Al Kraus

Al has written a thoughtful, easy to digest, book for coaches, scrum masters and anyone who wants to work this way. This is also a tool for teams to use as a reference on a day to day basis. I highly recommend this for Agilists of all levels and experience!

I highly recommend this book if you work in an Agile environment. The book is good for anyone from the beginner to the well-seasoned Agile employee who might need a refresher on productivity from time to time. The author of this book, Al Kraus, is a top notch Scrum Master and teacher at heart. You can tell that he put a lot of thought and consideration into the concepts he explains and so that the concepts are accessible to a wide range of people in various Agile scenarios. I refer back to this book regularly at work when mentoring a team of technical writers who work in Kanban, and it has helped keep peak productivity and to react quickly to change while maintaining that productivity. If you're a serious learner, I think this book in combination with attendance at some Agile conferences is a great idea.

I wish someone had given me this book at the very beginning of my Agile journey. This book is part of my tool arsenal that I refer to daily. Al removes the technical jargon and software development lens from his explanation making it easy for anyone to understand the basic values and benefits of Agile. Strongly recommend this book as a training tool for any individual or organization transitioning to Agile. Whether you're just beginning your agile journey or a seasoned Agilist, this book is a must read.

I've been in IT Recruiting for the last 6+ years. In recent years, Agile methodology has been in high demand across multiple industry verticals. I bought this book to understand Agile better for both the candidates and clients I interactive with. You know someone has mastered something when they can explain it simply/easy enough where anyone can follow along. This book does just this. It's a light and quick read that I was able to learn from and translate into usable knowledge for my career. It's easy to see how much Alfred enjoys what he does as well as how expert he is in the profession. I recommend this to anyone that's not looking to read a textbook to learn the ins/outs of Agile but also those who are interested in becoming a better leader.

Excellent book. It does a good job of explaining Agile for upper management. I've started buying it for all managers that I work with.

Great introduction to Agile for non-software developers. Puts Agile in plain English. I highly recommend the book to those interested in learning more about it.

Al did a good job in explaining the fundamentals behind the 'Agile' mindset and how it can be applied to non - IT domains. He emphasized on the values and tenants rather than presenting the pros and cons of a particular framework, for which there are many books in the market. Each chapter is bite sized and easy to understand for anyone who is not experienced in using any of Agile frameworks or practices. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in stepping feet in the Agile world

The book, “Agile Explained,” opened up my understanding about agile and scrum. As a former supervisor, I thought about how a better workflow can increase productivity. Workers can often feel overwhelmed, and as a result, have low morale. Al exposed the four tenets of agile that help bring resolution to a failing team. The methodology of scrum emphasizes teamwork and strong leadership skills, and the idea that smaller batches of work help you get to the finish line quicker. I gained a new mindset, a wealth of knowledge and great insight. It’s time to get agile!

If you don't have these on your bookshelf yet, I highly recommend them! I wish they had been written when I was a scrum master!