TOP 5 Kanban Books for beginners
Talking about Kanban books for beginners, we always recommend start exploring it from free sources first. There are plenty of materials available from our websites, check the article 5 Steps to Start Learning Kanban for the full list.
That is why, as the very starting point, we recommend reading the Kanban Guide. It is not a book, that’s why it is not included in the list, but that’s where you should really start. Then if you feel that Kanban could work well for you, we invite you to explore our list of TOP 5 Kanban Books for beginners and start your amusing journey of improvement.
1. Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business
This famous “Blue Book” is one of the top 5 agile books ever published. While being made back in 2010 it is still applicable. It helped thousands of people to start applying Kanban. You can do the same – read this book and you`re ready to start. Find “Blue Book” in your language here.
Important update! In 2023 David Anderson issued a new updated book -Discovering Kanban. It tells the origin story of Kanban, illustrating with early success stories from Microsoft and two other modern technology businesses.
2. Essential Kanban Condensed
by David J. Anderson & Andy Carmichael
The basics of the Kanban Method in a pocket version. Hence, you can keep it in your bag, when you quickly need to check any Kanban practice or principle. Available in Print or Free Digital Download.
3. Essential Upstream Kanban
by Patrick Steyaert
For anyone interested in an Upstream Kanban, this is the first book from an expert in the field. Available in Print or Free Digital Download.
5. Kanban Maturity Model, 2nd edition
by David Anderson and Teodora Bozheva
If “Blue Book” was a Bible, Kanban Maturity Model second edition is a new, upgraded Bible. It is not only about the practices. From this book, you can learn a lot about organizational culture and managing change. You can even explore how the human brain works! Available in print here or to read online with KMM+ at kanban.plus.
Another book out of the list that we recommend is Fit-For-Purpose. It is not a Kanban book and in fact, “Kanban” as a word appears there only a few times. That is why we put it separately at the end of the list. But Fit-For-Purpose is a great book to support your customer journey. In Kanban, we care about customers. Hence, Fit-For-Purpose will help you to understand who your customers are, what are their needs, and how to satisfy them.
Remember that you can always find your Kanban book at kanbanbooks.com
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