I got to know about Code Simplicity: The Science of Software Development book via some O’Reilly promotion and bought an eBook for some $6 or Re. 300.
Some good points:
- The most obvious good thing about this book is that its not huge, everything covered in 90 pages. So this was something exciting for me. Also the chapters are concise.
- Concepts have been explained in a concise manner and the language is simple, so you can get an idea of what the author tries to tell.
- Useful for someone starting off in software development
Now something not so good about the book:
- Really vague and certainly not useful for a seasoned developer, not even for some mid level developer, as lot of concepts seem obvious.
- More like a collection of articles enhanced to form a book.
- The title says- The science of Software development, but stating a formula and a law or two doesnt make a subject Science. I think the author hasnt been able to justify Software Design as a science.
Lot of the concepts explained in the book are put forth as science, but I dont agree. A lot still depends on the individual, they can be stated as guidelines but not something as concrete as Newtons Laws of Motion. The idea of software design, development varies a lot between companies, but I dont think Newton’s laws dont vary with places. But when it comes to software design, the onus is on the developer, and the code reviewers. I dont say that the topics covered in the book are not useful, they are certainly useful and I enjoyed reading them. Few ideas where really useful, but as a whole the idea of Science of Software development fails.
If at all anytime you get a copy of this book and you are new to software development be it student or a professional I would certainly recommend this book. But there are lots of other better books but considering the volume of this book, I would say nothing is lost in reading it.
Someone wants to buy? head over to Amazon or Flipkart.
Thank you for such a thorough review on Code Simplicity. I have been on the fence on this one, but it might be worth a glance. Another good read I have just finished that you might enjoy is John R. Fox’s book, Digital Work in an Analog World, which offers something for everyone in the software profession.
Thanks Audrey for reading the review. I am about to place the order for Digital Work in an Analog World. Thanks for suggesting the book!
You’re welcome, Mohamed. Enjoy :}.