This book is a professional tester's perspective of being involved into an XP project. The book will invigorate the testers who never worked in XP environment to start doing this practice. The book starts with an introductory overview on XP, which is self-contained and should be easily understood by any tester, unless he or she has prejudices against XP. This introduction is helpful for those who inherently would like to use XP. The skeptical readers should first take attention to Kent Beck's "Extreme Programming Explained".

For those who don't like to imagine of someone in the tester "role" on an XP project, the authors encourage to think of having a programmer with a "tester focus". The authors define the tester role to fill the communication gap between the user and the programmers.

For those who are already practicing XP, this book should be a good repetition of the core XP practices. If you like to refresh in memory the essential aspects of XP, read this book. The authors give their own vantage point on XP, which compliments the original Kent Beck's idea.

This book also contains the introduction to some automated test tools like JUnit (a testing framework for Java) or JWebArt (an HTTP-based web testing tool). However, the JUnit introduction given in this book won't help great deal to the C++ programmers, because the CppUnit, the C++ testing framework, have sufficient differences from JUnit. What the XP community who work with C++ really miss at the date of publication of this book is a good CppUnit manual.

The book also have essential focus on story estimation and iteration planning, from the tester's perspective. However, from the programmer's point of view, this book contain very few useful ideas. The programmers might want to refer to Ron Jeffries' "Extreme Programming Installed" for some useful testing strategies, tips and tricks.

While I yield to no one in recognizing the value of testing software, my first reaction to reading the title of this book was one of skepticism. One of the fundamental principles of extreme programming (XP), is that the software is developed in small increments, each of which must pass a unit test before the next change is made. In fact, in many cases the unit test is written by the developers before they write the code. These incremental tests are also carried out by the two-person coding team, so it seemed strange to be reading about testing XP. From the title and blurbs on the covers, it was a natural assumption that the focus would be on testing other than that done by the development teams.
After reading the book, that skepticism has largely gone, although I do possess some residual doubts about XP and how it scales. The basic point is that programmers are very good at testing their code at the unit level, but weak when asked to verify it at the system level. I agree with the authors that there should be a dedicated tester who examines the code at a level higher than the unit. However, I am also of the opinion that this is a confirmation of the doubt about XP expressed by so many observers, namely that it does not scale up to large projects well. The testers that they are proposing are more in the realm of a manager responsible for testing rather than a tester.
This is of course very sensible. Once the programmers start producing code tested at the unit level and the integration process begins, someone must be responsible for the smooth flow and testing of the integration. This is also the level where the ever-present customer, another fundamental principle of XP, really sees the functionality of the code for the first time. While XP proponents speak a great deal about having the customer at the side of the coding team, realism dictates that they will generally be restricted from that level. Only the most technically sophisticated customer will be able to glean any useful information from most of the unit tests that will be performed. This is where the additional layer of the test manager is of use. By creating and demonstrating the higher level tests, the test manager can give the customer information that they will understand and can respond to.
The authors also put forward a very controversial statement, "No manual tests. All acceptance tests on an Extreme Programming project must be automated." While I am in general agreement with the principle that tests should be automated for easy repetition at each level, the reality is that nearly every use of words such as { "no", "never", "all"} is too extreme. Especially when you are describing something as subjective as the behavior of computer programs and the human response to them. How one can automate the response of a customer to the appearance of a GUI interface is something I do not yet understand, and this is mentioned, but not examined in the book.
One very positive aspect of the book is the exercises at the end of the chapters, and the authors do the very commendable thing and provide solutions at the end. After years of frustration with math and computer books that list exercises but avoid solutions, any book where they are included must be given a higher rating.
After reading this book, my confidence in the value of XP has increased, ironically because one of the fundamental weaknesses is examined with an explanation of how to overcome it. The uber-tester is a concession to the problems of scaling, and the inclusion of such individuals will definitely make the development process run smoother. If you are going to use XP and your project is of any size, then you should read this book.

Published in the online Journal of Object Technology, reprinted with permission.

What a great book on Testing in the Xtreme Programming Environment! I expect this book to become the Bible for test engineers and customers who are engaged in formal testing on an Xtreme Programming project. Lisa and Tip walk us through some introductory theory, and then provide a detailed case-study to illustrate their methods. Though appearing somewhat complex to a non-programmer, their chapters 21 through 25 show the important principles of how to automate your acceptance test.
Though I haven't yet had the experience of working on an Xtreme Programming project, I do have 30 years of hardware, systems, and software testing experience. Prior to reading this book, I read Kent Beck's "eXtreme Programming eXplained", so I had an introduction to Xtreme Programming.
Once again, this is a great book. My welcome to 2 new authors; I hope we see more books from them in the future.

