Software Test Automation
Mark Fewster & Dorothy Graham, Addison Wesley, 1999
If you have or are about to buy a test execution tool, this book is essential
to help you achieve
" provides the equivalent of 2 or 3 years of on the job experience - James Bach".
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Software Inspection
Tom Gilb & Dorothy Graham, Addison Wesley, 1993
Find out the secrets of why Inspection is the most effective review technique.
Select the most powerful elements to add to your own review skills
– the answers to your questions will be found in this book.
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Foundations of Software Testing
Dorothy Graham, Erik Van Veenendaal, Isabel
Evans & Rex Black, Cengage Learning, 2008
A description of software testing based on the International Software Testing
Qualifications Board (ISTQB) Foundation Syllabus. This book gives a
solid grounding in testing and will help prepare you for the ISTQB
Foundation exam.
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A Practitioner's Guide to Software Test Design
Lee Copeland, Artech House,
2004
The best book on testing techniques: each technique is clearly explained with
good examples, well laid out. Lee explains techniques that are confusing
in other books!
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How to Break Software: a Practical Guide to Testing
James A Whittaker, Addison-Wesley
2002
If you want to find lots of bugs, this book has lots of advice and ways to make
applications fail, categorised into user and system interface attacks.
Many of them are applying traditional techniques in extreme ways (e.g.
boundary value analysis), but Whittaker brings a fresh approach to
testing – bug-finding is fun.
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Lessons Learned in Software Testing: a Context-Driven Approach
Cem Kaner,
James Bach & Bret Pettichord, Wiley, 2002
This book will really make you think. You may not agree with everything in it
(I don’t), but it is a very good collection of thoughts about testing.
It is a book intended to be dipped into, and this works very well.
An average 'lesson' is half to a page, and they are grouped by general
topics.
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Pragmatic Software Testing
Rex Black, Wiley, 2007
A good book on all aspects of testing – includes exercises with worked solutions
to techniques (e.g. orthogonal arrays), as well as reviews and risk
analysis. Both technical and management issues are addressed – lots
of good advice here.
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Peer Reviews in Software: a practical guide
Karl E. Wiegers, Addison Wesley,
2002
An excellent book on reviews. It contains lots of good advice on people and
cultural issues, and selecting the right type of review. Inspection
is covered well from a developer’s perspective. Good examples of metrics
are included.
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Risk-based e-business Testing
Paul Gerrard & Neil Thompson, Artech House, 2002
Although e-business has moved on since this book was written, the basic principles
of risk-based testing are still applicable, and represent the best
way to approach the classic question in testing: 'how much is enough'.
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Software Testing, a craftsman's approach
Paul C. Jorgensen, 3rd. Edition,
Auerbach, 2008
This book provides an approachable mathematical basis for some of the classic
testing techniques. For the first time, graph theory makes sense! The
book includes black and white box techniques, integration and system
testing, and object-oriented testing, with a chapter on test-driven
design. A rigorous book for a serious software tester.
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Software Testing Fundamentals: Methods and Metrics
Marnie Hutcheson, Wiley,
2003
This book has lots of useful and practical ideas including metrics and the “MITs”
method – Most Important Tests. Her style is very readable; I like the
“it” metric, the “I feel lucky” software development approach, and
why coverage is like the maze of the Minotaur.
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Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing a People-Oriented Approach
William E. Perry & Randall W. Rice, Dorset House Publishing, 1997
A very readable little book with lots of very helpful advice, particularly about
people and political issues. Each chapter includes author experiences
of the problems described and practical solutions. The automation chapter
is weak, but a new edition of this book is due out soon (2009?)
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Systematic Software Testing
Rick D. Craig & Stefan P. Jaskiel, Artech House, 2002
A very thorough book about all aspects of testing, including test planning and
organisation, and the “test-first” STEP approach (Systematic Test and
Evaluation Process).
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Test Process Improvement: a practical step-by-step guide to structured testing
Tim Koomen & Martin Pol, Addison Wesley, 1999
A structured approach to test process improvement, this book tells
you what you need to know to assess your current maturity, and
ways to improve it.
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The Art of Software Testing
Glenford J. Myers, Wiley, 1979
The original “classic” book on testing (1979 edition). Starting with
a self-assessment test, it covers the fundamentals of what testing
is, and the testing mindset. The general parts are well worth reading,
although the technical aspects are now well out of date. I am informed
that the 2nd edition is not as good, so this may become a collector’s
item.
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Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
Tom DeMarco et al., Dorset House,
2008
This book is a collection of vivid descriptions of human behaviour in the workplace.
Some of the patterns are helpful; some of them are not. With catchy
names and the authors’ experiences, this book will help you recognise,
encourage or avoid similar patterns in your own workplace.
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Communication Gaps: and How to Close Them
Naomi Karten, Dorset House, 2002
Who hasn’t suffered from mis-understandings or a failure to communicate or understand?
This book helps make sense of how we communicate in both personal and
business situations. Useful examples and practical techniques are described.
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More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit
Gerald M Weinberg, Dorset
House, 2001
Any of Jerry Weinberg’s books are great – this one includes many useful “tools”
to use. For example, the 'Yes/No medallion': when you say yes to someone
else, you are saying no to yourself. Readable, insightful and amusing.
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Peopleware: Productive projects and teams
Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister, Dorset House, 1999
This is a classic book on people issues, with short but very pointed chapters,
including a very amusing one about one of the earliest test teams.
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Principles of Software Engineering Management
Tom Gilb, Addison Wesley, 1988
A classic of good advice in a very readable format. Tom advocated building systems
in small chunks well before the agile movement came along. His other
ideas on measurement and inspection are equally effective today.
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Slack: Getting past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency
Tom
DeMarco, Broadway Books, 2001
Everyone seems to be pursuing the goal of efficiency. This book shows how dangerous
this can be if taken to the extreme. Tom argues that total efficiency
stifles any change and leads to stagnation, not progress.
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The Inmates are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech products drive us crazy and
how to restore the sanity
Alan Cooper, SAMS Publishing, 1999
This book may change the way you think of our world forever. With many
amusing and frightening stories, Cooper shows why usability design
is not enough. We need 'interaction design' to save us from the relentless
tide of geek-friendly but people-hostile software.
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The Psychology of Everyday Things
Donald A Norman, BasicBooks, 1988
Your attitude to doors will never be the same after you read this book. A powerful
discussion of usability of the objects we interact with on a daily
basis, with parallels to the computer world.
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The Bug
Ellen Ullman, Doubleday, 2003
An engrossing story about a tester, an infamous bug known as UI-1017 and the
programmer who was charged with trying to fix it. As the frustrations
with this bug eat away at Ethan the programer, Roberta the tester is
drawn into the programming world.
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Vital Lies, Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception
Daniel Goleman,
Bloomsbury, 1996
A fascinating insight into how the human mind is capable of deceiving itself,
and why we do it (to protect ourselves from pain).
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Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management
Johanna Rothman & Esther Derby, The Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2005
This book is scenario based and includes lots of really useful advice in a very
readable and concise format. It is intended for a new manager with
a technical background. Its focus is on what happens behind the scenes,
such as dealing with people on a one-on-one basis.
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