Reading List

 Below is a list of useful books from the past 30 years. While some may seem rather old most of the concepts underlying todays distributed service oriented based approach are well established and it is important that we build on what is already known rather than try to reinvent what is already well understood. All of the books are useful ones, those that are best to read first are shown in bold/red. A copy of the list is available available as an Excel file for you to download and review eareadinglist.xlsx .
Item Name Description Date Publisher ISBN Type Author
Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them In depth review of how platform business architectures are supplementing and replacing pipeline (or chain) business architectures   2016 WW Norton & Co 393354350 Business Models Geoffrey Parker and Marshall Alstyne
Business Objects - Re-Engineering for ReUse Very unusual book with a heavy focus on roles rather than just objects. Great for developing ideas, some of the approaches may be difficult to use in practice. 1996 Heinemann 0-7506-2082-X Business Objects Chris Partridge
Developing Business Objects - A Framework Driven Approach Interesting concepts behind the idea of business objects. 1996 McGraw Hill 0-07-709294-5 Business Objects Robert Prins
The Secrets of Consulting Consulting may be defined as the art of influencing people at their request. The Secrets of Consulting takes you behind the scenes of that art, explaining in detail why the world of consulting seems so irrational, and some very practical steps you can take to make it more rational. Topics include: Gaining control of change, marketing and pricing your services, what to do when they resist your ideas, and more. 1985 Dorset House 0-932633-01-3 Consulting Gerald Weinberg
Data Model Resource Book Volume 1 Great data model examples. 2001 John Wiley 0-471-38023-7 Data Models Len Silverston
Data Model Resource Book Volume 2 Great data model examples. 2001 John Wiley 0-471-35348-5 Data Models Len Silverston
Common Warehouse Metamodel Overview of the common warehouse model standard. 2002 John Wiley 0-471-20052-2 Data Models Poole, Chang, Tolbert & Mellor
Building The Data Warehouse The classic on Data Warehouse construction. 1993 John Wiley 0-764-59944-5 Data Warehouse W.H. Inmon
Intelligent Databases Very good overview of database types and their benefits. Written before the map and reduce approaches of big data but still a great overview of underlying data structure concepts. 1989 John Wiley 0-471-50345-2 Databases Parsaye, Chignell, Khoshafian & Wong
Object Databases - The Essentials Good background on object databases and comparisons between database types. 1995 Addison Wesley 0-201-56341-X Databases Mary Loomis
The Mythical Man Month (1st & 2nd Edition) The classic on project organisation and the reality of project rhythms. 1975 Addison Wesley 0-201-00650-2 Development Process Fred Brooks
Structured Walkthroughs Early classic on how to perform structured walkthroughs. 1978 Yourdon 0-917072-09-X Development Process Ed Yourdon
Principles of Software Engineering Management The original classic on iterative and evolutionary development. 1988 Addison Wesley 0-201-192246-2 Development Process Tom Gilb
Exploring Requirements - Quality Before Design A high-quality requirements process is an essential part of producing quality software. This book explores all aspects of the requirements process, developing practical new techniques and putting new vigour into old ones. It shows how to get all essential parties involved, test requirements, measure user satisfaction, ensure coverage of all requirements, detect and remove ambiguity, facilitate various types of requirements meetings, handle conflicting notational systems, and precisely defining functions, constraints, preferences, and expectations. The information in this book will allow you to improve your present requirements process, regardless of what you are now doing. 1989 Dorset House 0-932633-13-7 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
