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Recent Posts
- Review: In Pursuit of the Unknown (Ian Stewart)
- Intensifying Stories: Running with the Winners
- Review: Accelerando, by Charles Stross
- Valuable Stories in the INVEST Model
- Article: When Software Smells Bad
- Review: Structured Programming (Dahl, Dijkstra, and Hoare)
- Negotiable Stories in the INVEST Model
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Tag Archives: reviews
Review: In Pursuit of the Unknown (Ian Stewart)
In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World, by Ian Stewart Stewart explores a variety of important equations, including: Pythagorean theorem, the normal curve, Newton's Law of Gravity, Fourier transforms, Black-Scholes Each equation gets a little one-page … Continue reading
Review: Accelerando, by Charles Stross
Accelerando, by Charles Stross. Ace, 2006. This novel explores the Singularity: What happens when AI, uploading, and other variations of humanity (or non-humanity) start to happen. I was worried that a novel on this subject would basically be, "Computers take … Continue reading
Review: Structured Programming (Dahl, Dijkstra, and Hoare)
Structured Programming, by O.-J. Dahl, E.W. Dijkstra, and C.A.R. Hoare. Academic Press, 1972. This year (2012) is the 40th anniversary of this text, but it holds up well. It consists of three essays: "Notes on Structured Programming" by E.W. Dijkstra … Continue reading
Tagged design, programmer, reviews, software
Review: Applying Domain-Driven Design and Patterns (Nilsson)
Applying Domain-Driven Design and Patterns: With Examples in C# and .NET, by Jimmy Nilsson. Addison-Wesley, 2006. Stir together Eric Evans' Domain-Driven Design with Martin Fowler's Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, mix in C# code, and you've got the flavor of this … Continue reading
Review – Ruled Britannia (Turtledove)
Ruled Britannia, by Harry Turtledove. This is another of Harry Turtledove's alternative history novels. In this case, the Spanish Armada succeeded in the late 16th century, and Spain has taken over England. This is the time of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, … Continue reading
Review – Musashi
Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa. Kodansha International, 1995. Swordplay, true love, and a man climbing up the side of a cliff. It's not the Princess Bride; it's the story of Musashi, the most famous swordsman of Japan. This is a romanticized, historical … Continue reading
Review – Don’t Make Me Think (Krug)
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve Krug. New Riders Press, 2005. This thin book provides guidance on the basics of web usability. It focuses on the importance of doing things in a way … Continue reading
Review – Agile Product Management with Scrum (Pichler)
Agile Product Management with Scrum: Creating Products that Customers Love, by Roman Pichler. Addison-Wesley, 2010. This is a fairly easy read (about 120 pages) explaining the role of the Product Owner in Scrum. I'd describe the target as "someone preparing … Continue reading
Review – C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy
Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis A linguist (Ransom) is kidnapped and ends up on another planet. (The science is wobbly, but it's a classic travel story stretched to unexplored worlds). How will he work with humans or with those … Continue reading
Review: The Clockwork Man (Jablonsky)
The Clockwork Man, by William Jablonsky. Medallion Press, 2010. Late in the 19th century, the world's best clockmaker creates a clockwork man (who doesn't like being referred to as a robot). He (it?) lets himself run down, and wakes … Continue reading
Review – Pragmatic Guide to Git (Swicegood)
Pragmatic Guide to Git, by Travis Swicegood. Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2010. I'm using git for the first time on a small project with a friend, and wanted a quick focused handbook to help with that. This book fills that bill. … Continue reading
Tagged integration, programmer, reviews
Review: Guns, Germs, and Steel (Diamond)
Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond. Norton, 2005. Why did Europe take over North America and not vice versa? Guns, germs, and steel certainly made the immediate difference. Europe didn't acquire those randomly, but rather from specific factors. The … Continue reading
Review – Beginning iPhone 3 Development
Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK, by Dave Mark and Jeff LaMarche. Apress 2009. I'm a former NeXT programmer who hasn't programmed the Mac since before Apple pulled in the NeXT development kit. The iPhone environment looks very … Continue reading
Tagged phone, programmer, reviews
Review – Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Simon & Schuster, 2006. The 150th anniversary of the Civil War is coming up, so no doubt there will be plenty of books in this area. Lincoln … Continue reading
Review – Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade
Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade, by James Reston. Faber and Faber, 2002. Saladin became the sultan of a mostly-united Muslim world (where Shia and Sunni were conflicting even then). The European side was … Continue reading