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Object Success - A Manager's Guide to O-O ... by Bertrand Meyer Recommended

ISBN: 0-13-192833-3       Publisher: Prentice Hall       Pages: 192pp       Price: £25-00

Categories:   object oriented     management     eiffel

Reviewed by Chris Simons in C Vu 8-1 (Nov 1995)

I had the good fortune to listen to Bertrand Meyer speaking on this topic at the EXE Developer's Show, so I am pleased to review this book. In both his talk and his book, his practical experience of OO developments with Eiffel is evident, with frequent 'war stories' to illustrate the point. Aimed at both technical and non-technical managers, the text reminded me of the style of Fred Brook's 'Mythical Man Month' and DeMarco & Lister's 'Peopleware'.

Meyer's ideas on the transition to OO are practical and appear sound. Interestingly, Meyer is dismissive of 'prototyping' but argues his case thoughtfully and well. There is no C++ in the book, all examples being in Eiffel - but I would suggest that even the most gnarled, wizened OO/C++ engineer would benefit from a walkthrough of the Eiffel approach.

At 192 pp, this isn't a large book, but I recommend Object Success for its insight into the OO developmental life-cycle process and its practical recommendations.