It is a very good method indeed, but students have problems with two particularities of the book. First, the grammar is not very clearly shown. It would probably pay off to use more space in order to introduce more tables, more examples, etc. Second, the vocabulary list should contain the page or chapter where the words were used for the first time; it is then easier to find back the context, and for teachers it is easier to make their tests! In addition, it seems that the vocabulary list at the end of the book does not contain all the words that are mentioned under "Expressions utiles" in the chapters, and as they are very important expressions, they should definitely be listed as well. Over all, students seem to like the method and the quantity of pictures and exercises. I feel that the "Faites le point" exercises are very useful. There may even be more (practical) exercises; although it is a conversation method, students always like to have their written skills confirmed by a lot of exercises.

I used this book and companion cassette for self-instruction

All but one of the short mysteries in "Beware of the Trains" first appeared in the "London Evening Standard." Gervase Fen, Crispin's inimitable amateur detective and Professor of English Language and Literature in Oxford University stars in all but the final two stories. Detective-Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard usually plays the role of Watson to Fen's Holmes, and the reader is always given the clues needed to solve each of the sixteen mysteries before the final denouement.

My favorite story, "The Golden Mean," is also an essay on evil. A son attempts to kill his father, and there is no mystery about what happened. Fen's challenge is to prove that an attempt at murder occurred in the face of the father's denial:

"A word like 'evil' needs (he will tell you) to be used with precaution: the descent of Avernus has no milestones which mark out for the traveller---or for others watching him---the stages of his journey. And yet at the same time there is, perhaps, somewhere along it a Point of No Return."

The complete list of stories: "Beware of the Trains;" "Humbleby Agonistes;" "The Drowning of Edgar Foley;" "'Lacrimae Rerum';" "Within the Gates;" "Abhorred Shears;" "The Little Room;" "Express Delivery;" "A Pot of Paint;" "The Quick Brown Fox;" "Black for a Funeral;" "The Name on the Window;" "The Golden Mean;" "Otherwhere;" "The Evidence for the Crown;" and "Deadlock."

The last story, "Deadlock" is narrated by a young boy, and is longer and more atmospheric than its predecessors. It is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a mystery.

Finally, in one place this book collects and categorizes the wealth of resources on the Internet to help people find jobs, and employers find people. It also comments on using the Web for career management strategies. The authors are two experienced HR professionals who pull no punches in their descriptions and ratings of Web sites. I can't say this book is guaranteed to find you a job, but it IS guaranteed to make your use of the Web to look for a job (or job applicants) much more efficient

The editors state in their Preface that this Companion is 'intended as a guide for a more ambitious and determined explorer', and we can believe them. This book is not encyclopaedic; it does not provide dictionary-like entries that are short and sweet on the various topics and terms one might come across in the study of language. Rather, it provides 25 serious, yet readable articles on various topics in the Phil. of Language.

These chapters are divided up into 3 sections: Meaning and Theories of Meaning; Language, Truth and Reality; and Reference, Identity and Necessity. The contributors are all scholars in the field, but mainly British (I believe 9 out of the 23 come from American universities; 4 out of the 23 come from Oxford alone). What is good is that they do not intend introductory essays into the various fields (pragmatics, intention, meaning, verification, etc) but take up their respective positions and argue them.

For this reason, the book is of value to those students interested in the study of this subject and willing to immerse themselves, but who are not yet 'experts' in the field. For those who are just starting out, it is not an appropriate introductory work.

Written in an easy going style this book is a good introduction to the vernacular of the windsor chair. Readers may find that their curiosity about the subject is increased somewhat because of this book.

"Fen Country" (1979) is a posthumous collection of short mysteries, with only one story repeated from Crispin's earlier collection, "Beware of the Trains" (1953). If you are new to this author, I suggest you start with one of his full-length mysteries to get the full flavor of his sometimes cranky, always brilliant amateur detective, Gervase Fen.

The best of the "Fen Country" stories feature Professor Fen with Chief Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard as his Watson. Some of the mysteries feature different, anonymous detectives and these stories tend to be clever puzzles with only the barest accouterments of character development or setting.

There is one semi-autobiographical, wish-fulfillment story, "We Know You're Busy Writing, but We Thought You Wouldn't Mind if We Just Dropped in for a Minute."

"I am forty-seven, unmarried, living alone, a minor crime-fiction writer earning, on average, rather less than 1,000 [pounds] a year."

