Reviews for Extreme Programming Refactored: The Case Against XP

1. Refactoring Again

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2008

   Well the book is an interesting read, but in terms of value I am not so sure? It depends on the audience. If you take every word of the XP evangelists as Gospel then the book is probably helpful. It helps put things in perspective. If on the other hand, you look to apply commonsense principles to how you build software then this is not the book for you. I think there is too much of the ranting about XP (probably forgivable given the title of the book) and not enough attention to common principles. Too many special cases and "talking heads" make this a hard book to apply.
   I find it useful to apply a dogma, like XP, to extremes of project, to see how they fare. Take a payroll app (an example of XP success, or failure, depending upon who you believe) and a chess-playing program. I have some problems applying XP to the latter, whilst the former is likely to be more successful. If my example makes sense,then XP is just one a sensible set of choices for your project, depending on risk, staff, constraints and all the other things that mature PMs take into account. Tub thumping, folksy style makes for an easy read, but does not lend itself to serious analysis.
   In the end, with the songs, the excessive quotes and the style of the book I found it very tedious. The McConnell approach to these subjects is preferred (at least by me)

2. Useful

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2006

   Really useful book. I bougth it to write my degree thesys about eXtreme Programming and I think it gives a clear understanding of possible pitfalls ot XP. Not heavy at all to be read, for its humurous style (i like the songs very much).
   It is good also because it doesn't brake XP, but gives good advices to improve it.
   Definetively recommended.

3. Exteme Programming Refactored

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2005

   This book is excellent, it gives an in depth review of the Extreme Programming method to computing projects. With a splash of humour both of the authors manage to show where XP can create some fundamental problems during the life cycle of a project. What i have read of it gives a balanced view to the advantages and disdvantages of this methodology and shows some possible ways of avoiding some resistance by none "XPers". It is a good book, although i feel that the sarcasm may be a bit too much in places (you need a sence of humour and a good understanding of Monty Python to appreciate some of the humour).

4. A book that needs reading

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2004

   Firstly, up front I get a quoted a couple of times in this, so I was a little apprehensive about the context that my quotes would be put into. I talked to Matt Stephens (the author) in the first place after seeing at first and second hand several projects fail because of XP.

   After reading the book I have to commend Matt on a job well done. Matt has made great efforts to come down to the XP'ers level and use XP double-speak to highlight the fatal flaws in the XP methodology. For anybody who want to know why XP projects keep failing, and managers keep falling into the trap of using XP, then this book is worth reading.

5. Amusing but not great insights.

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, January 12th, 2004

   This book made me laugh out loud. The book (to me) appears to be a satirical swipe at what has been called "hostile XP". In "hostile XP" each of the practices is taken at face value. Normally in these situations the practices are also applied with little thought. The book rightly satirises that approach. Top marks for that.

   However, this book falls down on two counts:
   1) The refactoring in the book is the obvious thing... look at the project size, culture, complexity, degree of risk (etc etc) and tune your process accordingly. If we really needs books like this to help see beyond simple minded applications of a process then we are probably doomed as an industry.

   2) The message is undermined by the rhetoric. Whilst this is all very circular (attacking rhetoric with rhetoric) I think the result means the arguments are as easy to pick apart as the XP rhetoric.

   If you see XP as a set of practices that you should tailor to your environment and that require reflection and thought when you apply them (like any set of practices) then this book won't teach you anything.

   If XP is your hammer and s/w projects are the nails then this book is for you.

   If you want to be entertained, you can belong to either camp and get a laugh.