I don't know why it is, but it must be significant, that of all the computing books I've read or reviewed in the last two years, the ones about agile and extreme programing stand out for good writing and an ability to project enthusiasm. This book is no exception. One caveat though, don't expect it to give you a checklist to tick off for extreme programming - this is a book concerned with the philosophy of extreme programming.

This book will be of use to a number of different categories of programmers. For those who would like to find out about extreme programming, it is a classy advocacy and explanatory book. For those who would like to introduce extreme programming into their workplace it is chock full of information that can help you win the struggle. Finally for those already practicing extreme programming, this book can fill in the gaps and give you ideas on how to take things forward.

Of, course, there are other things I would have liked to have seen in it. More discussion on large projects for instance, or at the other end, discussion of extreme programming practices for the lone programmer. As the only programmer in my company, I find it difficult to practice pair programming...

But these are not deficiencies - no reasonable sized book can cover everything - and I would heartily recommend this book to any programmer who wants to deepen his or her understanding of the craft. Just one question, Kent. How is it that the prophet of the short cycle and refactoring took five years and a complete re-write to produce the second iteration of his book?

Highly recommended.

(book supplied for review by ACCU)

Alan Lenton
31 March 2005

Extreme Programming Explained
by Kent Beck
0-321-27865-8
Addison-Wesley 189pp @ $34.99

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