Rating: 
Summary: Solid Introductory Book
Review: Very good book that covers several other topics related to software testing: software testing documentation, bug tracking Quality Assurance, compatibility and internationalization testing, ...
Contains many suggestions on areas that are error prone. I found the book and excellent introductory level book that exposes you to all the facets of software testing.
I give four stars as I found the part on actual software testing rather light. White/Black box static/dynamic testing are each covered in a separate chapter. Would be ideally complemented by a reference document on actual software testing techniques.
Rating: 
Summary: Good first book for new testers
Review: When I read a book that introduces software testing I do a bit of mental testing by asking the following questions:- Does the book give a solid approach? This one does.
- Does it introduce bad habits or sloppy procedures? Nowhere in this book.
- Could I trust the approach if I were a test manager and my team used this book exclusively as a reference? Yes. Ron Patton has written a solid book for new testers, both those who are entering the discipline by choice and those who are thrown into it. The big picture describes the importance of testing, what can happen if testing is not properly done, and how testing fits within the development and software delivery process. This material is one of the best introductions to testing I've read, and it gives the new tester a view of how important his or her role is - and this is especially important for folks who have been thrown into testing. The material on black and white box testing is solid, as are the chapters on practical application. I especially liked the scope of testing scenarios and how to perform the test, which range from configuration testing to usability testing. This part of the book is more complete than many other books for beginning and intermediate testers because it includes localization, compatibility and even documentation testing scenarios. This is one of the reasons why I would completely trust the approach in this book if I were managing a test team that used only this book as a reference (assuming, of course, they used it completely). If you're an intermediate or experienced test professional this book will be too basic. However, if you are new to the discipline and want to quickly get up to speed this book is an easy read and promotes solid practices.
Rating:
Summary: Good first book for new testers
Review: When I read a book that introduces software testing I do a bit of mental testing by asking the following questions: - Does the book give a solid approach? This one does.
- Does it introduce bad habits or sloppy procedures? Nowhere in this book.
- Could I trust the approach if I were a test manager and my team used this book exclusively as a reference? Yes. Ron Patton has written a solid book for new testers, both those who are entering the discipline by choice and those who are thrown into it. The big picture describes the importance of testing, what can happen if testing is not properly done, and how testing fits within the development and software delivery process. This material is one of the best introductions to testing I've read, and it gives the new tester a view of how important his or her role is - and this is especially important for folks who have been thrown into testing. The material on black and white box testing is solid, as are the chapters on practical application. I especially liked the scope of testing scenarios and how to perform the test, which range from configuration testing to usability testing. This part of the book is more complete than many other books for beginning and intermediate testers because it includes localization, compatibility and even documentation testing scenarios. This is one of the reasons why I would completely trust the approach in this book if I were managing a test team that used only this book as a reference (assuming, of course, they used it completely). If you're an intermediate or experienced test professional this book will be too basic. However, if you are new to the discipline and want to quickly get up to speed this book is an easy read and promotes solid practices.
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