Month: January 2019

Happy Monday, everyone! It’s the start of a new week and, in a few days, the start of a new month. I must apologize for the long absence. Editing, beta reading, my master’s dissertation, it’s all caught up to me past the couple months, some of which I’ll be sharing with you in upcoming posts. First, however, I want to bring you a new book review, this time for a how-to guide called Lean Mastery: A Study Guide for Lean Six Sigma, Scrum, Kanban and Agile Management (Inc. Certification Training for White, Green, Yellow and Black Belts with 300 Test Questions and Answers) by Michael Craig.

Lean Mastery is a beginner’s guide to Lean Six Sigma, a statistics- and analytics-based approach to making a business more efficient and more functional. (For more on the basics of Lean Six Sigma and what it is, you can check out this Wikipedia article.) The guide takes readers through everything they need to know when preparing for Six Sigma Certification, including the pros and cons of utilizing Six Sigma; the five basic steps of Six Sigma, which are also known as DMAIC; the different belt levels of Six Sigma Certification and their roles; the incorporation of Scrum, Kanban, and Agile Management; and much more, all culminating in practice questions and answers for each level of Six Sigma Certification. By the end of the book, readers should know what Six Sigma is, the benefits, and how to apply it either to their own personal businesses or workplaces.

Michael Craig provides everything the full title promises and more. He gives a complete, detailed guide on Lean Six Sigma that even includes some easy-to-follow examples as to how the approach might make a business better for its customers and employees alike. Craig even takes this information a step further by admitting to the potential cons of this process and how they can be turned from negatives into positives. I do wish that Craig had explained the general concept of Lean Six Sigma more clearly and explicitly during the introduction for readers who are just getting started in business and business management, but it is cleared up as the process is described in detail throughout the rest of the book.

My favorite part of the guide—and, I would argue, one of the most crucial parts—is one Craig discusses organizing and using the data gathered earlier in the Six Sigma process. I am a very visual person, so being able to put data into a visual form such as with the value stream map which Craig describes makes more difficult concepts both easier for me to grasp and more enjoyable. While not a fully-visual concept, visual learners will still appreciate the idea/use of a value stream map when trying to understand how Six Sigma leads to a more efficient and functional business.

I can’t say that Lean Mastery is an easy read. While Craig uses plain, straightforward language in his writing, the information is dense and a lot is thrown at the reader in 521 pages. Craig is thorough, seeming to cover everything one could possibly need in order to take the certification exams, but that also means readers will have a lot to process and might need to read this book multiple times, especially since Craig could have been more concise in his approach to the subject. I also do not recommend it to readers not already familiar with statistical terms and some degree of business management. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time looking terms up and will not get all that you can out of the guide.

Overall, I think that Lean Mastery by Michael Craig does a good job in conveying the process of Lean Six Sigma and how it can help businesses while also preparing readers for certification. However, it is not something to read lightly. It requires some knowledge of statistics and business management in order to follow along, so even if you’re starting a business and want to know how to apply this method to your new venture, you should wait until you have a better understanding these concepts before attempting to read this book or learn the Six Sigma process. If you already have this knowledge, time to read the guide carefully, and a true desire to become Six Sigma certified then Lean Mastery is definitely for you.

You can buy Lean Mastery by Michael Craig as an eBook or in paperback on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!

Hello, readers and writers! It seems that the hectic holiday season has finally come to an end, and the world has already rung in the New Year. I normally don’t put much stock into a new year bringing a lot of change, but I’d be lying if I said that a lot hasn’t been changing on my end. At the very least, I’m getting even more work than usual and one book for which I served as editor (Natir Whitebridge: A Grain of Respect by Ameel Koro) has finally been published. But that’s for another post. Today I want to focus on one thing that hasn’t changed: my book reviews. In particular, I want to review Michael B. White’s Mastering Java: An Effective Project Based Approach Including Web Development, Data Structure, GUI Programming and Object Oriented Programming (Beginner to Advanced).

Mastering Java—much like White’s other programming language book, Mastering Python—is a thorough guide introducing readers to Java, how it works, and how to use it. White uses a hands-on teaching method mixed with typical textbook/how-to writing to take readers on the complete journey from installing Java and learning the basics to exploring complex concepts as web development and GUI programming. From explanations on how to create your first program to a list of Java-related interview questions and their answers, this book contains a little something for both the more beginning-level programmers to advanced users.

After reading Mastering Python, I have to admit that I still understand very little about programming. Frankly, I don’t have the time or the patience to devote as much attention as is needed to learning it; I might not even have the mind for it. However, I was interested in checking out how Java works as well because it is the most-used programming language out there. While I will need to re-read both of these books multiple times in order to proceed any further, I do think that Mastering Java will be useful for those with more of a mind for programming.

White’s writing continues to be just as comprehensive here as it is in Mastering Python. The more casual voice makes it easy to follow along with his explanations and instructions, although the terminology is still a lot for someone entirely new to programming to process. It feels as though White is in the room with you, like a college professor trying to lead a workshop on Java programming. That also means that this book is not a passive read. Instead, as the title implies by calling it a “project-based approach”, you have to follow along with White’s instructions for using Java to create your first project. Given the nature of the subject, this is the best way to learning how to program using Java—hands-on—but that also means that you must more actively engage with this book and it will take a while to get through each section.

With the level of interaction this book requires and the fact that it includes interview questions, Mastering Java is not really for those with casual interest or vague curiosity in programming. Those with absolutely no knowledge of programming and Java might also find everything a bit overwhelming at first and will need to re-read the book several times in order to fully absorb the information. For these reasons, this guide is probably best for those with at least a basic understanding of programming and/or Java who are looking to do something significant with what they learn, especially those who want to pursue a career in this area. The most novice of programmers, such as myself, will want to try something more concise and basic and then pursue the more in-depth information provided here.

Overall, just like with his Mastering Python book, Michael B. White’s Mastering Java is not for everyone. It is very detailed and covers just about everything that can be covered in a book like this, which can either confuse and/or frustrate novice users or initially feel repetitive for advanced programmers. Nevertheless, it is a good place to find almost everything you would need to know about using Java or to brush up on the knowledge you’ve already gained. At around 687 pages, the length of the book can be intimidating, but every bit of it is useful and necessary for the purpose of this guide. If you have some knowledge of Java that you wish to expand or you want to review what you already know in preparation for an interview, this guide is the book for you.

You can buy an eBook of Mastering Java by Michael B. White on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.