Reviews

If patterns are good ideas that can be re-applied to new situations, AntiPatterns looks at what goes wrong in software development, time and time again. Despite advances in software engineering, most software projects still fail to meet expectations, and about a third are canceled altogether.

— Richard Dragan, Amazon.com

Their deadliest hit list starts with the Blob, where one object does most of the work, and Continuous Obsolescence, where technology changes faster than developers can track it. Some of the more entertaining entries: the Poltergeist (do-nothing classes that add overhead), the Boat Anchor (an expensive piece of hardware or software with no use), and the Golden Hammer (one technology applied to every problem, whether it fits or not).

From the publisher's own numbers: nearly a third of software projects are canceled, two-thirds run over budget by more than 200 percent, and over 80 percent are counted as failures outright.

The AntiPatterns authors have clearly been there and done that when it comes to managing software development efforts. I resonated with one insight after another, having witnessed too many wayward projects myself. The experience in this book is palpable.

— John Vlissides, IBM Research, author of Design Patterns

I read the AntiPatterns manuscript in one sitting and was constantly surprised by its insight and amused by its presentation. Many of the AntiPatterns the authors describe could have been taken from my own experience. I highly recommend this book.

— Al Stevens, Dr. Dobb's Journal

This book allows managers, architects, and developers to learn from the painful mistakes of others. I found it informative, entertaining, and often convicting. The high-level AntiPatterns on software architecture are a particularly valuable contribution to software engineering.

— Kyle Brown, author of The Smalltalk Design Patterns Companion