Non Obvious Books for Software Testers
There are not many good books about software testing compared to other areas of software development (programming, management, or design). However, the knowledge that can be applied to testing can be learned from other sources.
I have compiled a list of non-technical (almost) books that can be recommended for QA engineers:
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- The Timeless Way of Building
- Design for the Real World
- The Design of Everyday Things
- Foundation (series)
- The Phoenix Project
- The Goal
- The Toyota Way
- The South Pole
- The Last Place on Earth
- Chasing New Horizons
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
What is quality? It could be a fundamental question for any quality assurance engineer. The author tries to find the answer to this question through the interweaving of various philosophical concepts (Metaphysics of Quality), but the story itself is not overloaded with abstruse philosophical reflections.
After that book, you will look at the «quality» of your software product from an absolutely different angle, and you will never say in an interview that «testing brings better quality to the software product» because it is so complicated that it is better not to dive into these themes unnecessarily.
Pirsig’s next book, «Lila: An Inquiry into Morals» is a continuation of «Zen…», but way more philosophical. It dives into the origins of the Metaphysics of Quality and less applies to practical testing.
Further reading:
The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander
What makes a building a quality one? What is quality in the context of architecture? Remarkable research which can be transformed from the real world into the software industry. Actually, that is exactly what happened with another of Alexander’s book, «A Pattern Language», which became a prototype of software design patterns.
Design for the Real World by Victor Papanek
While specialized books talk about web design and user interfaces, this one reveals the fundamental basics of experiences between human and man-made objects (and software is no exception). This book is especially valuable for everyone who deals with accessibility.
Further reading:
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
It is useful to know how the things around us are made. The intention of creating ordinary objects could lead to thoughts on testing unusual ones.
Foundation (series) by Isaac Asimov
It is the greatest science fiction book series of all time. There are a lot of complex philosophical ideas passing through the series, but regarding global software product development — major breakthroughs require serious shocks (switching methodologies or frameworks, changing team leaders or other members).
Be aware, that the recently released TV series does not follow the original plot.
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
That is a well-known book about DevOps, but actually, it is an excellent novel about all the difficulties of developing complicated software products in conditions of a tight deadline. Testers may find inspiring ideas to improve quality assurance processes.
Further reading:
The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt
«The Phoenix Project» is not an original, it’s a rewrite of «The Goal» in another setting, which in the format of a business novel, tells about the theory of constraints. Worth reading.
The Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Liker
The roots of «The Goal» and «The Phoenix Project» are grown from the Toyota Production System. It is amazing to get acquainted with automobile manufacturing management practices and find so many «modern trends» in software that have already been used over 50 years ago (or what would be worth learning).
The South Pole by Roald Amundsen
For some things, planning and preparation are more important than the venture itself. So it is for some software projects — collecting requirements and designing test plans are the most crucial parts of the testing process. Here is an example of what real preparation means.
Further reading:
The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford
It is an exploration of the expeditions of Captain Robert F. Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in their attempts to reach the South Pole. The book compares in detail the ways of planning, management, and attitude to the goals in the context of extreme ventures.
Chasing New Horizons by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon
For those of us who used to work according to agile methodologies with one or two-week sprints, it shows how multi-year projects are built (space mission to Pluto) and how much should be done in advance. There are also a few paragraphs about software testing.
