmerized by the promise of new technologies or by demands from numskull customers, can sap years of developer time when product improvement should have taken precedence.

In "Biculturalism," Spolsky dispassionately discusses the differences in world view between Windows and UNIX programmers. Spolsky probably rankled some UNIX fans, but I share his perspective. Spolsky points out that UNIX developers are just as smart as Windows developers, but when it comes to understanding their end users and having empathy for customers, they tend to fall short.

The "Gorilla Guide to Interviewing" is relevant to all hiring managers. Spolsky describes some of the traits of his ideal hires. Those who, in one sentence, are both smart and "get things done." Spolsky believes in hiring people that can perform multiple roles. Spolsky believes in making a "sharp" decision about the candidate, and finds insulting that a hiring manager would not find the interviewee good enough for his own team but would refer him to another team. Spolsky shares one of his hiring secrets: never hire a "maybe." This might seem obvious, but he details why it's better to reject a good candidate than to hire a bad one. Firing can cost a lot of money, time and effort. Additionally, Spolsky suggests questions to ask during an interview and the necessary "what not to ask."

The "Iceberg Secret Revealed" discusses the manner in which customers express their pain, and points out that customers often don't really know what they want. It is the product manager's job to find a solution that will solve their customer's pain while keeping an eye on the market she is addressing. Just listening to customers without proper filters, is as Spolsky points out, a recipe for disaster. And the Iceberg Secret? Spolsky illustrates in five different ways how customers and stakeholders only look at the tip of the iceberg, and not at the substance beneath it.

In one of the shorter chapters, a missive on measurement, Spolsky addresses the prickly issue of measuring performance in companies. In addition to his own insights on measuring performance, he recommends Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert Austin. I will add that to my reading list.

Spolsky wrote an introduction to In Search of Stupidity . He offers there the "geek's" perspective on what it takes to make a successful software company, taking as a starting point the ten largest software companies in 1984 and the equivalent list of 2001. His conclusion is that "no software company can succeed unless a programmer is at the helm." With his usual even handedness, he is quick to point out some of the debacles programmers are responsible for. In the example he gives, Netscape's disastrous rewriting of their code base and almost complete loss of market share while they were doing it. His bottom line? To succeed, a company needs a management team that love and thoroughly understand programming and understand and love business. Not as easy as it sounds.

In his five "Strategy Letters," Spolsky writes about issues that are relevant to anyone making strategic business decisions in the software industry. He starts with company growth modes by comparing Ben & Jerry's to Amazon. He then discusses the classic "Chicken and the Egg" problem when building new platforms. His example is still relevant -- few will develop .NET-based clients until a large number of end users have the .NET engine installed on their PCs and end users will not install it until there are enough applications that require it. Spolsky moves on to discuss backward compatibility, open source economics and the myth of bloatware.

Spolsky points out that despite the growing size of applications, the cost of disk space has plummeted even faster. This may be true, but Spolsky does not address the programs' resulting sluggishness despite more and more processing power. Spolsky wraps up the essay by dismissing the notion of coming out with a "lite" version for a given software product. I agree that lite versions do not always satisfy everyone, but they can be a great way to keep out low-end competitors from entering the market in addition to a way to introduce customers to the high-end product.

The chapter about Microsoft losing the API war is a classic. Spolsky starts with the seemingly outlandish assertion that Microsoft lost the API war. After apologizing for his "grandiloquence and pomposity," he goes on to build a convincing case that if Microsoft has in fact not lost the war, they are definitely in danger of doing so. He starts with the diminishing interest in the Windows API as a development platform. He then describes how two camps inside Microsoft (the "Raymond Chen" and the "MSDN Magazine" groups) are influencing Microsoft's approach to their developers' tools. The former group emphasizes creating a backward-compatible operating system, free of bugs and impervious to third-party applications' errors that can harm it. On the other hand is the MSDN group, promoting the latest and greatest Microsoft has to offer. As Spolsky sees it, the latter group has the upper hand, and because of this, Microsoft is losing their developer base to simpler, more easily deployed platforms.

