Product Description

This book explores the knowledge and wisdom of 3000 years. It shows how the discoveries of the great philosophers and scientists are about what you do every day. It proposes that there is a root and branch to excellence and that skills distilled in one context can be transferred to another. As a case study it focuses on the transfer of skills between programming software and Management. It shows that the deep principles, that make both work, are reciprocal. Art, philosophy, psychology, history, science, music and DIY are explored in a search for principles that work. It shows you how to discover why they work and how to apply all of the skills you might have however you came by them. This book is for you if you would like to understand how to make best use of all of the resources available to you. It is aimed at those who see life, both work and play, as an amazing opportunity to achieve excellence and find meaning in every breath. This book will not teach you to think outside the box. It will make you question the existence of boxes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #201921 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 294 pages

From the Publisher
In today's society almost as soon as a new way of thinking or working emerges it is hijacked by individuals and companies seeking to make a quick buck. In some instances old ideas are re-branded and sold under a new label. In almost all cases they concentrate on the implementation of specific "silver bullet" practices, excluding other complementary or necessary parts. The original ideology gets devalued, confused or lost.

This book looks at four disciplines in which this has happened - NLP, Agile, Lean and the Theory of Constraints. It takes a philosophical look at their fundamental principles and explains their value.

It is an essential read for managers for whom these principles, when applied properly, are very effective tools. The author makes the case that, in their purest form, these principles and disciplines are applicable by anyone in any situation, making this book a useful and thought provoking read for almost everybody.

From the Back Cover
The Trousers of Reality: How to find balance and satisfaction in life, work and play.

Volume One: Working Life: Why things like Agile, Lean, NLP, Systems Thinking and Theory of Constraints are essential for effective project management.

Customer Reviews

A spring clean for the brain
This book made me open up the windows in my head to let in some fresh air on daily activities I thought I knew well - planning, communicating, prioritising - helping to blow away the accumulated cruft, leaving the essential lessons bare and showing mew ways to grow and improve.

The style is personal and engaging, drawing on the authors experience of coaching and software development and centuries of work from thinkers around the world to reveal a deeper perspective on the reasons that projects succeed and fail.

Looking forward to volume II.

Wide-ranging and stimulating advice from a real master
This book contains so much common sense it should really be classified as a self-help book for bewildered software engineers and others. Written in an engaging and personal style it is very easy to read and at the same time contains real gems of advice for making a difference in dynamic work situations. It includes important lessons and messages that everyone who struggles to keep up with the evolving practices in the IT industry should benefit from. In fact, although Barry Evans works in the software industry and uses IT for much of the groundwork and examples, there are also references to science, art and literature that mean an understanding of IT is not necessary to gain a lot from reading the book. Personally I found the sections on NLP and TOC to be most informative. The Trousers of the title refers to a comment from the author's brother taking the wrong direction on the road to somewhere, by reading this book it may help you choose the right leg more often than the wrong trousers completely. The book has extensive references to further reading and study and I look forward to further volumes in the series.

This book contains nuggets of gold
I've known Barry Evans a number of years now, both as a colleague and as a friend. Does this make this review biased? Quite possibly, but it also means I know the man behind the book. I know his methods and I know what he has achieved.

Barry Evans is one of life's unusual people: someone who is outstandingly successful in his professional life, but who has also managed to achieve balance between his work and his home and family life.

Ever since Barry told me he was writing this book two years ago, I've been looking forward to reading it. I've just finished reading it for the second time. It's been worth the wait.

Quite simply, The Trousers of Reality: Working Life contains nuggets of gold from start to finish. Barry's ideas and his concepts work in real life situations: in business, he creates hugely successful outcomes, achieving results others thought impossible. He does so in a way that brings people and organisations together, enthusing people and empowering them to achieve their very best.

Over the past decade I have run several businesses - computer systems suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and logistics operations. I only wish I had this book available to me when I started.

If you feel you could manage people or situations better than you currently do; if you're striving to achieve your targets and reach your goals, but at the expense of your home life; if you are driving yourself forward as hard as you can but feel that the rest of your company isn't following your leadership as well as it might, then The Trousers of Reality: Working Life is the book for you.