Just Enough Software Architecture: A Risk-Driven Approach 1st Edition

I rarely write reviews but really enjoyed this book! I thought it was so useful that we're using it as part of an internal book club at our company.Here's what I found useful for me and why I think it will be more useful if more people have read it (at our company).* It's an introduction to software architecture principles that many people without formal computer science backgrounds don't get without a lot of experience, it doesn't give you all of the answers but it highlights what you don't know and acts as a starting point for further research. WHY should we model and WHAT should we model.* It gives a really comprehensive look at architecture and modeling from a high level. It highlighted for me relevant concepts and terms that I've consistently encountered (and partially understood) in a very accessible way.* It offers an introduction to thinking about WHEN modeling makes sense. It gives you license to think about modeling on a spectrum, when I'd often thought of it as binary ("to model" or "not to model").* Finally, for our team it further standardizes our vocabulary. It helps get people thinking and speaking on the same page, which is huge when you're frequently getting new hires (especially if they're not from standard comp sci backgrounds). This helps us get closer to understanding HOW modeling can improve our product and company.

I thought overall that the book was pretty good. The author did a good job of laying the groundwork for how to determine when to stop designing your architecture and how to effectively accomplish the design with a special ear towards quality attributes.The author was a bit wordy towards the end, but given that those chapters were meant as a reference, I guess that's ok. You really only need to read the first part of the book to understand the methodology. For a deep dive into the concepts introduced in the first part, the second part is where it's at. It would have been nice if the author had used a single over-arching example throughout the book. The examples he gave, like the Yinzer system (a job-advertising social network), felt incomplete to me. For example, he started the Yinzer example to include the domain and design models, but switched to a new example, an email processing system, for the code model.In any case, after reading the book, I'm finding myself thinking about work projects at a higher level now. I'm definitely recognizing and applying architectural styles more consciously, instead of by accident. So, I would consider that a success in my mind and would recommend it to others!

So far I have read the first 7 chapters of the book. By what I have seen so far the book contents are interesting and relevant for architecture development. The book contains examples or case studies that makes it easier to understand the topics and see architecture development concepts in practice.The book has hardcover and seems to be a book that will last long if well taken care of. This book will definitely reside on my bookshelf of books of reference.

Pragmatism, thy name is software. I really appreciate the non-dogmatic approach to architecture. The simple premise that the more danger you are in the more tightly one wants to predict the outcome is simple. To those who build software every day it is a lovely antidote to those who value process over results and a lovely reality check to wave at those who value "organic" over everything else.Thanks

Designing good software architecture is, in my opinion, undervalued. "Just Enough Software Architecture" gives specific and valuable evidence on the need and on the value of having appropriate architecture. Rather than the blind "document it all" attitude, it gives insight into how to decide what to architect and what to ignore.It's a very thoughtful and thought provoking look at the design process.

Plain theory.