"Lessons learned in software testing" provides 293 lessons the authors learned during their many years working as software testers, test managers and consultants. This book is perhaps one of the most insightful books on testing ever written. It covers a broad range of testing issues and most of the topics are relevant outside the world of testing. To give an example, the authors discussions related to documentation, standards or licensing are not limited to testing. They clearly explain their thinking behind their arguments and parts like these are useful reads for anyone!
The book is organized around 293 lessons which are a paragraph to a couple pages long. The lessons are organized around eleven chapters. At first, I was annoyed by the structure of the book, but as I got used to it, I started to appreciate the structure in different lessons. Especially since it helped the authors in expressing conflicting thoughts well.
The first chapters cover the most basic questions. The first is about the role a tester has and already here the authors present a perhaps controversial view on testing as a service as opposed to as a quality police, which is often seen in larger organizations. The second chapter relates to how to think as a tester. It provides interesting references in completely different knowledge areas which might help testers become better. The third chapter is somewhat misplaced in the book, though still useful. It's a chapter that covers different testing techniques. It doesn't cover it thoroughly, but that is not the purpose of this book. For more thorough coverage of testing techniques, its probably better to pick up another book.
The fourth chapter is about writing bugs. Its insightful since it especially clarifies a lot about the role of testing from the authors perspective. The fifth chapter covers test automation and makes important observations related to test automation... especially that test automation is not the same as automated manual testing. I found the wording insightful and again stresses the role of the tester and especially the skill of testers.
Chapter six is perhaps one of the more controversial ones about documenting testing. As a logical conclusion from the focus on the role of tester (mentioned earlier), it makes sense to limit the documentation somewhat. Documentation is not a substitute for skill. However, they provide a balanced view and do not recommend to throw your documentation out of the window, but instead analyze your particular situation and create only the documentation that is needed.
The next three chapters relate to working with other persons. First how to work with programmers, then how to manage a testing project and how to manage a testing group. Chapter ten relates to building a testing career. Also here, some of the advise is general to "a career", not specifically a testing one.
The last chapter about strategy seemed to me somewhat odd. The book would have ended well with the manage your testing career and its not totally clear to me why the authors added this chapter still. It's not useless, just doesn't seem to fit in very well.
All in all, the book is a good read! It's funny and very insightful and sometimes controversial. I was considering a rating of four or five stars. I was thinking about four since I did not always agree with the authors for example, on their views on test automation. Though, lots has been learned about that the last years! On the other hand, I do not know any more insightful book related to this subject. And, I'd even recommend it to people who do not do software testing at all! So, therefore I decided to go for five stars! Well worth reading!
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4.6 out of 5
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Top reviews from other countries
Rodolfo
Importantes lições no desenvolvimento de testes de software
Reviewed in Brazil on March 8, 2024
Sheikh F.
A book that teaches the fundamentals
Reviewed in Germany on December 20, 2022
