Agile and Iterative Development and over 450,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
64 used & new from $26.88
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
or
Get a $5.20 Amazon.com Gift Card
 
   
Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Agile and Iterative Development on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide (Paperback)

~ Craig Larman (Author) "What value will you get from studying this book, an introduction to iterative and agile methods?..." (more)
Key Phrases: common project room, timeboxed iterations, many short iterations, Sprint Backlog, Unified Process, Planning Game (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
List Price: $49.99
Price: $38.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $11.00 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, March 23? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
38 new from $30.00 25 used from $26.88 1 collectible from $49.00

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $35.09   -- --
Paperback $38.99   $30.00 $26.88

Frequently Bought Together

Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide + Agile Estimating and Planning + Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)
Total List Price: $144.97
Price For All Three: $101.05

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide by Craig Larman

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • Agile Estimating and Planning by Mike Cohn

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional) by Ken Schwaber

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Agile Estimating and Planning

Agile Estimating and Planning

by Mike Cohn
4.7 out of 5 stars (54)  $35.67
Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)

Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)

by Ken Schwaber
4.3 out of 5 stars (49)  $26.39
Agile Software Development with Scrum (Series in Agile Software Development)

Agile Software Development with Scrum (Series in Agile Software Development)

by Mike Beedle
4.4 out of 5 stars (48)  $31.96
The Art of Agile Development

The Art of Agile Development

by James Shore
4.6 out of 5 stars (36)  $31.05
Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum

Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum

by Mike Cohn
5.0 out of 5 stars (17)  $38.99
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 book's goal is quality information that can be quickly understood and applied.

From the Back Cover

Agile/iterative methods: From business case to successful implementation

This is the definitive guide for managers and students to agile and iterative development methods: what they are, how they work, how to implement them—and why you should.

Using statistically significant research and large-scale case studies, noted methods expert Craig Larman presents the most convincing case ever made for iterative development. Larman offers a concise, information-packed summary of the key ideas that drive all agile and iterative processes, with the details of four noteworthy iterative methods: Scrum, XP, RUP, and Evo. Coverage includes:

  • Compelling evidence that iterative methods reduce project risk
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Agile and iterative values and practices
  • Dozens of useful iterative and agile practice tips
  • New management skills for agile/iterative project leaders
  • Key practices of Scrum, XP, RUP, and Evo

Whether you're an IT executive, project manager, student of software engineering, or developer, Craig Larman will help you understand the promise of agile/iterative development, sell it throughout your organizationaeand transform the promise into reality.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (August 21, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0131111558
  • ISBN-13: 978-0131111554
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #84 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Object-Oriented Design

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Craig Larman
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Craig Larman Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
What value will you get from studying this book, an introduction to iterative and agile methods? Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
common project room, timeboxed iterations, many short iterations, early visible progress, onsite customer, agile project management, daily tracker, predictive plan, evolutionary delivery, iteration planning meeting, agile methods, iteration goals, defects cause loss, ceremony scale, iterative project, requirements workshops, adaptive planning, waterfall lifecycle, waterfall project, evolutionary requirements, iteration length, inventive projects, agile modeling, pair programming, iterative development
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sprint Backlog, Unified Process, Planning Game, Product Backlog, Scrum Master, Product Owner, Barry Boehm, Extreme Programming, Wideband Delphi, Agile Manifesto, Agile Software Development, Development Case, Tom Gilb, Alistair Cockburn, Kent Beck, Frederick Brooks, Project Mercury, Responsive Browsing, The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, Jeff Sutherland, Ken Schwaber, Agile Principle, Dorset House, Grady Booch, Harlan Mills
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 49 books:
See all 49 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide
64% buy the item featured on this page:
Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide 4.5 out of 5 stars (48)
$38.99
Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum
11% buy
Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum 5.0 out of 5 stars (17)
$38.99
Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)
9% buy
Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional) 4.3 out of 5 stars (49)
$26.39
Agile Estimating and Planning
8% buy
Agile Estimating and Planning 4.7 out of 5 stars (54)
$35.67
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(28)
(16)
(12)
(11)
(10)
(10)
(8)
(6)
(3)
(1)
Agree with these tags?
See all 34 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

48 Reviews
5 star:
 (33)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (48 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive look at proven methods, July 7, 2004
If ever there is a book that should be part of a college-level software engineering curriculum as well as carefully read by software engineering development and project managers this is it. Every major iterative development methodology is covered in complete detail, with an emphasis on Agile methods, and a solid business and technical case is provided for the general approach.

Why make a case for? As difficult as it may be to believe, the waterfall method is still prevalent despite the large body of literature on rapid, iterative development SDLCs. Indeed, I have worked in environments that claimed to embrace the RUP as the enterprise methodology in principle, yet in practice projects were planned and managed using the waterfall SDLC. Why the disconnect? Managers were set in their ways and had no true understanding of the mechanics or value of Agile and iterative development methods.