In part 4 of the book, Spolsky takes on Microsoft's .NET strategy. He describes Microsoft's tendency to create FUD in the marketplace with vague, hollow statements, and details his own company's reasons for not adopting .NET anytime soon. Spolsky wraps up with a very straightforward feature request: a linker for .NET. This would seem to be an obvious feature, but Microsoft so far doesn't agree. Microsoft is acting as though they want to win the development platform war in a single sweep. At the same time, independent software vendors (ISVs) are resisting, because they have to guarantee backward compatibility and support for everything their customers run.

My only complaint about the book is that it's too short. On my bookshelf, it resides next to the Mythical Man Month, another favorite.

Spolsky is knowledgeable, funny and free of unnecessary religious fervor. Joel on Software is a must-read for developers, product managers and those who want more insight into the world of developing software.

Daniel Shefer is a Software Product Management professional and has written numerous articles on this topic. You can purchase Joel on Software from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Daniel Shefer writes "Joel on Software is a collection of essays from the Joel Spolsky's Joel on Software web log. Spolsky is also the author of User Interface Design for Programmers (previously reviewed on Slashdot) and is the principal of Fog Creek Software. In this book, Spolsky distills his technical knowledge, wit, and years of experience into an engaging collection of essays on programmers, programming and the software world. Spolsky covers everything from the technical aspects of writing code to software project management, and even offers insights into software marketing." Read on for the rest of Shefer's review. Joel On Software author Joel Spolsky pages 362 publisher Apress rating 9.5 reviewer Daniel Shefer ISBN 1590593898 summary Great insights into programming, software in general and how to do it right.

The essays in this book are even-handed. While he focuses on Windows, Spolsky is not a fanatic believer in one approach over another; if C# works better than Visual Basic for a specific task, so be it. His approach is refreshing when so much is written by opinionated members of the "Microsoft is the source of all evil" camp.

Spolsky starts with down-to-earth topics, such as how to estimate the length of time programming tasks will require, and the ratio of QA people to developers needed for a healthy product. He then moves on to share his thoughts on managing developers and higher-level software-related issues.

One of the book's opening salvos, "the Joel Test for Better Code," is a simple "irresponsible" test that Spolsky created to provide insight into how well a development organization is functioning. The test looks for things like using source-code control, and having testers create daily builds with a single click of a button. As someone who has worked companies that would have failed the "Joel Test" miserably, I can attest to the importance of these criteria.

The chapter on Unicode is a short and to-the-point overview on the topic and should be required reading for any software developer and product manager who wants an introduction to Unicode.

Clean and bug-free code is a common thread in several essays in the first part of the book. Spolsky explains the inappropriateness of developers performing QA and stresses the need to "eat your own dog food." Having developers conduct testing is a waste of resources and upsets them just the same; forcing developers to use their own product will motivate them to create a better one.

In "Fire and Motion," Spolsky takes issue with the "architect astronauts" who generate vague technology announcements that are often counterproductive by creating fear, uncertainty and doubt. While these announcements may drive competitors to waste cycles in converting their code base to the latest technology, they offer no real substance. Misguided companies, mesmerized by the promise of new technologies or by demands from numskull customers, can sap years of developer time when product improvement should have taken precedence.

In "Biculturalism," Spolsky dispassionately discusses the differences in world view between Windows and UNIX programmers. Spolsky probably rankled some UNIX fans, but I share his perspective. Spolsky points out that UNIX developers are just as smart as Windows developers, but when it comes to understanding their end users and having empathy for customers, they tend to fall short.

The "Gorilla Guide to Interviewing" is relevant to all hiring managers. Spolsky describes some of the traits of his ideal hires. Those who, in one sentence, are both smart and "get things done." Spolsky believes in hiring people that can perform multiple roles. Spolsky believes in making a "sharp" decision about the candidate, and finds insulting that a hiring manager would not find the interviewee good enough for his own team but would refer him to another team. Spolsky shares one of his hiring secrets: never hire a "maybe." This might seem obvious, but he details why it's better to reject a good candidate than to hire a bad one. Firing can cost a lot of money, time and effort. Additionally, Spolsky suggests questions to ask during an interview and the necessary "what not to ask."

