Agile Game Development with Scrum (Addison-Wesley Signature Series (Cohn)) Review

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(More customer reviews)Scrum and game development go together as well as chocolate and peanut butter. In this book, Clinton Keith does a perfect job of showing how to put them together.
The book is split into five parts. The first part describes the crisis facing game development because of the explosion in complexity and game size. Not wanting to end on a down note, Part 1 also describes how agile/Scrum address these problems. Part 2 is probably the best overall introduction to Scrum anywhere. I now even recommend this Part (100 pages) to my non-game development clients. Part 3 goes deeper into many of the specific challenges facing game projects--planning, creating cross-functional teams from such a variety of disciplines, and reducing the overhead of iterating. Part 4 dives deeper into the specific disciplines and offers great advice in the areas of art, audio, design, qa, and production. The concluding part contains 3 chapters describing some of the challenges you'll face, how to work with a publisher, and how to start.
This is a great book that is chock-full of stories from author Clinton Keith's fifteen years in the game industry. The writing is crisp and conversational with topics covered in just the right amount of detail. The hand-drawn look of the illustrations match the book perfectly.
Agile Game Development with Scrum should be required reading for anyone on a game project. And it offers a great deal to anyone starting out with Scrum.

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Deliver Better Games Faster, On Budget—And Make Game Development Fun Again!
Game development is in crisis—facing bloated budgets, impossible schedules, unmanageable complexity, and death march overtime. It’s no wonder so many development studios are struggling to survive. Fortunately, there is a solution. Scrum and Agile methods are already revolutionizing development outside the game industry. Now, long-time game developer Clinton Keith shows exactly how to successfully apply these methods to the unique challenges of game development.

Keith has spent more than fifteen years developing games, seven of them with Scrum and agile methods. Drawing on this unparalleled expertise, he shows how teams can use Scrum to deliver games more efficiently, rapidly, and cost-effectively; craft games that offer more entertainment value; and make life more fulfilling for development teams at the same time.

You’ll learn to form successful agile teams that incorporate programmers, producers, artists, testers, and designers—and promote effective collaboration within and beyond those teams, throughout the entire process. From long-range planning to progress tracking and continuous integration, Keith offers dozens of tips, tricks, and solutions—all based firmly in reality and hard-won experience.

Coverage includes

Understanding Scrum’s goals, roles, and practices in the context of game development
Communicating and planning your game’s vision, features, and progress
Using iterative techniques to put your game into a playable state every two to four weeks— even daily
Helping all team participants succeed in their roles
Restoring stability and predictability to the development process
Managing ambiguous requirements in a fluid marketplace
Scaling Scrum to large, geographically distributed development teams
Getting started: overcoming inertia and integrating Scrum into your studio’s current processes
Increasingly, game developers and managers are recognizing that things can’t go on the way they have in the past. Game development organizations need a far better way to work. Agile Game Development with Scrum gives them that—and brings the profitability, creativity, and fun back to game development.

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An Introduction to Mixed-Signal IC Test and Measurement (The Oxford Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a Test Engineer for 13 years and take it from me, this book is so close to real life situation. It obviously written by people who practice the art of Test Engineering. I wish that I had this book in my very 1st year. This is the bible for every TE.

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Integrated circuits incorporating both digital and analog functions have become increasingly prevalent in the semiconductor industry. Mixed-signal IC test and measurement has grown into a highly specialized field of electrical engineering. However, test engineering is still a relatively unknown profession compared to IC design engineering. It has become harder to hire and train new engineers to become skilled mixed-signal test engineers. The slow learning curve for mixed-signal test engineers is largely due to the shortage of written materials and university-level courses on the subject of mixed-signal testing. While many textbooks have been devoted to the subject of digital test and testability, the same cannot be said for analog and mixed-signal automated test and measurement.An Introduction to Mixed-Signal IC Test and Measurement is a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level students as well as engineering professionals. It was written in response to the shortage of basic course material for mixed-signal test and measurement. The book assumes a solid background in analog and digital circuits as well as a working knowledge of computers and computer programming. A background in digital signal processing and statistical analysis is also helpful, though not absolutely necessary.This text encompasses the testing of both analog and mixed-signal circuits including many borderline examples. Digital testing is covered, but not as extensively because of the wealth of information on this topic already available. Examples and illustrations using state-of-the-art industrial technology enrich and enliven the presentation throughout. In considering the applications of this technology, the testing of large-scale mixed-signal circuits and individual circuits is introduced. The value-added benefits of mixed-signal IC testing to a manufacturer's product are clearly discussed, and the role of the test engineer is clearly defined.

