Clean Agile

Back to Basics

By: Robert C. Martin

Narrated by: Theodore O'Brien

Agile Values and Principles for a New Generation

“In the journey to all things Agile, Uncle Bob has been there, done that, and has the both the t-shirt and the scars to show for it. This delightful book is part history, part personal stories, and all wisdom. If you want to understand what Agile is and how it came to be, this is the book for you.” (Grady Booch)

“Bob’s frustration colors every sentence of Clean Agile, but it’s a justified frustration. What is in the world of Agile development is nothing compared to what could be. This book is Bob’s perspective on what to focus on to get to that ‘what could be.’ And he’s been there, so it’s worth listening.” (Kent Beck)

“It’s good to read Uncle Bob’s take on Agile. Whether just beginning, or a seasoned Agilista, you would do well to read this book. I agree with almost all of it. It’s just some of the parts make me realize my own shortcomings, dammit. It made me double-check our code coverage (85.09 percent).” (Jon Kern)

Nearly 20 years after the Agile Manifesto was first presented, the legendary Robert C. Martin (“Uncle Bob”) reintroduces Agile values and principles for a new generation - programmers and nonprogrammers alike. Martin, author of Clean Code and other highly influential software development guides, was there at Agile’s founding. Now, in Clean Agile: Back to Basics, he strips away misunderstandings and distractions that over the years have made it harder to use Agile than was originally intended.

Martin describes what Agile is in no uncertain terms: a small discipline that helps small teams manage small projects...with huge implications, because every big project is comprised of many small projects. Drawing on his 50 years’ experience with projects of every conceivable type, he shows how Agile can help you bring true professionalism to software development.

• Get back to the basics - what Agile is, was, and should always be
• Understand the origins, and proper practice, of SCRUM
• Master essential business-facing Agile practices, from small releases and acceptance tests to whole-team communication
• Explore Agile team members’ relationships with each other, and with their product
• Rediscover indispensable Agile technical practices: TDD, refactoring, simple design, and pair programming
• Understand the central roles values and craftsmanship play in your Agile team’s success

If you want Agile’s true benefits, there are no shortcuts: You need to do Agile right. Clean Agile: Back to Basics will show you how, whether you’re a developer, tester, manager, project manager, or customer.

©2020 Pearson Education, Inc. (P)2021 Upfront Books

Must read for software developers and techmanagers

Delightful to hear, easy to understand and insightful. This is the kind of book on a technical field that fits perfectly with an audiobook format.
I totally recommend.

Pro XP and indifferent to Scaling Agile

You can tell from the author that he has arrived at his opinions from a limited exposure to things outside of eXtreme Programming (XP), his bread and butter. He doesn’t seem to like Scrum all that much except for the principles espoused by its inventors. Likewise, he has not been part of scaling agile successfully so he sees it as a solution to a problem that has already been solved by modern management techniques despite his acknowledgment that developing software is very different from other end goals. Even so, he does get to the crux of what agile is all about. For that gem of knowledge, the book is well worth reading or listening to on Audible.

Must Read for Industry Professionals

Being a developer who hears the term agile almost daily, I take for granted just how revolutionary the concept of agile development is. Despite being natural, its practices are often neglected and misconstrued in the software industry. Hearing about the creation of the practice from one of its founders and hearing him speak to the need for a greater understanding of it gives me a greater appreciation for the practice, which is my profession's lifeblood, and a greater desire to learn and practice its principles more diligently.

Uncle Bob Always Challeges

I don’t agree with everything Uncle Bob says about agile but many of his “opinions and observations“ ring true.

5 of 5 stars for a reason

Great book! As a Software Engineer, I gained a lot from clean agile. I currently work in an agile environment and will be passing this book on.