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  • Rolling Rocks Downhill

  • The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Entertaining Way to Learn Agile and Lean
  • By: Clarke Ching
  • Narrated by: Paul Kearney
  • Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (124 ratings)
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Rolling Rocks Downhill cover art

Rolling Rocks Downhill

By: Clarke Ching
Narrated by: Paul Kearney
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Summary

An impossible deadline. A runaway project. And then you get the 5:30 a.m. phone call… what could possibly be wrong?

Rolling Rocks Downhill is a fast, fun and often funny read. It's a business novel, just like Eli Goldratt's classic The Goal, where you sit on the characters' shoulders, watching them fight to save their jobs and their baby - a large software-intensive project, called FPP, that has been running late since day 1, but now, suddenly, needs to launch on an impossibly early date, or else. You feel their pain, and their joy, as they battle problem after problem until, slowly, torturously, they rediscover the few - but fundamental - principles underlying successful commercial software development.

Sometimes you're a step ahead. Sometimes a step behind. Sometimes it feels like you're sitting in the room with them…

©2014, 2016 Clarke Ching (P)2016 Clarke Chning

What listeners say about Rolling Rocks Downhill

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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good, not too long.

The parable was interesting and we get quite a good idea of how changes were implemented. I think I slightly preferred The Phoenix Project, but this is defo worth a listen too.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Not as inspiring as the phoenix project

I have listened to both this book and the phoenix project, I found this one less inspiring and informative even as the story underlining is basically the same and relatively get you a good intro to lean and agile methods for DevOps

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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better than the Phoenix Project!

brilliant story, strong message, gripping I've recommended this book to everyone I work with - thank you

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • jo
  • 18-01-18

Great book

Fantastic addition to 'The goal'.. provides a live account of project fragmentation with customer at the heart of everything!
Good story to listen: hang in there the beginning might seems technical but everything unfolded after a couple of chapter.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Value for money

I took away three points that have effectively saved me many times the price of the audible version. I like it when that happens, which is seldom

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Recommended 5*

Easy listen, also pride of place on my bookshelf. essential reading alongside all the usual big hitters.

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light hearted yet bullseye accurate

It felt at first a lot like a little brother of "The Phoenix Project", although it easily holds its own.
The story is more focussed so is much easier to digest and offers a different situational context.

The ending felt a little bit "normal", which left me initially a bit underwhelmed. On reflection though, it's strength in this case is that it's adds to the realism of it all.

As with all good books of this kind there are plenty of things to learn from it, and I loved how the strategies presented are utilised in different situations (even personal ones) which adds another realistic dimension.

overall a great read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A nice story and annoying narrator voice

Content is a refreshing story telling view of agile. Without getting too dull with the academic style.

Only wish could choose a different narrator as the person sounds a whining guy without a back bone. For 20 mins ok but several hours It is too painful. Best heard on double speed.

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