Review By: Peter Gabris
07/29/2011Is the waterfall dry? At least we know it has much less water than it used to have. The software development process has changed a lot since we rushed to sign the Agile Manifesto almost ten years ago. The Agile Samurai covers all aspects of the agile software development process. The first part, Introducing Agile, describes what the agile is, what it is not, and what an agile team should look like.

The agile process is a known opponent of big, upfront planning. Frequently, we forget that a lot of work on many projects happens before the planning in the project-inception phase. Agile or not, there is no way to avoid clarifying and selling the project idea before the project starts.

The "Inception Deck," a set of ten subjects to analyze and document, is Rasmussen's secret weapon. He covers it in the second part of the book, which alone is worth the cover price.

The third part of the book, "Agile Project Planning," contains three extensive chapters that might make you think that big, upfront planning had made a sneaky comeback into the agile process. In fact, the reason for the size of this part is all the space it takes to list ways to keep necessary planning on a short leash.

If you are young or a late adopter, then Jonathan Rasmussen's The Agile Samurai: How Agile Masters Deliver Great Software is a good book for you. Even if you are a veteran agile warrior, the book contains enough personal opinion, rare experience, and new tricks to make it worth reading.