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Pragmatic Unit Testing, by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas (The Pragmatic Programmers), is just the kind of software book I like: short, concise, laser-focussed on one topic. That topic, apparently, is unit testing with a pragmatic bent. There are two versions of the book: 1) In C# with NUnit; and 2) In Java with JUnit. I read the C# version, natch.

Ever since reading Coder To Developer and Test-Driven Development in Microsoft.NET, I’ve been a huge proponent of TDD to anyone who will listen. I’ve found my code to be easier to use, easier to debug, and hella solid, as the kids say, since starting TDD. So I didn’t think Pragmatic Unit Testing would provide anything new for me. In large part, I was right: nothing new. Whatever wasn’t covered by the above two books, I had already learned through experience. However, the book articulates the power of Unit Testing and TDD very well; better than I ever could at any rate. It reinforced what I already knew.

At around 150 pages, it’s a very quick read. The book is written in a conversational tone; written as though you had the brilliant idea to hire the Pragmatic Programmers for an afternoon to explain the power of Unit Testing and this was what they presented to you. I’d recommend this book be mandatory for all new hires at your company if you practice unit testing. Consequently, it should be mandatory reading for you if you don’t. I have a suspicion that I’ll be refering to this book every year or so to confirm I haven’t strayed to far from pragmatic unit testing.

Recommended.

In Search Of Stupidy, written by Rick Chapman, covers the mighty stupid blunders of high-tech companies from the early 80s right up to 2003, when the book was published.

To be worthy of mention in this book, it took the combined efforts of personnel in upper management, development, sales, and marketing, all fiercely dedicated to ignoring common sense, the blatantly obvious, and the lessons of the past. Major failure doesn’t just happen: To achieve it, everyone must pull together as a team. [Afterword, p223]

It covers a time in computer industry of which I am only dimly aware. I didn’t really get into computers until Windows 98 Second Edtion. There were no other spreadsheets but Excel; no word processors but Word. Microsoft was so firmly entrenched that it was  cool to disparage them.

So reading this book was a delight. It showed that Microsoft had some help from others’ stupidity to get where they are now. It also covers Microsoft’s stupid arrogance that sparked the antitrust suit. The stories are told in a light, conversational tone; Chapman isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade, either. Major idiocy is pointed out on a regular basis in the book.

I also learned a lot about some marketing concepts that I always sneered at such as branding. Chapman explains the power of branding and shows no one really understands how to go about “building a brand.”

Recommended.