Software Estimation Without Guessing


Book Description

Estimating software development often produces more angst than value, but it doesn't have to. Identify the needs behind estimate requests and determine how to meet those needs simply and easily. Choose estimation techniques based on current needs and available information, gaining benefit while reducing cost and effort. Detect bad assumptions that might sink your project if you don't adjust your plans. Discover what to do when an estimate is wrong, how to recover, and how to use that knowledge for future planning. Learn to communicate about estimates in a healthy and productive way, maximizing advantage to the organization and minimizing damage to the people. In a world where most developers hate estimation and most managers fear disappointment with the results, there is hope for both. It requires giving up some widely held misconceptions. Let go of the notion that "an estimate is an estimate" and estimate for the particular need you, and your organization, have. Realize that estimates have a limited shelf-life, and reestimate frequently if it's important. When reality differs from your estimate, don't lament; mine that disappointment for the gold that can be the longer-term jackpot. Estimate in comparison to past experience, by modeling the work mathematically, or a hybrid of both. Learn strategies for effective decomposition of work and aspects of the work that likely affect your estimates. Hedge your bets by comparing the results of different approaches. Find out what to do when an estimate proves wrong. And they will. They're estimates, after all. You'll discover that you can use estimates to warn you of danger so you can take appropriate action in time. Learn some crucial techniques to understand and communicate with those who need to understand. Address both the technical and sociological aspects of estimation, and you'll help your organization achieve its desired goals with less drama and more benefit. What You Need: No software needed, just your past experience and concern for the outcomes.




Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2019


Book Description

An indispensable read when visiting Walt Disney World with kids The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2018 is JAM-PACKED with useful tips, great advice, excellent discussion, and practical travel knowledge gleaned from years of Walt Disney World travel experience. In this guidebook, authors Bob Sehlinger and Liliane Opsomer specifically address the needs of kids, with—in some cases—research and input from kids. Len Testa leads an experienced team of researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids digs deeper and offers more specific information than any other guidebook. This is the only guide that explains how to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of your family vacation. Step-by-step detailed plans allow you to visit Walt Disney World with your children with absolute confidence and peace of mind.




The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise


Book Description

"Sometimes a story comes along that just plain makes you want to hug the world. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is Dan Gemeinhart’s finest book yet — and that’s saying something. Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." —Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree A 2020 ILA Teachers’ Choice A 2019 Parents' Choice Award Gold Medal Winner Winner of the 2019 CYBILS Award for Middle Grade Fiction An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of 2019 A Junior Library Guild Selection Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys... Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.” This title has common core connections.




Before We Were Strangers


Book Description

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City. To the Green-eyed Lovebird: We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House. You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more. We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other. Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding… I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello. After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half? M




Harlequin Special Edition February 2019 - Box Set 2 of 2


Book Description

Harlequin® Special Edition brings you three new titles for one great price, available now! These are heartwarming, romantic stories about life, love and family. This Special Edition box set includes: HER SECRET TEXAS VALENTINE The Fortunes of Texas: The Lost Fortunes by Helen Lacey When Valene Fortune falls for a seemingly penniless rancher, time—and the truth—will tell if she can love this cowboy for richer as well as poorer! THE COLONELS’ TEXAS PROMISE American Heroes by Caro Carson If they were single by the time they made lieutenant colonel, they’d marry. On the day of her promotion, Juliet Grayson is at Evan Stephens’s door to ask him to keep his promise, for her son’s sake. Can he convince a woman who’s been burned before to get close to the flame once again? CLAIMING THE COWBOY’S HEART Match Made in Haven by Brenda Harlen Liam Gilmore is supposed to be focusing on his new inn—but he can’t stop thinking about Macy Clayton. He’s sure he isn’t ready to settle down, but with the single mom of triplets catching his eye, it might be time for Liam to consider forever!




Sometimes I Lie


Book Description

ALICE FEENEYS NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER “Boldly plotted, tightly knotted—a provocative true-or-false thriller that deepens and darkens to its ink-black finale. Marvelous.” —AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?




AP U.S. History Prep Plus 2018-2019


Book Description

Kaplan's AP U.S. History Prep Plus 2018-2019 is completely restructured and aligned with the current AP exam, giving you concise review of the most-tested content to quickly build your skills and confidence. With bite-sized, test-like practice sets and customizable study plans, our guide fits your schedule. Personalized Prep. Realistic Practice. Three full-length practice exams and an online test scoring tool to convert your raw score into a 1–5 scaled score Pre- and post-quizzes in each chapter so you can monitor your progress Customizable study plans tailored to your individual goals and prep time Focused content review on the essential concepts to help you make the most of your study time Online quizzes for additional practice Test-taking strategies designed specifically for AP U.S. History Expert Guidance We know the test—our AP experts make sure our practice questions and study materials are true to the exam We know students—every explanation is written to help you learn, and our tips on the exam structure and question formats will help you avoid surprises on Test Day We invented test prep—Kaplan (www.kaptest.com) has been helping students for 80 years, and more than 95% of our students get into their top-choice schools




Applied Thematic Analysis


Book Description

This book provides step-by-step instructions on how to analyze text generated from in-depth interviews and focus groups, relating predominantly to applied qualitative studies. The book covers all aspects of the qualitative data analysis process, employing a phenomenological approach which has a primary aim of describing the experiences and perceptions of research participants. Similar to Grounded Theory, the authors' approach is inductive, content-driven, and searches for themes within textual data.




Guess What Came to Dinner?


Book Description

Are you having difficulty shaking an illness? Have you been feeling chronically tired and listless? Do you have a health problem your doctor can’t identify? The cause may be parasites in your body. If you think that parasitic diseases happen only to people in Third World Countries, think again. The rate of parasite-related disorders in North American is skyrocketing. In this completely revised and updated edition of the most authoritative book on the subject for consumers, renowned nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman gives the information you need to know to ward off unwelcome organisms. Guess What Came to Dinner? explains what parasites are, why they are harmful, and how they are spread. Most importantly, she offers tips on creating a parasite-proof diet and lifestyle. What Came to Dinner? is the indispensible guide to protecting yourself and your loved ones from this hidden epidemic.




Ask a Manager


Book Description

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together