Software Testing: The Basics of the Trade Review

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(More customer reviews)I was reviewing this book to see if it would be something worth advising my employees to read. I was looking for something short and to the point that would cover briefly cover all aspects of Test Engineering without offering opinions into which methods work and don't work. The only part of the book you really get to read in the 10 page preview is the introduction, the author makes it a point to tell you that he is writing a book free of opinions & gets to the heart of what Test Engineering really is.
This is why I decided to give the book a shot, unfortunately the author is unable to keep to his own goal. Right from the start he is trying to convince you that his book is worth reading, explaining why other books are no good &/or not worth the money. He continues this kind of attitude through at least the end of chapter 2 (for that is as far as I was able to read). He bashed on the programming skills of people from foreign countries and pretty much bashes on anyone who isn't him.
This book is a complete waste of time & I would advise anyone wanting to learn about Test Engineering to look elsewhere. There is nothing to learn here except how to have a poor attitude which is not a skill anyone hoping to find a job want to have.

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In many companies, software testers are simply considered software developers with a lower pay. However, that's not the case. While it is true that software testing involves a lot of programming, it also requires a significantly different mind set and skills. Let's illustrate this with a story:
Dark Ages. First, the developer arrives at the site and starts to plan the castle. He thinks, "Let's put it on top of that hill, it's the highest and provides a good, defendable position. It will also border with a river and so the defenders will always have water. Walls? Five meters thick and enforced concrete should do the trick. Gates... steel, half a meter thick. Good."
Then the test team arrives on horses in a full armor, and the test lead starts to look at the castle. His thoughts are a bit different, "Ok, the position is strong, cannot take it over with a direct attack. What about the tower? Ladders will not work, too tall... May be walls? Enforced concrete, five meters thick, cannot use a ram. No, no weakness here. Gates... hm-m-m... Steel, half a meter thick, cannot break through. By the way, did they lock them?"
This book is devoted to software testing as a trade, something that people do for a living. And the primary thing that separates the trade and the art is that you cannot limit yourself to a single technique, area, or dimension of your trade. Van Gogh could paint some of his pictures in blue. It was later called a "blue period" and these pictures are in the best museums of the world, because it was art. Software testers have to use all of the spectrum and keep in mind all the dimensions of software testing, because it's their trade.
A complete up-to-date picture of the dimensions of software testing is what this book is about.
Is this book right for you?
From the author:
Got an interview for a software tester or software design engineer in test (SDET) position? Read this book and go for the kill.
Got a phone interview for a software tester or SDET position? Print the table of contents available on the publisher's site for free, and use it as a plan and reference. You'll be back ordering soon.
Got a software tester position? Read this book to keep it.
Got a software project to manage with the testing outsourced to India? Read this book to know whether they do it right or screw you and themselves over.
Have a test team in India to sell their services in the United States? Bulk orders are welcome.
Still in college? Do you take a course on software design and development? Do you have a test for it?
New to the software development? Fresh from college? Read this book to learn what you are missing (unless you read it in the college).
Have 20 years of experience in the software industry as I do? Know it all and observed software testing growing from Glen Myer's "The Art of Software Testing" to its modern state? Read this book anyway. You'll enjoy it a lot. And you'll be able to fully appreciate it.
Am I bragging? Yes. You would be too, if you wrote such a good book.
Who is this book for?
Software testers, developers, Computer Science and Information Technology students, software project managers.

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