Another John Green book (I’ve been on a bit of a roll lately with him as they’re great “right before bed” reading). When a billionaire dies mysteriously, Aza takes up the cause of trying to figure out how while getting closer and closer to her son. This book got me thinking about how my kids […]
Archive by Author
Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska is the story of a group of social outcasts at boarding school in Alabama trying to make their way and figure out who they are. Alaska is a young woman who is the emotional leader of the group with a secret past. Much of the book centers around a prank war between Alaska’s […]
Churn in Software Development
Churn – To be turbulent or agitated If you’re struggling with missed deadlines and unreliable schedules on your team, there could be an issue with churn in your process. There are two primary causes of churn that, when present, will drive CEOs and other people relying on the product absolutely crazy: Constant priority shifting and […]
The Outsiders
I know. I know. I’m way late to the party. Everyone reads The Outsiders in high school. But I didn’t. And I never saw the movie either. So now I’ve read the book and am going to watch the movie next. Maybe it’s time of life, but I didn’t love this book like you’re supposed […]
Fearless – The Adam Brown Story
I don’t generally read these kinds of books because, for the most part, the stories feel a bit cheesy. In addition, the people who were privileged enough to be in an organization like the Navy SEALS almost universally despise kiss and tell books. However, this book was recommended by a former SEAL Team Six member […]
The Scott Barstow Show, Episode #033 – Monica Wood and DeDe Houston of Myxx Recipes
My guests for this show are Monica Wood and DeDe Houston, co-founders of Myxx Recipes. One of the biggest struggles for busy families is finding and making healthy meals at home. Myxx Recipes lets users shop for new, healthy recipes, create a shopping list from those recipes (including prices from the store where you shop), […]
Github Hysteria! We’re All Going to Die!
Microsoft recently announced the purchase of Github. Within minutes of the announcement, there was (and continues to be) mass hysteria. For readers of this blog, you’ll know that I’m a heavy user of (and promoter of) Github. They have built a remarkable service that over-delivers on value. I don’t expect the transaction with Microsoft to […]
May 2018 Must-Haves
Every month I publish a list of blogs, podcasts, books, products or anything else I consider to be a must-have or must-do. Hope you enjoy this month’s list. It’s a short one. Reading The Girl with Seven Names – Wow. A riveting story of a young woman’s escape from North Korea to China and then […]
The Girl with Seven Names
A riveting look deep inside North Korea combined with a harrowing tale of escape for the author. I started reading this on a Monday and finished the last 30% of the book the following Sunday. You will not be able to put it down for the last quarter of the book. While it is a […]
Scaleable Developer Onboarding
How long does it take for a new developer on your team to be productive? If you’ve not thought about this question, or you don’t know the answer, you’re likely wasting time and money. The best engineering organizations focus maniacally on making things easy for new team members because it has a massive impact on […]