Updates
Latest Tweet
What's New?
Check out for latest innovation, a computer based training video collection
Like this Page
Configuration Management Principles and Practice Review by Marcus Widerberg
Room for improvement
First, I must agree with other reviewer that it is odd that this book is in "The Agile Software development series". It reads more like an "old-school" book, that may well be used at university for an "encompassing" "fool-proof" view into CM.
I bought this book on reading the other reviews and since it was an "agile" book (almost all other agile books I have read are concise and worthwhile, packed with useful thoughts). This was, from that perspective, a great dissapointment.
My recommendation: Read the table of contents of this book. It is quite telling. In short: 1 chapter definition, 2 on standards/maturity models, 4 on what fields go into a CM system (phew), 5 on roles in CM (yup, you read that right). Then we get to the "practice" (part 4): 3 chapters that again list suggestions for id's of items, storing them, tracing them, etc. Heads up, here is the agile chapter (18). Or rather, its a section. Then there are some chapters that seem interesting but fail to be.
Lastly we get 5 more chapters on maturity models, this time on how to achieve them.
My biggest issues with the book are the constant repetition and the lack of form. Every chapter is a listing of things, the train of thought seems to be derived from a powerpoint slidedeck. I am impressed that the author managed to actually write a book that is as boring as this, constantly listing and reiterating points already touched upon. I would have wanted the maturity model coverage in a separate book and any knowledge left after that condensed in a useful format.
I am sorry to say that I cannot find this book that useful today. Were I charged with implementing a very formal SCM project at a fairly large shop, then... I would have looked into it seeing as it sits in the shelf, but I probably wouldnt use it then either. Sorry.