posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 11:47 PM
by
thomasswilliams
Book Review: Getting Real by 37signals
Over several weeks I've been reading 37signals' (makers of web apps Basecamp and Highrise) book Getting Real. The whole book can be read online at http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php.
The book describes 37signals' design and operating philosophy, based on their experience working in small teams to design software. The book is easy to read: there's no code, each chapter is divided into bite-size essays, the book is well-written and a lot of the advice really makes sense, especially if you have read anything about "agile" processes previously.
37signals has well-deserved credibility, as their apps are fairly successful and can be used as prime examples of "web 2.0" (whatever your definition of that is).
Some of the book's advice perhaps directed at managing teams and influencing processes assumes that you have some level of control over your environment. For me, that isn't always the case, however, if I was in a small startup or consulting I might be able to apply more of the book's practices. Having said that, there is still plenty of practical advice that obviously comes from experience here.
Getting Real is worth a read or at least a skim, and won't cost you anything if you don't mind reading from a computer screen. As a bonus, you can download a PDF ($) version or buy a printed version too.
Tags: getting real, 37signals, book, review