General Principles of Systems Design This effective approach to problem solving has been used for years with people in all walks of life. These guidelines include a novel collection of "laws" such as the eye-brain law, the strong connection law, and the used car law, plus such principles as the principle of invariance and the principle of indifference. Through these and other laws and principles, you'll see how to identify the problem, observe and interpret observation, and approach the solution to the problem. 1989 Dorset House 0-932633-07-2 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
Managing the Software Process The original ideas on software process maturity. 1989 Addison Wesley 0-201-18095-2 Development Process Watts Humphrey
Soft Systems Methodology in Action Example of soft systems methodology in practice, a companion book to Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. 1990 John Wiley 0-471-92768-6 Development Process Checkland & Scholes
System & Software Requirements Engineering Good literature review of the state of the art in the early 1990s. God for understanding the early approaches to requirements engineering. 1990 IEEE Computer Society Press 0-8186-8921-8 Development Process Thayer & Dorfman
Object Oriented Modelling & Design One of the original approaches for breaking software up into objects and managing object integration and complexity. 1991 Prentice Hall 0-13-630054-5 Development Process James Rumbaugh
Software Metrics Good overview of how to approach and use software metrics. 1991 Chapman & Hall 0-412--40440-0 Development Process Norman Fenton
Quality Software Management - Volume 1 - Systems Thinking The first volume in a series designed for managers who wish to help their organizations deliver and maintain quality software. This volume is devoted to the thinking processes that characterize high-quality managers, and is for all those people who wish to improve the quality of their efforts as software managers. 1992 Dorset House 0-932633-22-6 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
Object Oriented Software Engineering Ivar Jacobson's' original book on Use Cases. Great for understanding of what use cases are and providing the connection for the later development (duplication ) of the agile concept of User Stories. 1992 Addison Wesley 0-201-54435-0 Development Process Ivar Jacobson
Object oriented Software Development: Engineering Software for ReUse Very good early book of objects, comp[nonets and the background to real understanding about modularity and re-use. 1992 Van Nostrand Reinhold 0-442-00157-6 Development Process McGregor & Sykes
Quality Software Management - Volume 2 - First Order Measurement The second volume in the series is devoted to the processes by which high-quality managers obtain the information needed to steer their organizations toward high-quality products and services. 1993 Dorset House 0-932633-24-2 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
Software Inspection The original bible on software inspections - how to reduce error in all aspects of solution requirements, analysis and design. 1993 Addison Wesley 0-201-63181-4 Development Process Gilb & Graham
Systems Thinking, Systems Practice Checkland's classic on soft systems thinking, taking a large grained approach to systems structure. 1993 John Wiley 0-471-27911-0 Development Process Peter Checkland
Quality Software Management - Volume 3 - Congruent Action The third volume in the series is devoted to the kinds of actions taken by high quality managers, and what it takes to become the kind of person who can actually carry out such actions in the presence of day-to-day pressures. 1994 Dorset House 0-932633-28-5 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
Why Does Software Cost So Much? (And Other Puzzles of the Information Age) Useful thoughts on why software is difficult to create, maintain and reuse. 1995 Dorset House 0-932633-34-X Development Process Tom DeMarco
A Discipline for Software Engineering Extending the development of software processes into a more manageable discipline. 1995 Addison Wesley 0-201-54610-8 Development Process Watts Humphrey
