Owning ITIL® - a skeptical guide for decision makers

Score: 10 out of 10... This is a wonderfully irreverent, but totally authoritative, book... It is a slim manual that seeks to debunk the language and meaning of ITIL and relate it to the practical implementation of IT service management... It’s a gem of a book that offers a good perspective on what the ITIL v3 manuals take 5 volumes to cover. BCS (British Computer Society)

After reading it (twice), I realized what I had my hands on. This was a book for anyone just starting to research ITIL all the way to those of us who have been forced to drink the kool aid for a long time... I would highly recommend this book for EVERY IT and Management person today.
It's not about BEST PRACTICE, it's about REAL PRACTICE, and it gets NO MORE REAL than "Owning ITIL" Christopher Dancy

Wish I had this two years ago Twitter comment from a reader

The Pros: Very easy to read and not too long. The references to other literature will help me through the minefield of complimentary guidance/opinions etc. I came across plenty of things I've done (both right & wrong) and potential mistakes that I might be able to avoid moving forward at work. Sometimes I had a wry smile, other times I has an "oh crap, we did that" moment. Just enough humour, while not being condescending or insincere (or maybe I have a thick skin). Some of the book is ageless (not so) common sense and some of the book is very current. Some of the current stuff will become out of date soonish but that's OK.
The Cons: if it is read cover to cover, the first half of the book is a bit Michael Moore - Stupid White Men... pleading with the reader to stop reading because all of these ITIL folks are complete shysters. IMHO the book is written from a V2 perspective, which is ok as that is what most people will be trying to address over the next few years, but it does omit how to tackle the business service VS IT service debate (but does discuss that it needs to be had). Make the recommendations stand out more - they are (mostly) bloody outstanding.
So it was a few hours well spent reading this book. 4/5 stars.
Tom Rankin (email to the author)

The fundamental difference between the author's point of view and mine (reflected in this review) is that I don't see "ITIL... (becoming) something of a cult," or "a movement." I don't see ITIL becoming something it isn't. Quite simply, ITIL is documentation of good/best practice for IT. This doesn't lend itself to "cult" or anything else... Bottom line: The book author is The IT Skeptic. Read the book to understand a skeptical point of view. Don't accept it as your only guide to make competitive decisions to meet today's situations, challenges or demands. David Moskowitz

Well I enjoyed it. If I have an issue it is that the horizon between Rob's most skeptical moments and his most practical real world comments aren't clearly distinguished. I THINK I know him well enough to detect the irony, but I'm never sure....and I think I know when when he is making a point knowing that the ensuing argument will further our mutual general understanding. James Finister