The "Iceberg Secret Revealed" discusses the manner in which customers express their pain, and points out that customers often don't really know what they want. It is the product manager's job to find a solution that will solve their customer's pain while keeping an eye on the market she is addressing. Just listening to customers without proper filters, is as Spolsky points out, a recipe for disaster. And the Iceberg Secret? Spolsky illustrates in five different ways how customers and stakeholders only look at the tip of the iceberg, and not at the substance beneath it.

In one of the shorter chapters, a missive on measurement, Spolsky addresses the prickly issue of measuring performance in companies. In addition to his own insights on measuring performance, he recommends Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert Austin. I will add that to my reading list.

Spolsky wrote an introduction to In Search of Stupidity . He offers there the "geek's" perspective on what it takes to make a successful software company, taking as a starting point the ten largest software companies in 1984 and the equivalent list of 2001. His conclusion is that "no software company can succeed unless a programmer is at the helm." With his usual even handedness, he is quick to point out some of the debacles programmers are responsible for. In the example he gives, Netscape's disastrous rewriting of their code base and almost complete loss of market share while they were doing it. His bottom line? To succeed, a company needs a management team that love and thoroughly understand programming and understand and love business. Not as easy as it sounds.

In his five "Strategy Letters," Spolsky writes about issues that are relevant to anyone making strategic business decisions in the software industry. He starts with company growth modes by comparing Ben & Jerry's to Amazon. He then discusses the classic "Chicken and the Egg" problem when building new platforms. His example is still relevant -- few will develop .NET-based clients until a large number of end users have the .NET engine installed on their PCs and end users will not install it until there are enough applications that require it. Spolsky moves on to discuss backward compatibility, open source economics and the myth of bloatware.

Spolsky points out that despite the growing size of applications, the cost of disk space has plummeted even faster. This may be true, but Spolsky does not address the programs' resulting sluggishness despite more and more processing power. Spolsky wraps up the essay by dismissing the notion of coming out with a "lite" version for a given software product. I agree that lite versions do not always satisfy everyone, but they can be a great way to keep out low-end competitors from entering the market in addition to a way to introduce customers to the high-end product.

The chapter about Microsoft losing the API war is a classic. Spolsky starts with the seemingly outlandish assertion that Microsoft lost the API war. After apologizing for his "grandiloquence and pomposity," he goes on to build a convincing case that if Microsoft has in fact not lost the war, they are definitely in danger of doing so. He starts with the diminishing interest in the Windows API as a development platform. He then describes how two camps inside Microsoft (the "Raymond Chen" and the "MSDN Magazine" groups) are influencing Microsoft's approach to their developers' tools. The former group emphasizes creating a backward-compatible operating system, free of bugs and impervious to third-party applications' errors that can harm it. On the other hand is the MSDN group, promoting the latest and greatest Microsoft has to offer. As Spolsky sees it, the latter group has the upper hand, and because of this, Microsoft is losing their developer base to simpler, more easily deployed platforms.

In part 4 of the book, Spolsky takes on Microsoft's .NET strategy. He describes Microsoft's tendency to create FUD in the marketplace with vague, hollow statements, and details his own company's reasons for not adopting .NET anytime soon. Spolsky wraps up with a very straightforward feature request: a linker for .NET. This would seem to be an obvious feature, but Microsoft so far doesn't agree. Microsoft is acting as though they want to win the development platform war in a single sweep. At the same time, independent software vendors (ISVs) are resisting, because they have to guarantee backward compatibility and support for everything their customers run.

My only complaint about the book is that it's too short. On my bookshelf, it resides next to the Mythical Man Month, another favorite.

Spolsky is knowledgeable, funny and free of unnecessary religious fervor. Joel on Software is a must-read for developers, product managers and those who want more insight into the world of developing software.

