Learning Agile: Understanding Scrum, XP, Lean, and Kanban

A comparative textbook that treats Scrum, XP, Lean and Kanban as related but distinct practices, with careful attention to what each one is good at and what it is not. The book is less polemical than most agile writing, which is its value: most teams end up with a hybrid of practices, and having a clear account of what each contributes is useful for maintenance. For product direction it is the best reference if you are inheriting a team with a muddled process, or needing to explain the landscape to someone new. Not a read-through; a look-up. Pair with the Agile Manifesto in its original form for the historical roots.