“Patterns of Agile Practice Adoption” is another book from InfoQ that describes potential ways in which Agile practices could be adopted individually and as clusters of practices that complement one another.  As with Domain Driven Development Quickly, this book can be freely downloaded (registration required). » Read more: Patterns of Agile Practice Adoption

With the advent and popularity of the EJB specification, developers spent more and more time focusing on learning and adhering to specifications and less time focusing on good design principles and OO development techniques.  “Domain Driven Design” by Eric Evans attempted to reverse this trend by refocusing on the most important aspect of software design, i.e. representing the business domain within the software.

“Domain Driven Development Quickly” is a book from InfoQ that summarises the material presented in Eric Evans’ Domain-Driven Design book.  It can be downloaded freely in PDF format (requires registration). » Read more: Domain Driven Development Quickly

If you are a software developer, The Pragmatic Programmer is not just a book but an arm around your shoulder, the mentor that you never had.  It has rightly earned its place on the bookshelf of every self respecting software developer in the land.  First published in 1999, it is as relevant today as ever.

Ron Jefferies said about this book “As with any such book, much of the advice is something you already know. Much of it is also something you have forgotten to focus on lately.” You may or may not learn anything new, but this book will remind you what is important. » Read more: The Pragmatic Programmer

Recently, I have taken to reading books concerned more with process of software development than the nuts and bolts of working with one language/framework/methodology or another.  The Pragmatic Programmer is one such popular book that inspired a whole range of such books under The Pragmatic Bookshelf label.  Another book under this label is “Pragmatic Thinking & Learning” by Andy Hunt. » Read more: Pragmatic Thinking & Learning

I am currently undertaking an MSc in Advanced Software Engineering at UCD, Dublin and recently took a module on ‘Software Engineering Process Frameworks’.  As part of the pre-reading for this module the class were asked to read Tracey Kidder’s ‘The Soul of a New Machine’.

The book chronicles the experience of an engineering team struggling to design and develop a new computer under huge pressure, both internal and external.

This is not the sort of book I would ordinarily pick up and read as I normally find myself reading books on specific technologies, frameworks or methodologies.  I must admit that I enjoyed the book and found that despite being published in 1981, Tracey Kidder’s observations on the way the organisation approached projects and the associated challenges were very familiar.

It was most striking that I have worked with many characters similar to those portrayed in the book.  Kidder’s observations on, and reasoning about, their behaviour was very insightful.  Kidder also focused on how the individual team members collaborated and the intricate personal relationships within the group.

Overall, an extremely interesting case study of people, process and practice and how they interact in a knowledge based industry.

(1 votes, average: 10.00 out of 10)

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