Essential Agile Books for Software Engineers

There are several essential Agile books that is an important resource for software engineers looking to learn an agile mindset, values, principles and practices. This article lists the top essential Agile books for Software Engineers.
- 1. Clean Agile: Back to Basics
- 2. Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices
- 3. Agile Software Development
- 4. The Art of Agile Development
- 5. Planning Extreme Programming
- 6. Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises
- 7. Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed
- Conclusion
Books about agile serve as an essential resource for software engineers to use as part of continuous learning about agile methodologies, principles and practices.
Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that focuses on flexibility, speed, and continuous iteration to deliver value to customers through short development cycles and frequent communication and collaboration.
Software developers must engage in continuous learning to be current and relevant in their field, and reading books on agile methodologies can significantly increase such knowledge and skills.
The essential agile books for software engineers are:
1. Clean Agile: Back to Basics
by Robert C. Martin
![]() | Title: | Clean Agile: Back to Basics |
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Author: | Robert C. Martin | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0135781869 | |
ISBN-10: | 0135781868 | |
Published: | 2019 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 4.27 |
2. Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices
by Robert C. Martin
![]() | Title: | Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices |
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Author: | Robert C. Martin | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0135974445 | |
ISBN-10: | 0135974445 | |
Published: | 2002 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 4.25 |
3. Agile Software Development
by Alistair Cockburn
![]() | Title: | Agile Software Development |
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Author: | Alistair Cockburn | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0201699692 | |
ISBN-10: | 0201699699 | |
Published: | 2001 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 3.97 |
4. The Art of Agile Development
by James Shore, Shane Warden
![]() | Title: | The Art of Agile Development |
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Author: | James Shore, Shane Warden | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0596527679 | |
ISBN-10: | 0596527675 | |
Published: | 2007 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 3.96 |
5. Planning Extreme Programming
by Kent Beck, Martin Fowler
![]() | Title: | Planning Extreme Programming |
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Author: | Kent Beck, Martin Fowler | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0201710915 | |
ISBN-10: | 0201710919 | |
Published: | 2000 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 3.91 |
6. Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises
by Dean Leffingwell
![]() | Title: | Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises |
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Author: | Dean Leffingwell | |
ISBN-13: | 978-0321458193 | |
ISBN-10: | 0321458192 | |
Published: | 2007 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 3.64 |
7. Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed
by Barry Boehm, Richard Turner
![]() | Title: | Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed |
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Author: | Barry Boehm, Richard Turner | |
ISBN-13: | 9780321186126 | |
ISBN-10: | 0321186125 | |
Published: | 2003 | |
GoodReads Rating: | 3.57 |
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many books about Agile not listed above that contains valuable insights, learnings and guidance for software engineers. It does not matter what skill lever you are as an Agile practitioner, there is always something new to learn or a different perspective. Only through continuous learning will you as a software engineer gain a deeper understanding of Agile principles and practices.