I don’t need to explain what Scrum is and what problems it solves on a developer blog. Anyone who has ever had to work with the waterfall model (the older among us will remember) has experienced firsthand how complex software projects can be brought to success many times faster with it.
An introduction to the Scrum process is not the purpose of this book. Instead, Scrum creator Jeff Sutherland talks about the history of Scrum, why Scrum works, the backgrounds of the various Scrum artifacts, roles, and events, and how complex projects can be managed with Scrum outside of software development.
What I personally was not aware of is how much Scrum focuses on the satisfaction of team members. Sutherland reports on studies that show that Scrum teams are more productive the more satisfied they were in previous sprints. That’s precisely why retrospectives are an essential, not to be underestimated part.
The areas where Scrum is used today are diverse: from car design to educational projects in schools, to reporting in the Middle East, and combating poverty in the Third World.
Numerous case studies and anecdotes make the book an entertaining read. My criticisms are that the author often tends to self-aggrandizement and does not show a single scenario in which Scrum does not work.
Nevertheless, the book is worth reading and a recommendation for anyone who is interested not only in the “how” but also in the “why” – the history and philosophy behind Scrum.
🎧 Suitable as an audiobook? Yes.
* Disclosure: We love sharing our favorite books with you! As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from purchases you make through our links, which helps us continue creating content you enjoy.
