First beware that books with almost the same titles have been written by the same author and some of his fellows between 1999 and 2007:
1999: "Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML: A Practical Approach": This is the "reference" book although it seems ICONIX has evolved since if we consider later books and various articles online. I am considering acquiring this one after disapointments about "Agile Development with ICONIX Process."
2001: "Applying Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML : An Annotated e-Commerce Example": This seems to have been written to illustrate the first book with a web example.
2005: "Agile Development with ICONIX Process, People, Process and Pragmatism": This is the book we are talking about here. I bought it because of its relative recentness and was quite disapointed: a bigger part of the book is dedicated to defend the ICONIX process on one hand (this is what many other comments denounce about the 1999 book), and to explore new extensions that obviously have not yet stabilized.
2006 and 2007: Two new books published only a few monthes apart, from two different editors, and especially with almost identical titles: "Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML - ICONIX Process in Theory and Practice" (Addison-Wesley, jun. 2006) and "Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML - Theory and Practice", (Apress, jan. 2007). The first is unavailable at this time on Amazon and is very expensive ($160). Given the titles, these two new (and identical ?) books might be a rewrite of the 1999 reference.
What I liked in the book:
1. The process is explained quite clearly
2. Whether you adhere to ICONIX or not (I do), the messages it carries is worth it: use a small and consistent subset of UML and the rest when only needed. It also helps to understand the "why's" of diffrent diagrams, that are not necessarily well explained by quality books such as UML Distilled.
3. For those who did some reading beforehand, the book shows what have been the minor evolutions (and the presistent doubts) in the process compared to what Rosenberg and Scott wrote online around 2001 (DrDobb's and InformIT.
2. An example is given (web), with som code, stressing the explorations around the robustness diagrams.
What I disliked about the book (this the three stars):
1. It is not a reference book :a) Robustness diagram rules aren't even exposed/reminded. b) Almost nothing is said about the milestones leaving (thus the need to consider buying the other books)
2. It is to some extent a too much propaganda book: The book is divided in three parts and only one is about the core process. The first part is ICONIX propaganda and the third part is about forrays into new [and probably immature] extensions.
3. There is a persistent ambiguity about whether use case text should be written as they are identified (before requirements review) or should these be left for the Analysis & Preliminary design phase (and checked at the preliminary design review).
Conclusion: If you'd consider buying a book about the ICONIX process, I'd advise you to buy the 1999 book or one of the two new ones. They most probably would contain precise guidelines on how the method works than this 2005 volume. You should buy this book only as a second read for 1999 or as complement for 2006 or 2007 if needed.