Why Things Bite Back  - Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences Useful understanding of how technology advances sometimes cause problems as well as delivering initial benefits. 1996 Alfred A. Knopf 0-679-42563-2 Development Process Edward Tenner
OMT Insights Useful thought on the practical use of OO analysis and design. 1996 SIGS Books 0-13-846965-2 Development Process James Rumbaugh
Quality Software Management - Volume 4 - Anticipating Change The fourth volume in this series shows managers and developers what is necessary to change a software organization for the better, and how to create the core of change artists to lead such a change. (This is the "textbook" for Congruent Leadership Change Shop.) 1997 Dorset House 0-932633-32-3 Development Process Gerald Weinberg
Process For System Architecture and Requirements Engineering Good basics on the concepts of views, hierarchies and models. 2000 Dorset House 0-932633-41-2 Development Process Hatley, Hruschka & Pirbhai
Requirements Analysis - From Business Views To Architecture
 Very good overview of the Zachman architecture approach (despite its title). 2003 Prentice Hall 0-13-028228-6 Development Process David Hay
User Stories Applied The classic text on user stories. 2004 Addison Wesley 0-321-20568-5 Development Process Mike Cohn
Scaling Software Agility This reviews the development of software development methods and lifecycles and proposes the integration of structured and agile methods following the approach introduced in the Unified Method. 2007 Addison Wesley 0-321-45819-2 Development Process Dean Leffingwell
Implementing Lean Software Development Good overview of the theory behind running Agile projects. 2007 Addison Wesley 0-321-43738-1 Development Process Mary and Tom Poppendick
Information Engineering - Introduction James Martin's IE method explained 1989 Prentice Hall 0-13-464462-X Enterprise Architecture James Martin
Information Engineering - Planning & Analysis James Martin's IE method explained 1990 Prentice Hall 0-13-464885-4 Enterprise Architecture James Martin
Information Engineering - Design & Construction James Martin's IE method explained 1990 Prentice Hall 0-13-465501-X Enterprise Architecture James Martin
Enterprise Architecture Planning Early ideas on Enterprise Architecture supported by John Zachman. 1992 John Wiley 0-471-59985-9 Enterprise Architecture Steven Spewak
The Great Transition Martin's synthesis of how to apply IT and Data concepts to the delivery of fundamental business and technology change. 1995 American Management Association 0-8144-0315-8 Enterprise Architecture James Martin
Building Enterprise Information Systems Very good introduction to Information Engineering. 1996 Prentice Hall 0-13-440256-1 Enterprise Architecture Melissa Cook
Foundations of Component Based Systems Series of technical papers on components - useful for the background. 2000 Cambridge University Press 0-571-77164-1 Enterprise Architecture Gary Leavens & Murali Sitaraman
The Art of Strategic Planning for Information Technology  Relating strategic business planning to strategic IT development. 2001 John Wiley 0-471-37655-8 Enterprise Architecture Bernard Boar
The Art of Systems Architecting Defines the classic architecture paradigm and the background to today's approaches for systems architecture. 2002 CRC Press 0-8493-0440-7 Enterprise Architecture Mark Maier & Ebehardht Rectin
Software Architecture In Practice Award winning book on software architecture, including the ATAM approach. 2003 Addison Wesley 0-321-15495-9 Enterprise Architecture Clements, Bass & Katzman
Enterprise Service Bus Very good introduction to ESBs (Note it is from the VP of SONIC so has a particular product slant). 2004 O'Reilly 0-596-00675-6 Enterprise Architecture David Chappell
Enterprise Patterns and MDA Good introduction to Model Driven Architecture. 2004 Addison Wesley 0-321-11230-X Enterprise Architecture Jim Arlow & Ila Nuestadt
Enterprise Architecture at Work The Archimate approach to Enterprise Architecture. 2005 Springer 3-540-24371-2 Enterprise Architecture Marc Lankhorst et al.