Daniel Shefer is a Software Product Management professional and has written numerous articles on this topic. You can purchase Joel on Software from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Daniel Shefer writes "If you want to make money by selling your software, it has to be marketed, promoted and then sold to the customer. Doing this is not as easy as it may sound. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition details the ins and outs of the aspects of software product marketing needed to make this happen." According to Shefer, "this is a great book if you want to market your product and get it sold"; read on for the rest of his review. Even if your software is free (as in speech, or as in beer), this book may offer insights in persuading people to try it out. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition author Merrill R. Chapman pages 690 publisher Aegis Resources rating 9/10 reviewer Daniel Shefer ISBN 0967200865 summary A great guide to marketing, promoting and selling software.

Rick Chapman is also the author of In Search of Stupidity: Over Twenty Years of High-Tech Marketing Disasters (previously reviewed on Slashdot.) He is also the publisher and editor of Soft*Letter and the Software Success Newsletter. The Handbook presents today's best practices based on Chapman's extensive experience, and includes up-to-date information on everything from advertising to OEM agreements, pricing to visual identity.

The book offers practical insights into vexing product marketing-problems. Throughout the book, Chapman gives relevant, down-to-earth descriptions of how to (and how not to) plan and deliver product-marketing efforts. There are case studies from every aspect of the high-tech industry, as well as detailed lists of dos and don'ts.

This is a great, safe place to learn about marketing, distributing and selling software before putting your own time and money at risk; the Handbook includes comprehensive checklists to help manage the product-marketing process. (These lists are also provided on a CD that accompanies the book.)

The text starts with an overview of some changes the software market has seen since the book's first edition. Chapman focuses on one of the most significant changes since then and discusses the rise of open source computing and Linux. He then continues to the book's raison d'être with a brief discussion of why software companies fail.

The first chapter covers market research. Before spending resources on writing code, it is always best to know if there is a real need for the product, and what other companies are up to in the intended market space. The chapter starts with an overview of several research techniques such as conjoint analysis, focus groups and competitive intelligence.

The next chapter discusses some of the hardest issues in marketing software: positioning, pricing and naming. A great example, the OS/2 debacle is a classic study in how not to name or position a product.

These chapters detail how to position a product, how to brand it, and how to price it so both you and your sales channels can make money off of it.

Chapter 3 discusses channel distribution. Channels are the organizations that move a product to the customer. First, you have to decide if you will provide the product as an ASP or shrink wrapped. In the latter case, selling the software requires a logistics backbone that small independent software vendors (ISVs) may not be able to afford. While some software packages can be successfully sold using online channels exclusively, these are the exceptions. Other ISVs have to utilize distributors, VARs, store chains and catalogs to move their products. Getting these channels to distribute the product is not as easy as sending them a copy and expecting them to "see the light." It takes a good understanding of the channels' business models and capabilities (as well as hard work on your part) to get to the point where a customer sees your product in a CompUSA or a printed catalog. Channels have to be located, contacted, convinced, trained and constantly supported to make this happen. This chapter also covers OEM and international distribution issues.

The next chapters discuss collateral advertising (brochures, white papers etc.), PR, advertising and sales promotions respectively. While none of these are rocket science, getting them wrong is a costly proposition. In addition to the effort involved and their cost, there are legal implications as well. For example, not properly estimating the return rate of a rebate coupon or making an inaccurate claim in a piece of collateral can land a company in hot water. Most ISVs outsource these activities to experts, but even doing that successfully requires at least a general understanding of these topics.

Chapter 8 discusses direct marketing. Some of the topics covered in this chapter are direct mailings, infomercials, telemarketing, mailing lists and fulfillment.

Chapter 9 covers software bundling. Bundling is where companies offer two or more products as a bundle. You're almostly certainly familiar with this from the way companies like Amazon offer two related products for a slightly better price then their combined prices. How and why to bundle are explained in this chapter.

