Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit. Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck. Addison-Wesley, 2003.
This book considers software development from the perspective of lean manufacturing, as popularized by Toyota. In lean approaches, there is a sense in which there is a constant striving to reduce all forms of waste, and by delaying decisions as long as possible (but no longer), we can reduce our need for inventory in all its forms.
The book is a toolbox for software managers – 22 tools in all, including such things as “The Last Responsible Moment,” “Iterations,” and “Leadership.” Though they have synergy, you can read most of them fairly independently.
I recommend this book; in addition to a set of useful tools, it will give you a way to tie ideas from agile software development to the broader trends in lean development. (Reviewed August, ’03)