The Complete Handbook of Business & Productivity Software

This book is solid and covers a lot of ground, but I was hoping for more depth in the troubleshooting section. The chapter on maintenance (Chapter 5) felt a little basic to me, more of a checklist than a deep dive. That said, the upfront sections on defining requirements and choosing software were really useful and saved me from making a bad purchase. It's a good reference to have, just not the final word on every topic.

I run a small consulting firm and this book is exactly the kind of no-nonsense reference I've been looking for. The comparison of licensing models alone was worth the price, as it clarified a lot of confusing vendor jargon. I particularly liked the chapter on business opportunities—it gave me the inspiration and practical steps to offer software implementation services to my own clients. It's the first book I've seen that treats this topic with respect.

Finally, a book on software that doesn't read like a promotional email. The examples are concrete and I immediately recognized our own, messy workflow in the early chapters. I used the framework in Chapter 3 to evaluate a new CRM and it made the whole process much clearer. It's a bit dry in places, but that's exactly what I wanted—a practical, reliable manual.

As someone who historically managed our small business's software by 'googling as I go', this book was a great help. The chapters on installation and maintenance have already paid for themselves by helping me fix a recurring database sync problem. I especially appreciated the focus on data portability and avoiding vendor lock-in, which is often ignored elsewhere. A must-read for any small business owner who wants to take control of their tech stack.

It's a decent resource, and the overview of the industry and future trends in Chapter 7 was interesting. However, the book spends a lot of time on the 'why' and not enough on the 'how-to' for specific products, which is what I was hoping for. I understand the need to be vendor-neutral, but it sometimes feels too theoretical. I'd recommend it for someone about to make a big purchase, but less useful for day-to-day troubleshooting.

This handbook gets the job done. I appreciated the very practical and structured approach to defining what you actually need before looking at products. The section on navigating supplier tiers and spotting overselling was particularly helpful. I do wish the glossary was bigger, but what's there is clear and useful. Overall, a very competent manual for a subject usually full of fluff.