The Knowledge Creating Company The classic on knowledge management and exploitation. 1995 Oxford University Press 0-19-509269-4 Knowledge Management Nonaka & Takeuchi
Design Patterns - Elements of Reusable Object Oriented Software Early classic on the development of OO based approaches to re-use. 1995 Addison Wesley 0-201-63361-2 Patterns Gamma, Helm, Johnson & Vlissides
Patterns of Software - Tales from the Software Community Examples of practice and challenges in creating effective software reuse. 1996 Oxford University Press 0-19-510269-X Patterns Richard P. Gabriel
Analysis Patterns Early classic on analysis patterns. 1997 Addison Wesley 0-201-89542-0 Patterns Martin Fowler
Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture Overview of enterprise applications and patterns. 2003 Addison Wesley 0-321-127242-0 Patterns Martin Fowler
Enterprise Integration Patterns Patterns for software integration in varying situations. 2004 Addison Wesley 0-321-20068-3 Patterns Gregor Holpe & Bobby Woolf
Controlling Software Projects - Management, Measurement & Estimation The original classic on software metrics. 1982 Yourdon 0-13-171711-1 Project Management Tom DeMarco
The Deadline - A Novel About Project Management Fantastic overview of different methods and lifecycle approaches to software development projects. Summarises all of the major ideas and visionaries. Also a cracking good read. 1997 Dorset House 0-932633-39-0 Project Management Tom DeMarco
Waltzing With Bears Great review of the key factors impacting the risk management of software projects. 2003 Dorset House 0-932633-60-9 Project Management Tom Demarco and Tim Lister
Re-Engineering the Corporation - A Manifesto For Business Revolution One of the originals on business re-engineering. 1993 Nicholas Brearley Publishing 1-85788-029-3 Re-engineering Hammer & Champy
Process Innovation - Re-Engineering Work Through Information Technology Early thoughts on process driven re-engineering. 1993 Harvard Business School Press 0-87584-366-2 Re-engineering Thomas H. Davenport
Re-Engineering Management - The Mandate for New Leadership Champy's follow-up on how to manage re-engineering projects more effectively. 1995 Harper Collins 0-00-255521-2 Re-engineering James Champy
Beyond Re-Engineering - How the Process Centred Organisation is Changing Our Work and Our Lives Hammer's follow up about the impact of re-engineering. 1996 Harper Collins 0-00-255643-X Re-engineering Michael Hammer
Software ReUse - A Holistic Approach Very good overview of the state of software reuse at the height of the focus on trying to create effective reusable code. 1995 John Wiley 0-471-95819-0 Reuse Even-Andre Karlsson
Software Fortresses Very good introduction to security concepts using the analogy of physical fortresses. 2003 Addison Wesley 0-321-16608-6 Security Roger Sessions
Becoming A Technical Leader - An Organic Approach the Problem Solving This book is a personalized guide to developing the qualities that make a successful leader. It identifies which leadership skills are most effective in a technical environment and why technical people have characteristic trouble in making the transition to a leadership role. For anyone who is a leader, hopes to be one, or would like to avoid being one. (This is the "textbook" for Problem Solving Leadership Workshop.) 1986 Dorset House 0-932633-02-1 Skills & Capabilities Gerald Weinberg
Decline & Fall of the American Programmer Interesting early book on how outsourcing caused the move for lower value repetitive software development  to off shore locations. 1993 Yourdon 0-13-191958-X Skills & Capabilities Ed Yourdon
The Wisdom of Teams Useful understanding on the structure and dynamics of teams. 1993 Harvard Business School Press 0-87583-367-0 Skills & Capabilities Katzenback & Smith
Constantine on Peopleware Useful perspectives on improving skills and their application in practice. 1995 Yourdon 0-13-331976-8 Skills & Capabilities Larry L. Constantine
Rise & Resurrection of the American Programmer Following from the "Decline and Fall" Yourdon explained why high value software design and engineering remained and expanded in key high knowledge areas such as Silicon Valley. 1996 Prentice Hall 0-13-121831-X Skills & Capabilities Ed Yourdon
Journey of the Software Professional - A Sociology of Software Development Good overview of the development software engineering approaches and how to make them more successful. 1997 Prentice Hall 0-13-236613-4 Skills & Capabilities Luke Hohmann
Service Oriented Architecture - A Field Guide Focus on XML and Web Services. 2004 Prentice Hall 0-13-142898-5 SOA Thomas Erl
Enterprise SOA SOA and the development of architecture roadmaps. 2005 Prentice Hall 0-13-146575-9 SOA Krafzig, Banke & Slama
Service Oriented Architecture Concepts, Technology & Design Comprehensive evaluation of SOA concepts. 2005 Prentice Hall 0-13-185858-0 SOA Thomas Erl
Service Oriented Architecture Concepts IBMs early approach to SOA. 2006 IBM Press 0-13-187002-5 SOA Bieberstein, Bose, Fiammante, Jones & Shah
Testing Computer Software Good overview of software testing from all aspects. 1999 John Wiley 0-471-35846-0 Testing Kaner, Falk & Nguyen

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