Review - Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade

Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade, by James Reston. Faber and Faber, 2002.

Saladin became the sultan of a mostly-united Muslim world (where Shia and Sunni were conflicting even then). The European side was dominated by Philip of France and Richard the Lion-Hearted of England. Many others are involved, including brief appearances by Eleanor (Richard's mother), John (his brother), and even Robin Hood. This was war, but politics certainly had its impact. The story is always interesting, though occasionally marred by flashbacks. Even 800 years later, we feel the echoes of this conflict.

The Product Manager's Handbook, by Linda Gorchels

The Product Manager's Handbook, by Linda Gorchels. McGraw-Hill, 2005.

This is a basic book on product management (an area which has a shortage of material). It talks about the role of product managers, planning, maintaining a portfolio, new products, pricing, and marketing. There are some checklists and sample plans to help although I don't see them as the main focus of the book. (For example, there's a handy checklist on trade show responsibilities.) Most of the examples are about consumer-type products, but software makes a limited appearance. An OK intro, but I'm looking for better.

Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests

Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests, by Steve Freeman and Nat Pryce, ISBN 0-321-50362-7

Freeman and Pryce explain Test-Driven Development through an extended example. (They have a somewhat different perspective than I do, with much heavier use of mock objects. I'm not sure what drives this difference; it may be due to type of application, philosophical reasons, or just something I should learn.) I love the clarity with which they tackle the problem of driving in from all the way outside, and how they don't shy away from dealing with concurrency and persistence. It's high praise for me to say a book deserves further study; this book is one I'll definitely be reading again.