Category: Testimonials

More people: (1) need to use tracing, (2) need to try and parse detailed reports from a 100MB trace file, (3) give up and buy Method R Workbench.

Jared Still · Principal Consultant · Pythian · Beaverton, Oregon

Cary Millsap has a gift. Yes, he’s brilliant at making things run faster, but his true genius is translating complex problems into simple, powerful ideas. This master teacher combines vivid stories with clear practices to teach principles that are as timeless and they are timely. If you want systems that keep pace with the new world of work, don’t wait—read Faster!  

Liz Wiseman · New York Times bestselling author of Multipliers and Impact Players

“Faster” is the single most concise material out there on the topic of performance analysis and optimization.

Jonah H. Harris · Director of AI & ML · The Meet Group

I am fascinated with the way that Cary, through his experiences, tells step-by-step the path taken to solve performance problems. The essence of “Faster” comes down to a single word: method.

João Henrique Brogna · Database Administrator · Pro4tuning · São Paulo, Brazil

You may think at first glance that Faster is a book about technology. It’s not. While technology plays an important part, it’s really a supporting player in the story of how people are impacted by technology. Looking at challenges from the perspective of end users is what makes Faster so insightful. Cary reminds us that in order to solve real performance challenges, we need to work on what’s most important to the people who interact with the systems we design, build and operate. You’ll meet these people in Faster; and you’ll come away with a new appreciation for how making systems Faster makes things better for all of us.

Dominic Delmolino · Vice President · Amazon Web Services · Vienna, Virginia

While Cary is a very skilled professional, he is also a gifted storyteller. He is one of the best presenters—technology or not—that you will come across, and this clearly comes through in Faster. It’s both satisfying and refreshing to see him explain effortlessly, in normal English, these topics that so many people stumble over.  

Guðmundur Jósepsson · Director and Performance Specialist · Inaris · Kópavogur, Iceland

Every technology executive responsible for mission-critical systems should read Faster. It’s one of the easiest and most entertaining reads you’ll find, and it will prepare you thoroughly for handling— that is, solving and avoiding—technology performance crises.

Mark Sweeney · Former Technology Executive · Bank of America · Dallas, Texas

I can’t believe I was in my forties the first time I saw how to optimize a system the way Cary and Jeff do it. Now it doesn’t even make sense to me that anyone would try it any other way.  

Richard Russell · Former 7-Eleven Enterprise Architect · Irving, Texas

The practical approach Cary explained for capacity planning brought to light a whole other application for the tool.

Nancy Spafford · DBA and Tech Lead · Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory · Livermore, California