About 5 years ago, I bought William Perry’s ‘Effective Methods for Software Testing’ book. I struggled for 2 months to get myself to read that book as it appeared to be too much of theory for me at the time (my first testing book). At the end of 2 months, I gave up. I gave up reading not just this book, but my reading habit itself.
In July 2009, I came across The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar by James Bach. I had just started blogging a few months before that and was following James’ blog for a while. There was a free offer to read his book within a timeline which I did. In five days, I had finished reading the book. I enjoyed reading very much after a long time. It was fun. I realized what I had lost in last 5 years.
Lessons Learned in Software Testing is a book that every tester should read to get their basics right. A couple of my friends suggested that this is a book mostly for freshers and not targeted towards experienced testers. I digressed and read the book. I was right. This is a great book meant for every tester.
This book depicts finer nuances of many testing challenges we face on a daily basis. Another good part of this book is that every chapter addresses a topic independent of other chapters. So you could choose to read few chapters earlier than others. If you are a tester, you must read this book.
I bought this book 2 months ago and often stared at it (placed on the dining table) cribbing that I did not have enough time to read it. Around the same time, I came across Anuj Magazine’s post about Reading Skills. I started reading for 30 minutes everyday and it has worked. Who knows, it may work for you too. All you need is to TRY.
Happy Reading,
Parimala Shankaraiah
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
13 January, 2010
14 September, 2009
Book Review: The Secret
Off late, I have been busy reading a book and a few testing related articles (I am amazed by the amount of information that comes absolutely FREE on the internet for people to read, learn, think and practice!). Reading is something I love to do if I get some free time. This is also one of my ways of relaxing. I recently read a book ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne. You must have heard of the 90/10 principle: “10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react”. ‘The Secret’ tells you that you decide what happens to you 100%! My favourite phases from the book and the corresponding testing analogies are listed below:
1. Thoughts are magnetic and thoughts have a frequency. As you think thoughts, they are sent out into the universe, and they magnificently attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source
Testing Analogy: Bugs are magnetic and bugs have a frequency. Every bug returns to the source which is the product and You who is the tester of the product.
2. The law of attraction says like attracts like, so when you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you
Testing Analogy: Good testers attract good bugs. When you think more bugs, you attract more bugs. Note that a tester does not improve the quality of the product. A tester provides vital information about the product based on which quality decisions can be made.
3. Nothing can come into your experience unless you summon it through persistent thoughts.
Testing Analogy: Summon every bug in the product through persistence!
4. You can start with nothing, and out of nothing and out of no way, a way will be made.
Testing Analogy: You can start with testing a product, and out of nothing(buggy product) and out of no way(coverage), bugs will be made.
5. Expectation is a powerful attractive force. Expect the things you want, and don’t expect the things you don’t want.
Testing Analogy: Expect to understand and learn the product, expect to understand the users, expect the product to be of good quality before it is shipped. Do not expect that you cannot find any more bugs in the product ever. Never say never.
6. Treat yourself with love and respect, and you will attract people who show you love and respect.
Testing Analogy: Do you love the tester in you? If you do, then others will love and respect the tester in you too.
7. Do not listen to society’s messages about diseases and aging. Negative messages do not serve you.
Testing Analogy: Do not listen to scripts, do not listen to the traditional education, testing methodologies and training systems, do not give in to aging of the time and the mind. Just listen to the Voice within You – that you can better yourself with every testing effort that you take up.
8. What you resist persists
Testing Analogy: If you resist bad quality, it persists. If you expect the product to be of good quality, it persists. What do you want to persist?
9. Let go of difficulties from your past, cultural codes, and social beliefs. You are the only one who can create the life you deserve.
Testing Analogy: Let go of conventional testing. Break the chains, take the Exploratory Path!
Happy Reading,
Parimala Shankaraiah
http://curioustester.blogspot.com
1. Thoughts are magnetic and thoughts have a frequency. As you think thoughts, they are sent out into the universe, and they magnificently attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source
Testing Analogy: Bugs are magnetic and bugs have a frequency. Every bug returns to the source which is the product and You who is the tester of the product.
2. The law of attraction says like attracts like, so when you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you
Testing Analogy: Good testers attract good bugs. When you think more bugs, you attract more bugs. Note that a tester does not improve the quality of the product. A tester provides vital information about the product based on which quality decisions can be made.
3. Nothing can come into your experience unless you summon it through persistent thoughts.
Testing Analogy: Summon every bug in the product through persistence!
4. You can start with nothing, and out of nothing and out of no way, a way will be made.
Testing Analogy: You can start with testing a product, and out of nothing(buggy product) and out of no way(coverage), bugs will be made.
5. Expectation is a powerful attractive force. Expect the things you want, and don’t expect the things you don’t want.
Testing Analogy: Expect to understand and learn the product, expect to understand the users, expect the product to be of good quality before it is shipped. Do not expect that you cannot find any more bugs in the product ever. Never say never.
6. Treat yourself with love and respect, and you will attract people who show you love and respect.
Testing Analogy: Do you love the tester in you? If you do, then others will love and respect the tester in you too.
7. Do not listen to society’s messages about diseases and aging. Negative messages do not serve you.
Testing Analogy: Do not listen to scripts, do not listen to the traditional education, testing methodologies and training systems, do not give in to aging of the time and the mind. Just listen to the Voice within You – that you can better yourself with every testing effort that you take up.
8. What you resist persists
Testing Analogy: If you resist bad quality, it persists. If you expect the product to be of good quality, it persists. What do you want to persist?
9. Let go of difficulties from your past, cultural codes, and social beliefs. You are the only one who can create the life you deserve.
Testing Analogy: Let go of conventional testing. Break the chains, take the Exploratory Path!
Happy Reading,
Parimala Shankaraiah
http://curioustester.blogspot.com
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