Customer Reviews

Beyond Code: Learn to distinguish yourself in 9 simple steps!

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The title of the book is mis-leading. This book is not just for software professionals. It is a great read for just about any professionals who want to raise their performance up a notch; for any professional who is interested in doing better in not just their professional but also their personal lives. Any professional who has the discipline to read this book and diligently practice what it says will achieve lasting success & satisfaction.

The best part of the book is that it blends advice with interesting practical anecdotes that strike a chord and stick to your mind.

Read it. More importantly ... practice it. Your life and career will be that much better for it.

Beyond code is more than a 'easy-to-read' self improvement/self realization book. It is an effective guide for practicing what is preached in the book. It is hard to argue with any of the points in the book. However, if you are convinced of the value of the arguments, the book suggests practical steps that you can take to practice the points.

Another common theme in the book that I found itriguing was that almost all practical steps required you to take help from a friend, mentor, partner in order to put into practice your regimen. This is a very valuable contribution of the book which is missing in most of the other books of this genre.

The appeal of the book is significantly enhanced by the personal touch and sincerity of the author. I am sure a lot of readers from the software,high-tech industry will relate to these anecdotes.

There are some aspects that I would have certainly liked to see enhanced or modified. The first and foremost is a deeper level of discussion about the basis of the book and how the author arrived at the 9 steps. The common philosophical basis of the 9 steps is somewhat missing in the book.

Another area is the quotes at the beginning of each chapter which at least I dont find unique or particularly relevant. It would have been perhaps better to keep with the book theme of personal anecdotes and instead of quotes to include a little longer stories about other people.

Overall this is a very useful and intriguing book from Rajesh Setty and I look forward to reading his other books or blogs.

Beyond Code is a unique and valuable contribution to the already rich literature on personal development. Written from the perspective of an IT (information technology) professional, the book has a message for an even broader audience of professionals. That audience would include all those who wish to move beyond a working lifestyle of project after project, even when great technical competence is required, to one that also encompasses rewarding business or personal relationships and deep self-satisfaction.

Beyond Code's subtitle "Learn to distinguish yourself in 9 simple steps" holds the promise of easily-mastered secrets to success as in "read once, excel forever." On the contrary, Setty makes no bones about how challenging it is to become recognized for who you are in today's tough business climate. Setty describes how building character to distinguish yourself as a well-rounded professional in the world of high technology requires persistence, patience and a process. Fortunately for those of us who care about excellence, Setty's book provides a wonderful framework for just that.

Setty first identifies and then dissects a global problem among high-tech professionals that he has personally observed while working on three continents--the problem of human technical obsolescence. He then engages the reader in a very innovative "partnership" to work through the nine chapters or "lessons" that comprise the bulk of Beyond Code's 119 pages (plus front matter).

You might ask why the book is so short compared to most 300+ page business books. In truth, no more space was needed. Beyond Code is a concise yet richly informative handbook, even an "almanac" as they called them in the past. We readers have the option to expand Setty's material to whatever length we desire, at least virtually, by acting on the motivations that got us to buy the book in the first place-whether that be getting ahead financially, becoming a better person, or simply improving relationships with our peers, managers or significant others.

After defining the "Inner Game" (what we mostly control), the "Outer Game" (a "contact sport') and giving an overview of what it means to distinguish yourself as a technology consultant, the remainder of the book is an eclectic, entertaining and valuable collection of proven methods, engaging stories, instructive diagrams, brief exercises in self-assessment and an annotated reading list if you want more. Beyond Code is a well-organized and compelling read. The Foreword by Tom Peters helps put the book in a strategic perspective for today's professional.

Of particular inspiration to me were the several quotations by famous and not-so-famous people that precede each chapter. Overall Beyond Code is relevant, thought-provoking and fresh material that will be of particular value to technology professionals who want to truly distinguish themselves in this world.

Makes us bit more focused and identify what we want and able to make decisions in that direction than direction less person.very relevant for me.

BEYOND CODE: LEARN TO DISTINGUISH YOURSELF IN 9 SIMPLE STEPS gathers notes, charts and insights put together by the author over a ten-year period: it comes from one who is chairman of a company that promotes open source in business and outlines many basics, from encouraging customers to learn and grow to understanding job passion's importance to success.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Oprah Winfrey talked about "Aha" moments and this book is filled with those and it is hard to stop smiling when reading the chapters. The language is simple and not fluffy - which shows the author feels his words and does not need to hide under the cloak of flowery language. A must buy for NON-IT folks as well because there this is a universally applicable book. I was fortunate to be handed a copy by the author himself but would buy this any day.

This book is written in a large part for IT Professionals by an IT Professional (Rajesh Setty). This is reflected in the organization of the book (highly structured), writing style and format (compact and to the point, yet filled with inspirational quotes, brief stories, lists, mindmaps, and exercises). The book is short, only 120 pages, which is easy to read for people who are on the run. And yet, it is packed with information that can be referred back to occasionally. Rajesh stresses a few important points that people may already know but often forget: build relationships for the long term, and seek to understand yourself and others. It's all about the people!

This is an absolutely wonderful book to read and if you follow through and implement all the ideas and exercises at the end of each chapter, you will be richly rewarded. This book is an easy read and when you are done reading it you will be left with a feeling that all the best ideas related to personal/career development have been distilled and put in a very practical mode. Every friend that I have recommended this book to (and has read it) has thanked me and let me know how great it was. That to me is the true test of a good book. This is a MUST READ for every technology professional who is serious about his/her career.

Beyond Code: Rajesh Setty

Brief Review: By Diana Rohini LaVigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine (www.indianlifeandstyle.com)


There's no mystery why Tom Peters endorsed Rajesh Setty's newest book, Beyond Code. This simple step-by-step method provides a clear path to distinguish yourself in the workplace but continues to incorporate your entire lifestyle. His understanding of the impact of first impressions and the power of listening is nothing short of impressive.

Every executive or professional looking to make a change is never short on workload and always running short on time. Beyond Code provides a reading format complimentary to those with an overly busy lifestyle by offering clear, concise short chapters that minimizes use of jargon and useless propaganda that other self-help guides tend to lean towards. Instead, this reading treasure delivers powerful messages directly and allows the reader to use their time doing exercises to improve instead of trying to finish lengthy, wordy chapters. Setty values the reader's time.

The fast-reading pages are ideal for entrepreneurs, professionals looking for something more, business and engineering graduate students and anyone interested in personal and professional development. I can't think of anyone who this book wouldn't make an impact on. I'd highly recommend this 119-page primer to all readers.

Beyond Code: Learn To Distinguish Yourself In Nine Simple Steps by Rajesh Setty (a journalist, technology enthusiast and chairman of CIGNEX - a company that promotes open source in business), is an introductory guide to the process of achieving self-distinction in life. Equipping non-specialist general readers with an easy-to-follow and accessible reference for competently creating relationships, listen to others, and build a reputable awareness for clients and team members in the representative world of business, Beyond Code advocates the uprooting of dysfunctional business oriented tactics and ideals. Beyond Code is very strongly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal and community library Self Help/Self Improvement reference collections.