Chapter 10 discusses the topics Internet marketing. In theory, the easiest way to market a product these days is over the web. One creates a website, submits it to Google and Overture (Yahoo!), and presto, there are visitors who buy the product. It's not so simple,though: The problem is luring potential customers to the website, keeping them there, and leading them to purchase the product. This chapter covers designing and optimizing websites as well as managing discussion groups, list servers and online ad campaigns. Another important topic is search engine optimization (in simple English, getting your website to the top of the Google and Overture Results pages). The text includes many dos and don'ts on how this is done.

Chapter 11 discusses trade shows. I don't think highly of tradeshows (see the rightful demise of Comdex) but if you decide to go down this road, here's how to do it properly.

Chapter 12 discusses sales methodologies and strategies. It opens with the trick question that most people get wrong: What is the number one reason that software companies fail? The correct answer, of course, is "not enough sales."

There are inherent reasons that you are a developer writing code or a sales rep doing sales. There are the basic character traits that make each of you good at what you do. I'm not saying that as a developer you can't sell. You may be able to -- but probably not as well as a seasoned sales rep. As with other issues, you will need to understand the dynamics of the sales process so you can create a product that makes it easier to sell. This chapter will introduce you to basic concepts such as the pipeline, prospecting and, the software selling cycle. It will also take you through the multiple steps of complex sales cycles which are a painful part of selling large systems. But, as bank-robber Willie Sutton supposedly said, that's where the money is. No less important is the discussion of negotiation and presentation techniques.

The last chapter in the book gives a brief overview of product management and the processes involved. While relevant and accurate, I would defer to other texts on the subject for a more thorough discussion of product management. See, for instance, Software Product Management Essentials by Alyssa S. Dver, or The Product Manager's Handbook by Linda Gorchels.

The book includes three appendices: A product marketing cost matrix, a product marketing resource directory and a product marketing timeline, and ends with a glossary and index. Attached to the book is a CD which includes all the checklists that are dispersed throughout the book as well as several sample files.

The Handbook's depth and breadth as well as the author's experience make it the best book on product marketing I've encountered.

Reviewer Daniel Shefer is a Software Product Management expert and has written numerous articles on this topic. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition is available only through the author's website. For more about product marketing see: www.ProductMarketing. com.

Daniel Shefer writes "If you want to make money by selling your software, it has to be marketed, promoted and then sold to the customer. Doing this is not as easy as it may sound. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition details the ins and outs of the aspects of software product marketing needed to make this happen." According to Shefer, "this is a great book if you want to market your product and get it sold"; read on for the rest of his review. Even if your software is free (as in speech, or as in beer), this book may offer insights in persuading people to try it out. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition author Merrill R. Chapman pages 690 publisher Aegis Resources rating 9/10 reviewer Daniel Shefer ISBN 0967200865 summary A great guide to marketing, promoting and selling software.

Rick Chapman is also the author of In Search of Stupidity: Over Twenty Years of High-Tech Marketing Disasters (previously reviewed on Slashdot.) He is also the publisher and editor of Soft*Letter and the Software Success Newsletter. The Handbook presents today's best practices based on Chapman's extensive experience, and includes up-to-date information on everything from advertising to OEM agreements, pricing to visual identity.

The book offers practical insights into vexing product marketing-problems. Throughout the book, Chapman gives relevant, down-to-earth descriptions of how to (and how not to) plan and deliver product-marketing efforts. There are case studies from every aspect of the high-tech industry, as well as detailed lists of dos and don'ts.

This is a great, safe place to learn about marketing, distributing and selling software before putting your own time and money at risk; the Handbook includes comprehensive checklists to help manage the product-marketing process. (These lists are also provided on a CD that accompanies the book.)

The text starts with an overview of some changes the software market has seen since the book's first edition. Chapman focuses on one of the most significant changes since then and discusses the rise of open source computing and Linux. He then continues to the book's raison d'être with a brief discussion of why software companies fail.

The first chapter covers market research. Before spending resources on writing code, it is always best to know if there is a real need for the product, and what other companies are up to in the intended market space. The chapter starts with an overview of several research techniques such as conjoint analysis, focus groups and competitive intelligence.

The next chapter discusses some of the hardest issues in marketing software: positioning, pricing and naming. A great example, the OS/2 debacle is a classic study in how not to name or position a product.