The crime writer lives alone in Devon, and has begged his friends and creditors not to interrupt him during working hours. Naturally they do, including a man and woman on the lam from their respective spouses. There is no great mystery as to the fate of the lovers, only a great deal of authorly glee.

"Fen Country" is a good read for Crispin fans, but "Beware of the Trains," whose stories he personally collected is better. Neither short story collection transcends the genre of 'brilliant, eccentric detective' fiction like his novels do. If you are an avid reader of Allingham, Sayers, or Innes from the Golden Age of British mystery writing, try Crispin's "Buried for Pleasure," "The Long Divorce," or "Love Lies Bleeding." You might even be tempted to put Professor Fen at the top of your great detectives list, ahead of the likes of Lord Peter, Sir John Appleby, and Mr. Campion.

"Fen Country" (1979) is a posthumous collection of short mysteries, with only one story repeated from Crispin's earlier collection, "Beware of the Trains" (1953). If you are new to this author, I suggest you start with one of his full-length mysteries to get the full flavor of his sometimes cranky, always brilliant amateur detective, Gervase Fen.

The best of the "Fen Country" stories feature Professor Fen with Chief Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard as his Watson. Some of the mysteries feature different, anonymous detectives and these stories tend to be clever puzzles with only the barest accouterments of character development or setting.

There is one semi-autobiographical, wish-fulfillment story, "We Know You're Busy Writing, but We Thought You Wouldn't Mind if We Just Dropped in for a Minute."

"I am forty-seven, unmarried, living alone, a minor crime-fiction writer earning, on average, rather less than 1,000 [pounds] a year."

The crime writer lives alone in Devon, and has begged his friends and creditors not to interrupt him during working hours. Naturally they do, including a man and woman on the lam from their respective spouses. There is no great mystery as to the fate of the lovers, only a great deal of authorly glee.

"Fen Country" is a good read for Crispin fans, but "Beware of the Trains," whose stories he personally collected is better. Neither short story collection transcends the genre of 'brilliant, eccentric detective' fiction like his novels do. If you are an avid reader of Allingham, Sayers, or Innes from the Golden Age of British mystery writing, try Crispin's "Buried for Pleasure," "The Long Divorce," or "Love Lies Bleeding." You might even be tempted to put Professor Fen at the top of your great detectives list, ahead of the likes of Lord Peter, Sir John Appleby, and Mr. Campion.

Perhaps wait for the paperback edition. Most of the articles here have been previously published. The Wittgensteinian dialogue with McDowell is here. Some unpublished work on self-knowledge. Overall, this is not the first book I'd recommend for someone wanting to learn Wittgenstein or how to write clear philosophical prose. His prose is about one rung up from Peacocke. Not even as clear as the occasional obscurities of McDowell. I'd only recommend this text for Wittgenstein die-hards.

If I could I would actually give this book 3 1/2 stars, but it doesn't quite rate four. I love cats and love Starbridge novels, so in many ways this should be right up my alley. I did in fact think it was a decent read, and after a few false starts (the Starbridge novel before this one really disappointed me, so I was slow getting into this one) it managed to hold my attention well. I appreciated the various issues brought up because of the romantic interest between the two lead characters. I have no idea what would happen in real life if two alien species became attracted to each other, but in some ways at least this seemed to do a decent job of considering that. Some of the story did seem a bit too... predictable, maybe? However, the end still held some surprises, which I appreciated. This isn't the best book I've ever read, but (particularly for Starbridge fans) it's not bad.

The latest addition to the StarBridge universe is a tale of a young human translator sifting through complex undercurrents in an alien culture where lying is a political art form. Caught in a cultural crossfire of numerous factions fiercely protecting their own interests, Magdalena Perez has only her friendship with Khyriz, a member of the royal Arrekhi family, and her sixth sense about people lying to her, to help her ride out a civil war. For the Arrekhis have an old secret--the oppression and degradation of the Asha, a race visually different, yet as sentient as their own. Well-written, forbidden romances point up differences and similarities between sentients as Magdalena and Khyriz fight for the lives and freedom of a literally silenced race. Good alien culture, and the StarBridge frame supports rather than interferes with the space adventure. One of the best StarBridges yet.

This book brought many great ideas to light... not all the problems that we face today, have been stopped in the future... there are still cults, and there are still problems medicine can not erase. The characters were very well done, and the descriptions allowed me to visualize the scenes. I think Magdalena Perez was a very believeable character, and that having her overcome such problems, brought more dimension to her character.