This book can change that because each major approach is carefully described using the following format for easy comparison and to clearly show strengths and weaknesses:
Method Overview
Lifecycle
Workproducts, Roles, and Practices
Values
Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings
Sample Projects
Process Mixtures
Adoption Strategies
Fact versus Fantasy
Strengths versus "Other"

More importantly, these approaches are placed in the context of the benefits of incremental delivery, with clearly presented evidence of the benefits, which is provided in Chapter 6.

Regardless of biases or preferences, any objective reader will come away with a clear sense of the meaning of 'Agile' and the power and value of iterative development. You will also come away with a good frame of reference with which to compare your own organization's approach to development and delivery, and how to improve it.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally. Evidence., October 29, 2003
By Lasse Koskela (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I was expecting a lot from this book, having read and enjoyed Larman's prior work. On the other hand, I expected it to be somewhat simplistic as the title implied the target group being managers, which I am not. One of these expectations was correct.

Larman's latest presents a wonderful introduction into what iterative and evolutionary development is about. The word "agile" in the title seems a bit displaced as the text mostly discusses about "iterative" and "evolutionary" rather than "agile", but that really is no big deal because what's inside the covers is pure gold for any one.

After a thorough introduction to the theory, Larman drops a bomb on the table; the chapter titled "Evidence" is worth the salt alone. Larman has collected an impressive list of references to early, large projects employing iterative and evolutionary development. He also reminds us how the creators of predictive planning based methods have themselves preferred an iterative approach from day one.

The book also packs nice descriptions of four iterative and evolutionary processes, namely XP, Scrum, UP, and Evo. The descriptions are clear but, to some degree, repetitive.

Although the chapter on evidence is definitely the gold chip, the last 70 pages proved to be a very pleasant surprise. Larman presents a list of practical tips and tricks for adopting and running iterative processes, as well as answers the toughest questions in a Q/A section.

Highly recommended. Have your boss read it as well.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Adios Waterfall, November 25, 2003
By Patrick Wilson-Welsh (Detroit area, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Yes, indeed, Finally. Abundant proof in one book that the traditional waterfall approach is a terrible way to manage software projects, and is therefore slowly being displaced by agile and iterative approaches. Larman does a devastatingly thorough job of debunking waterfall once and for all.

The book cogently and painstakingly explains how several of waterfall's practices have been conclusively linked to project failures, and how, on the other hand, the practices of Agile and iterative methods like Scrum and XP reduce project risk. Larman summarizes research findings encompassing thousands of projects, and quotes the supporting opinions of standards bodies and industry thought-leaders. The net effect is compelling, to say the least.

If you are an Agile skeptic, this book may rattle your conviction. If you are fence-sitter, it may convince you. And if you already have Agile fire in the belly, then certainly this book will stoke that fire. After reading it, I am left wondering how intelligent, experienced software development management can justify the continued use of a process that has wasted so much money and caused so much pain.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A good reference for those transitioning from traditional software development methods to Agile
Having employed traditional software development methodology in managing projects previously, this book has helped me by introducing agile concepts & methodology, allowing me to... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lisa Oh

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent survey of agile methods and practices
This book is organized for easy self-directed exploration, with extensive margin references to sections that expand on topics mentioned. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dale Schumacher

4.0 out of 5 stars Great first book to read for managers...but you need another after choosing your method
In my experience there is always something about a particular agile method that you don't like. This book provides a brilliant examination and comparison of the methods that let... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Simon Reavely

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent survey of iterative and incremental development (IID) methodologies
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... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Erik Gfesser

5.0 out of 5 stars Great comprehensive guide
Unlike many of the books out there, this book covers iterative development techniques in general. The book is well organized and structured and gives a good framework for... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Conor Morrison

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative but boring
This book tries to provide an overview of several different "non-Waterfall" techniques for managing and organizing projects. Read more
Published on December 23, 2007 by KWF

3.0 out of 5 stars good graphics but too much on waterfall
What caught my eye on seeing this on the bookshelf were the color of typography, the small notes near the edges of the page that summarized a paragraph, the good graphics and... Read more
Published on October 23, 2007 by arzewski

5.0 out of 5 stars broad overview of various methods with details on mechanics
The book is very informative and presents both previous (EVO, XP) and current (UP, Scrum) methodologies. Read more
Published on October 12, 2007 by J. Morris

4.0 out of 5 stars good start
Well this book seemed to be a perfect choice if you want to get an introduction to existing agile methods. Read more
Published on September 2, 2007 by Elohazi Janos

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview of Iterative and Agile
This book provides a very good overview for managers of the Iterative & Agile Development methods. I liked this book...it isn't too in-depth... Read more
Published on July 23, 2007 by Eric D. Brown

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.