Agile and Iterative Development: A
Managers Guide by Craig Larman
Excellent Survey Of Iterative And Incremental Development (Iid) Methodologies
Agile and iterative methods have emerged as the most popular
approaches to software development, and with good reason. Research
(examined and cited in detail within this book) shows that iterative methods
reduce the risk of failure, compared to traditional models of development.
This book is an efficient introduction for both managers and practitioners
that need a distilled and carefully organized learning aid for the hands-on
practices from planning to requirements to testing and the values that
define these methods. The author also provides evidence of the value of
switching to agile and iterative methods. By studying this book, the reader
will learn to apply the key ideas in agile and iterative development, the
details and comparison of four influential iterative methods (Scrum,
Extreme Programming, Evo, and the Unified Process), answers to
frequently asked questions, and important related management skills. The
books goal is quality information that can be quickly understood and
applied.
Personal Review: Agile and Iterative Development: A Managers
Guide by Craig Larman
This work by Larman shares some commonalities with Balancing Agility
and Discipline, a work by Boehm and Turner (see my review for that book)
in which a wide range of methodologies are compared side-by-side to
determine the best fit for teams. However, rather than serving as a guide to
determine best fit from a wide assortment of methodologies, Larman's
work is limited to a discussion of Scrum, XP, Unified Process (i.e.
RUP/UP), and Evo, within the broader context of what the author
categories as iterative and incremental development (IID). In my opinion,
this book is probably the best organized text on this subject currently
available in the marketplace. Although the subtitle for this work categorizes
itself as a manager's guide, the content Larman has included here will
prove beneficial for anyone involved in software development. And this is

the case even if one does not read the four methodology-specific chapters.
After a thorough explanation of iterative and evolutionary development, the
author discusses its relationship to agile development and the motivation
behind adopting such methodologies. The subsequent chapter on the
evidence behind the effectiveness of IID is the most concise listing of
research findings I have come across. While this chapter begins with a
warning that "exhaustive data can make for exhaustive reading" and that it
is "probably best spot-read as a reference", at only about 30 pages in
length it is well recommended. While many in technology recognize the
benefits of IID and have used the ideas brought to the table by various IID
methodologies to some extent, the author reminds the reader that not only
do many technology shops simply remain paralyzed by waterfall methods
that view software as a predictive process, but that IID has been around for
decades. David L. Parnas, a software engineering pioneer who developed
the concept of module design, is quoted by Larman as follows. "Q: What
are the most exciting, promising software engineering ideas or techniques
on the horizon? A: I don't think that the most promising ideas are on the
horizon. They are already here and have been for years, but are not being
used properly." I found the following sections within the specific
methodology discussions to be especially beneficial: common mistakes
and misunderstandings (or how to fail with a particular methodology), signs
that one has not understood a particular methodology, sample projects,
process mixtures, and adoption strategies. In addition, the reader might be
interested in knowing that the last chapter consists solely of questions and
answers summarizing many of the main discussions presented elsewhere
in the preceding eleven chapters, serving as a quick reference by pointing
to specific portions of the text where ideas are elaborated upon.
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