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Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting: A Manual for Boatowners and Marine Technicians Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got ABYC instructor Ed Sherman's new book on Advanced Marine Electronics "Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting", it's a Marine Electricians guide to new techniques (Like TDR), new tools and methods for the Marine Electrician. It's an adjunct to the powerboaters guide.
BTW: TDR Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is based in conductor reflection timing (on a return pulse) which used in testing wiring and optical fiber.
Minor Wants: More. I'd have liked a deeper Oscilloscope section and more engine electronics (J1939) stuff and NMEA2000. Pictures are profuse and clear. I started reading the ASE Advanced Performance series in conjunction with this book and would have liked more of the engine electronics integration knowledge brought here. (Picoscope type stuff). Would also like selection criteria for quality electronics (e.g. explain NITS or candela and contrast levels for visibility, a better explanation on pulse width modulation and motor control where the terms are used in the text. Explaining the NMEA 2000 technical architecture deeper would be nice. The author states that it is an additional book for the ABYC electrician and electronics installer, but some basics on electronics would help. 200 pages is too short, but it's a great book.
BTW: Pulse Width modulation (PWM) is a means of controlling a (DC) motor's speed by providing longer or shorter pulses (from a onboard systems microprocessor). More "On" time means faster speed. (Think flicking a fan switch on and off.)
This book is a must get, yet I am only left wanting more. A 2nd edition would be have to get. I loved the ground loop explanation and the need for isolation on network systems on boats.
One of the best parts is the stuff the electronics tech can build.
BTW: When electronics have more than one point of grounding, EMI (electronic noise is propagated through the system. Problems can occur with networks like cheap ethernet (which is why opto isolation is recommended) on boats where ground loop noise is severe. A ground loop is a bad thing, in your network and in your home stereo (causes a hum).
Like any book under a million pages on the subject, there is a lot more you want. His advice focuses on hand held Microprocessor test tools. This is excellent guidance for average marine electronics tech, although I am not likely to give up my old Tek 11801C TDR or my SD-24 sampling head for the stuff I do.
The old technique, new technique section locked in the 5 star rating for me.
Recommended Read and own

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SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART GUIDE TO THE LATEST, MOST ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES
"Ed Sherman is one of America’s great teachers and communicators of marine technology.”--Tim Murphy, Executive Editor, Cruising World
Whether you are a marine electronics professional or a boatowner, Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting helps you understand the new, more powerful methods of troubleshooting marine electrical and electronic systems. A modern boat’s sophisticated installations and networked electronics can stretch the traditional diagnostic methods based on trouble lights and multimeters past their useful limits. This book will show you how to:
Use microprocessor-based diagnostic tools and techniques from the automotive and communications sectors, adapted for boats for the first time
Diagnose the most difficult AC and DC problems
Protect communications and navigation electronics from interference and lightning
Seek out and eliminate stray-current sources and galvanic corrosion

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Software Project Survival Guide (Pro -- Best Practices) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was disappointed in this book - perhaps it was a problem with expectations. McConnell's previous books - Code Complete and Rapid Development -were very well written and provided valuable insights into best practices in the computer industry. By attempting to do the same thing here, the author missed the mark. The Software Project Survival Guide presents a road map marked with good practice applied in a mature organization that understands the nature of software and responds rationally, providing the resources and time required to do the job right. The overwhelming majority of people who are taking on their first project management job will have few, if any, of the benefits that this book takes for granted.
Don't get me wrong. This is a great collection of really good ideas and it's really well written, but it doesn't give much guidance to the first-time project manager who needs to deal with misdirection and misunderstanding from those who he or she reports to. The book presents a fine set of suggestions on "Techniques for Really Good Project Management," but there isn't much on "Survival."

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The author of the classics "Code Complete" and "Rapid Development" throws a lifeline to the industry's huge and indispensable population of rookie managers and technical leads. This book is a roadmap to how an effective software project works--understandable even for those with limited project experience.