These chapters detail how to position a product, how to brand it, and how to price it so both you and your sales channels can make money off of it.

Chapter 3 discusses channel distribution. Channels are the organizations that move a product to the customer. First, you have to decide if you will provide the product as an ASP or shrink wrapped. In the latter case, selling the software requires a logistics backbone that small independent software vendors (ISVs) may not be able to afford. While some software packages can be successfully sold using online channels exclusively, these are the exceptions. Other ISVs have to utilize distributors, VARs, store chains and catalogs to move their products. Getting these channels to distribute the product is not as easy as sending them a copy and expecting them to "see the light." It takes a good understanding of the channels' business models and capabilities (as well as hard work on your part) to get to the point where a customer sees your product in a CompUSA or a printed catalog. Channels have to be located, contacted, convinced, trained and constantly supported to make this happen. This chapter also covers OEM and international distribution issues.

The next chapters discuss collateral advertising (brochures, white papers etc.), PR, advertising and sales promotions respectively. While none of these are rocket science, getting them wrong is a costly proposition. In addition to the effort involved and their cost, there are legal implications as well. For example, not properly estimating the return rate of a rebate coupon or making an inaccurate claim in a piece of collateral can land a company in hot water. Most ISVs outsource these activities to experts, but even doing that successfully requires at least a general understanding of these topics.

Chapter 8 discusses direct marketing. Some of the topics covered in this chapter are direct mailings, infomercials, telemarketing, mailing lists and fulfillment.

Chapter 9 covers software bundling. Bundling is where companies offer two or more products as a bundle. You're almostly certainly familiar with this from the way companies like Amazon offer two related products for a slightly better price then their combined prices. How and why to bundle are explained in this chapter.

Chapter 10 discusses the topics Internet marketing. In theory, the easiest way to market a product these days is over the web. One creates a website, submits it to Google and Overture (Yahoo!), and presto, there are visitors who buy the product. It's not so simple,though: The problem is luring potential customers to the website, keeping them there, and leading them to purchase the product. This chapter covers designing and optimizing websites as well as managing discussion groups, list servers and online ad campaigns. Another important topic is search engine optimization (in simple English, getting your website to the top of the Google and Overture Results pages). The text includes many dos and don'ts on how this is done.

Chapter 11 discusses trade shows. I don't think highly of tradeshows (see the rightful demise of Comdex) but if you decide to go down this road, here's how to do it properly.

Chapter 12 discusses sales methodologies and strategies. It opens with the trick question that most people get wrong: What is the number one reason that software companies fail? The correct answer, of course, is "not enough sales."

There are inherent reasons that you are a developer writing code or a sales rep doing sales. There are the basic character traits that make each of you good at what you do. I'm not saying that as a developer you can't sell. You may be able to -- but probably not as well as a seasoned sales rep. As with other issues, you will need to understand the dynamics of the sales process so you can create a product that makes it easier to sell. This chapter will introduce you to basic concepts such as the pipeline, prospecting and, the software selling cycle. It will also take you through the multiple steps of complex sales cycles which are a painful part of selling large systems. But, as bank-robber Willie Sutton supposedly said, that's where the money is. No less important is the discussion of negotiation and presentation techniques.

The last chapter in the book gives a brief overview of product management and the processes involved. While relevant and accurate, I would defer to other texts on the subject for a more thorough discussion of product management. See, for instance, Software Product Management Essentials by Alyssa S. Dver, or The Product Manager's Handbook by Linda Gorchels.

The book includes three appendices: A product marketing cost matrix, a product marketing resource directory and a product marketing timeline, and ends with a glossary and index. Attached to the book is a CD which includes all the checklists that are dispersed throughout the book as well as several sample files.

The Handbook's depth and breadth as well as the author's experience make it the best book on product marketing I've encountered.

Reviewer Daniel Shefer is a Software Product Management expert and has written numerous articles on this topic. The Product Marketing Handbook, 4th Edition is available only through the author's website. For more about product marketing see: www.ProductMarketing. com.