You want to become an Agile expert. What are the most important books to read?

"The Agile Samurai" by Jonathan Rasmusson: Provides a practical guide to Agile principles and practices, with a focus on real-world application. "Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" by Jeff Sutherland: Offers insights into the Scrum framework and how it can improve productivity and efficiency. "Lean Agile Pocket Guide for Scrum Teams" by Peter Saddington: A concise guide to Agile and Scrum, with tips and best practices for Scrum teams. "Agile Estimating and Planning" by Mike Cohn: Focuses on Agile planning and estimation techniques, essential for effective Agile. "Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business" by David J. Anderson: Explores the principles of Kanban and how it can be applied.

Agile manifesto is the foundation on which agile methodologies are standing. Without the agile manifesto, agile as we know it would never have happened. We later had scrum, kanban, safe, xp, etc but agile manifesto earmarks and upholds the basic tenets on which agile methodology was founded.

The Agile Manifesto, penned in 2001 by 17 pioneering software developers, serves as the bedrock for agile methodologies. This succinct declaration champions a shift from conventional, procedural software creation to a model valuing flexibility, teamwork, and client contentment. It encapsulates agile's ethos, advocating for adaptive planning and iterative progress. Exploring the manifesto offers deep insights into agile's philosophical foundation, emphasizing human-centric and responsive approaches to software development.

Agile Manifesto, it's not just a dusty document – it's a powerful document that outlines the philosophy and mindset behind this game-changing approach.

Lo leí y me pareció un ladrillo, la guía oficial de Scrum tiene 14 páginas, para leer es suficiente.. el resto es "hacer". #LearnbyDoing

"Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" delves into the Scrum framework, a cornerstone of agile methodology. Authored by Jeff Sutherland, a Scrum co-founder, the book unveils Scrum's reliance on iterative progress, feedback loops, and adaptability. It outlines Scrum's structure, including sprints, roles, and ceremonies, to enhance team collaboration and efficiency. Through real-world anecdotes and practical advice, Sutherland guides readers on deploying Scrum to maximize productivity and accelerate value delivery. This insightful work demystifies Scrum's fundamentals and strategies for optimal implementation.

Mike Cohn, a pesar de no ser el creador de las Historias de Usuario, ha tenido un gran peso en este tema. Mike es uno de mis agilistas preferido y este libro en su momento fue de mucha ayuda para mi. No estoy seguro que el libro siga vigente en un 100%, deben leerlo con criterio.

User stories serve as a cornerstone in agile methodologies, translating customer needs into actionable insights for development teams. Authored by agile aficionado Mike Cohn, "User Stories Applied" demystifies the art of crafting these concise narratives. Each story, penned from the user’s stance, aims to clearly articulate their objectives and the value derived. Beyond mere requirements, user stories foster dialogue and understanding among stakeholders, ensuring alignment on the project's vision. Cohn's guide illuminates how to effectively draft, prioritize, and assess user stories, enhancing the agile journey.

"Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change" offers an in-depth look at XP, an agile framework emphasizing quality software and adaptability. Authored by agile pioneer Kent Beck, the book dives into XP's core values: communication, simplicity, feedback, courage, and respect, alongside practices like pair programming and test-driven development. Beck discusses XP's philosophy, showcasing its iterative approach and the importance of technical excellence. Readers gain insights into implementing and tailoring XP for their environments. Essential for aspiring agile practitioners, this guide stresses the significance of embracing change, fostering teamwork, and prioritizing continuous improvement in the agile journey.

Try to work under the someone whom you consider as an Agile Expert. Practical knowledge will give you an additional advantage rather than just gaining it from a book. Just reading the book will not solve the problem of being Agile Expert. Even following the Scrum Guide in a well manner will suffice that purpose. Best way is to start implementing, do the mistakes , learn from them and improve them in your next phase. Also, Agile is a methodology and every individual will think on it from a different point of view using Scrum or any other framework. So one will become expert in it via own efforts and effective thinking to drive it in projects.

Becoming an Agile expert also requires background knowledge in business, process improvement, organizational culture, problem solving, facilitation and coaching, psychology, lean thinking, product development, and many more topic!

There are too many books that should be mentioned, especially for the expert level! I would like to add best books from my own perspective: - Mindset from Carol Dweck, this is A MUST READ - Leaders Eat Last from Simon Sinek (Servant Leadership) - Coaching Agile Teams from Lyssa Adkins (How to implement agile) - Measure What Matters from John Doerr (OKR - Objectives and Key Result - Sprint from Jake Knapp - Doing Agile Right from Darrell Rigby, Sarah Elk, and Steve Berez

The Scrum Guide 2020 Edition by Ken Schwaber & Jeff Sutherland explains the purpose of Scrum and describes the Scrum Definition, Theory, values, roles, events, artifacts. In fact this can be considered as a holy book for Scrum. Available in digital format also.

Los libros que mencionan en este artículo son un buen punto de partida para adentrarse en el mundo Agile. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzaba en mi camino como agilista, he descubierto que los libros que más me han aportado no son, precisamente, libros de agilidad.