I have recently discovered Dorset House, a publishing company offering a large choice of books about software engineering and management. I really like their extensive bookshelf and I'm going to provide several reviews of their books in the future. "Secrets of Consulting" by Gerald M. Weinberg was a very insightful reading experience and a dream to read !!

My 9-horseshoes review follows (also available at Javaranch.com):

The job of consulting companies or individuals is not something that can be taught easily or that one can assimilate in a couple of days or even weeks by reading books or articles. Excelling at it is even harder as consulting missions often require a broad expertise, a rigorous discipline and a great deal of various personal qualities, such as honesty and flexibility. However, finding some inspiration by reading the passionate narrations of a very knowledgeable person having a wide-ranging experience of over half a century in the consulting business sure can help you position yourself and find your way through that somewhat singular environment.

Even though Gerald M. Weinberg wrote this masterpiece about twenty years ago, you will be amazed to discover how accurate and up-to-date the content is according to today’s agreed upon standards and practices. This book is organized around a long list of easy to grasp rules, laws, theorems and sayings that have been devised by the author himself while on mission over the last fifty years. It is also worth noting that the author harmonizes his wisdom with crispy war stories coming right from the trenches and introducing the how’s and why’s of a given rule or saying.

If you are just starting in the consulting business, if you are in need of a second or third breath or if you simply would like to find out whether there is a logic behind the way those alien consultants think and act, you have found yourself a perfect companion.