Book Review: Tidy First by Kent Beck

Just finished reading ‘Tidy First: A Personal Exercise in Empirical Software Design’ 📚 by Kent Beck and here are my thoughts:

At first, I hesitated about diving into yet another book on clean code and software design. Like many others, the initial chapters felt like familiar territory, echoing common principles 🫠. However, as I progressed into the book’s later sections exploring management of tidyings and how they bring value, I found deeper insights that struck a chord.

Beck’s approach reinforces the idea that while certain design principles might seem like common sense, to give a clear intuition about it is crucial (and not so easy at times). The exploration of tidying code, its interconnections, the “when?” question, and delving into the theory of optionality and its significance for companies, which is something we all struggle when prioritizing this kind of work.

For me this short and enlightening read isn’t about learning something new, it’s about connecting the existing dots in a clearer, more structured manner. I’d highly recommend it to anyone seeking to solidify their understanding of software design principles and gain fresh perspectives. Definitely looking forward for the future books of this series.

Sometimes, simply naming things can empower our approach more than we realize.

About the Author: Kent Beck is the creator of Extreme Programming, a pioneer of software patterns, and one of the original signatories of the Agile Manifesto.

Get the Book: ‘Tidy First: A Personal Exercise in Empirical Software Design’ is available through O’Reilly Media and other major book retailers.