Applying UML and Patterns
An introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Iterative Development
by Craig Larman
This book talks about topics like: Iterative Development, OO Analysis and Design, Programming, Agile Practices, Architecture, Project Management, UML, Unified Process (UP) and uses Use Cases extensively. As you can see it covers quite a large spectrum of topics and tries to tie them together and actually does it pretty well. This book seems to take for granted that you have worked in the industry before (even though it’s also aimed at college students for introduction courses on this subject) and is constantly telling you not to think the old “waterfall” way and instead use iterative and UP-thinking. For me that has never worked with “waterfall” methods it’s extremely irritating that every other page or so brings it up to talk about how bad it is.
I used this book in the course Information Systems Development. It’s a good book to introduce some of the topics, but as I said, it doesn’t feel like it’s written for “beginners” or “fresh minds”. The many illustrations and diagrams are helpful and the overall structure and layout of the book is great. I will use this book in another course later and will probably write more about it then.
Java, How to Program
Seventh Edition (Pearson International Edition)
by H.M. Deitel & P.J. Deitel
I used this book in the course Software Development with Java. I had never programmed in Java before I took this course, and this book really helped along the way. I didn’t read it cover to cover or chapter by chapter for that matter, I used the index a lot and just looked up what I needed to know and this book is brilliant at that. If you want to learn Java or if you want a book to quickly look up stuff you can’t remember for the moment then I would recommend this book. I haven’t looked around at other Java books so I can’t say this is the best etc, but it’s a great book and it helped me find those things you might not always think to check. It’s also a great book to read if you want an introduction to programming (not Java specific) since it explains everything very well and thorough.
Database systems
A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management
by Thomas Connolly & Carolyn Begg
Used for the course Database Systems I, I will also use this book in the sequential course Database Systems II. This book uses case studies and is illustrated with diagrams and models quite frequently which is a great thing. For obvious reasons it uses SQL in the code examples, so it’s also a good (but probably not the best) book if you’re thinking about getting into SQL. I highly recommend this book.
Mobile Interaction Design
by Matt Jones & Gary Marsden
I used this book in the course Design of IT, and see no reason why it was the course literature for that specific course since it had nothing to do with mobile design. However, the book itself is great. It made me think of the responsibilities of the designer, something I personally hadn’t given much thought to before. Also, it made me realize just how crappy the mobile design is today, with the technology we have now it shouldn’t have to be this bad. I highly recommend this book, to pretty much anyone with the slightest interest in design or mobile interaction.
Design av Informationsteknik
Materialet Utan Egenskaper
by Jonas Löwgren & Erik Stolterman
Since this book is in Swedish I’ll keep this “review” short.
This book sucks, it’s horrible and in no way interesting or has any value. This book actually made my studies more difficult to complete, it confuses you to the point where it’s a better solution to just throw the book away.