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Old Time Radios Restoration and Repair Review

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(More customer reviews)I always enjoy technical books written by Joe Carr - he takes a subject that could otherwise be dry and boring, and turns it into something that is very understandable, and sometimes funny! This book progresses from the requisite origins of radio, into vacuum tube theory, through receiver basics, and dives into step-by-step guides to fixing an ailing radio. It is not a guide to the value or history of any particular brand or model of radio (it actually features very few photographs) but it *is* rich with schematics, diagrams, and guides to parts and equipment you will use when repairing antique radios. A great addition to your library!

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A presentation of the history, theory and practical operation of old-time, home, auto, amateur, shortwave and CB radio sets which provides the detailed instructions and schematics required to repair or rebuild them. A troubleshooting section is included, with charts and pin-out diagrams.

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Game Design Workshop, Second Edition: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games (Gama Network Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The top rating is well-deserved -- this book is both thorough and well-written. Fullerton provides in-depth discussion and a progressive approach to introducing the material. It begins with the absolute basics, discussing the basics of where game ideas come from, and ends with a treatise on the inner-workings of the game publishing industry.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about game development, as a trade, and especially for anyone looking to do it as a profession.
There were so many things to love about this book, but three things really stand out in my mind as being particularly awesome:
1. The "Designer Perspective" sidebars (insight into how some famous game designers got started and some behind-the-scenes knowledge about the industry)
2. The focus on iterative-design (prototype and test early and often)
3. The Exercises (real application exercises that hold your hand through the development of games, and of yourself as a career designer)
There were basically only two things I *didn't* like about this book, and they are purely circumstantial.
The first thing is that this book is college-textbook dense. Seriously. The page-count is just shy of 450 pages, and each page is divided into two columns, with a relatively small font-size. It was a beast to get through. There were many times when finishing the book felt like a daunting task, particularly towards the end.
The second thing that I wished was different was that the book's focus changes almost completely to digital game development (video games). The first half of the book was about basic game development, and so it could apply to either tabletop games or digital games; but as the book progresses, it makes a clear shift towards digital game development.
Realistically, this is not surprising -- the video game industry is gigantic, with revenues exceeding Box Office sales, and it keeps growing. The market for tabletop games is vastly smaller, domestically, and although it enjoys a much larger market share in Europe, particularly Germany, it is still comparatively diminuitive. So this particular nitpick is purely arbitrary, on my part -- I don't begrudge the authors for their decision regarding the content.

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Master the craft of game design so you can create that elusive combination of challenge, competition, and interaction that players seek. This design workshop begins with an examination of the fundamental elements of game design; then puts you to work in prototyping, playtesting and redesigning your own games with exercises that teach essential design skills. Workshop exercises require no background in programming or artwork, releasing you from the intricacies of electronic game production, so you can develop a working understanding of the essentials of game design. Features:* A design methodology used in the USC Interactive Media program, a cutting edge program funded in part of Electronic Arts.* Hands-on exercises demonstrate key concepts, and the design methodology* Insights from top industry game designers, including Noah Falstein, American McGee, Peter Molyneux

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Software Testing In The Real World: Improving The Process Review

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(More customer reviews)Edward Kit does an excellent job with his "hit-the-ground-running" approach to key software test concepts and techniques, and he does so in easy-to-read conversational English. I've been testing software for 22 years, and use Mr. Kit's book almost daily in corporate Software Verification & Validation (SV&V) presentations & training courses, with great success.
The book is LOADED with practical info, and is NOT just for software testers. It's also a big help to programmers (of all levels), and to "non-software" management personnel (who need to learn the basics of the SV&V process, but don't have time for the "nitty-gritties").
Mr. Kit's book has something for everyone, including great software test & project management checklists, descriptions of common (but subtle) BIG project mistakes to avoid, test planning exercises, and plenty of IEEE Standards & SEI-CMM references to back it all up.
If you really want to break out of the self-destructive "quick-code-hacking/fixing-and-testing-for-next-week's-deadline" cycle, and get into true Software Development & Testing for LONG-TERM Customer Satisfaction & profitability, then start with this book!

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The software testing process is the means in which people, tools, methods, measurements and equipment are integrated to test a software product. This book offers a toolbox for the practical implementation of the testing process and how to improve it.

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