TDD: Tension, Release, and Generalization
Test-driven development uses tension as one of its tools. Continue reading TDD: Tension, Release, and Generalization
Author Archives: Bill Wake
Review – Radical Project Management
Radical Project Management, by Rob Thomsett. Prentice Hall, 2002. I don’t know why the title says “Radical”, as throughout the book it’s “eXtreme Project Management.” Thomsett develops a project management approach that considers value throughout the project’s whole life cycle. Continue reading Review – Radical Project Management
Review – The Knowledge-Creating Company
The Knowledge-Creating Company, by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. Oxford University Press, This book describes how organizations can use the dynamics of knowledge creation; I’ve created an extended description and discussion as an XPlorations article. (Reviewed Feb., ’04)
Review – DSDM
DSDM: Business Focused Development, 2/e, by the DSDM Consortium, edited by Jennifer Stapleton. Addison-Wesley, 2003. DSDM is an agile software method. It grew out of experience with RAD (Rapid Application Development) in the mid-1990s. Its focus is most heavy on Continue reading Review – DSDM
Review – Hidden Order
Hidden Order, John H. Holland. Addison-Wesley, 1995. This is a readable and interesting introduction to Holland’s approach to complex adaptive systems. It touches on agents and emergence, and considers models that are being designed and built in software. The clarity Continue reading Review – Hidden Order
Review – Situated Learning
Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. Cambridge University Press, 1991. Learning is a social activity, not a pouring of knowledge from one person to another. The thesis of this book is that when people want to Continue reading Review – Situated Learning
Fisheye Lens Project Management
XP and Scrum project plans can operate with less detail than traditional project plans; this is like a fisheye lens, which shows more detail about things close to the center. Continue reading Fisheye Lens Project Management
The Knowledge-Creating Company – Extended Summary
This is a summary and critique of The Knowledge-Creating Company, by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. They are the original protagonists of the Scrum approach. Continue reading The Knowledge-Creating Company – Extended Summary
The Impact of Refactoring on Tests
When refactorings change the design of a system, they update the tests just enough to accommodate the revision. This keeps the tests working, but tests have other roles. To continue to support these roles, you often need to further modify the tests and add new ones. Continue reading The Impact of Refactoring on Tests
Review – Theory of Constraints
Theory of Constraints: What is this thing called Theory of Constraints, and how should it be implemented? Eliyahu Goldratt. North River Press, 1990. Let me give my rare thumbs down review (usually I just ignore the ones I don’t like). Continue reading Review – Theory of Constraints