Rating: 
Summary: Skip it - poorly written; little substance
Review: This book basically explains to managers how their development team screws up. The examples of how to fix the problems are too basic. My biggest peave about this book were the analogies. Not many people can relate to something like kayaking. You can't reach everybody with an analogy but you could at least find something more common around the world. Any "good" and/or "experienced" developer is going to know this information already because he/she has either done these "anti-patterns" during their learning process, or has worked with someone who has. The best way to help these people who work in these "anti-patterns" isnt to send them this book. Send them a real patterns book and add some mentoring.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book if you want to know about KAYAKING
Review: This book basically explains to managers how their development team screws up. The examples of how to fix the problems are too basic. My biggest peave about this book were the analogies. Not many people can relate to something like kayaking. You can't reach everybody with an analogy but you could at least find something more common around the world. Any "good" and/or "experienced" developer is going to know this information already because he/she has either done these "anti-patterns" during their learning process, or has worked with someone who has. The best way to help these people who work in these "anti-patterns" isnt to send them this book. Send them a real patterns book and add some mentoring.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I could give it 0 stars
Review: This book is terrible. It should have been written by one author (NOT Dr. Mowbray), which would spare the reader of having to read the same concept rehashed four times by all four authors. Of course, then there would not have been enough text to fill a book. Save a few trees and some money as well. Don't bother with this book.
Rating:
Summary: A poor imitation trying to coattail on "Design Patterns"
Review: This book tries to follow on the success of the wonderful book Design Patterns (Gamma, et. al.) but fails miserably. It's been said in other reviews that this is "common sense packaged as wisdom", and this is not far from the mark. While some of the anti-patterns are mildly useful -- particularly the ones specifically related to software development itself -- the ones related to project management are so obvious and general that all but the novice will roll his or her eyes back with disbelief that these could be included in a software engineering book. For instance, the "Corncob Pattern" is a difficult person who causes problems through destructive behaviors and how to work around him or her. It's true that we all run into people like this, but this is supposed to be a book at least _somewhat_ related to software. They have three patterns that essentially deal with overplanning ("Analysis Paralysis", "Death by Planning", and "Design by Committee"), and while I suppose these are possible, too little planning is much more likely to cause project debacle than too much. In fairness, they do have a not-enough-planning pattern, "Architecture by Implication", though this deals with architecture and not requirements. Believe it or not, "Irrational Managment" is a "pattern" in an engineering book that discusses what to do if your boss is the problem. This seems to be a topic best left to Dr. Laura, in "Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Mess Up Your Project". I was unfortunate enough to read "Anti-Patterns" before "Design Patterns", and the poor quality of the former nearly kept me from reading the latter. These books are simply not in the same league, and some might say not even in the same industry. Avoid this book unless you have very little real-world experience in the software business.
Rating:
Summary: Common Sense sold as wisdom
Review: This book was quite a disappointment, especially since I heard so much about it. As Shakespeare said "There is nothing new under the sun" and this book proves it. It's really just putting fancy or cute titles (corncob!) on quite obvious, well-known software development problems. I don't think I saw a new or original thought in it except for the title. Having said all that, it might be a useful introduction to classic, well-known s/w problems for someone new in the field.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best.
Review: This is a book I would borrow from a library and take a few pages of notes on, not purchase for long-term reference. The introduction of AntiPatterns is of academic interest, but I gleaned little real value from reading it. A more useful text is Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series).
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasurable Read
Review: This is a great read. Almost every paragraph had me thinking back to some real-life incident. Funny as hell.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best help a troubled project can get.
Review: This is a very useful book for Software Projects, especially complex or large projects. It has great words of very practical advice for designers, programmers and managers. Moreover, it delivers the message very well and makes you positive about your work and problems you face there.
Rating:
Summary: So So
Review: This one is okay but far from great. Mowbray's books make a few good points but you have to wade through way too much fluff. Straight and to the point works best for me. The first few chapters were lacking, though the book is somewhat entertaining and makes several good points.
Rating:
Summary: didn't like the book - don't bother
Review: Very little content. No evidence. Buzz words without substance. Poorly written. not very helpful. Spend your money elsewhere.
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