object databases

The most pragmatic book on developing the software I have read yet. Brilliant. If you want to gather some experience collected by these who really done some OO projects, both successful and failing, if you want to hear very helpful comments on how to manage with the people- and organization-side of the software development - buy it!

It is amazing that a single person can produce such a large amount of sound, insightful and useful advice. Alistair Cockburn presents principles, patterns and case studies for managing projects that use object oriented techniques, choosing "just enough process" and separating hype from reality.

Even though it was written in 1998, the advice in this book has not diminished with age. There are many claims made about the advantages of moving to object-oriented technologies (OOTs), and while most are true, the difficulties are almost always understated. Not in this book. Cockburn is very explicit in his descriptions of how complex the move is and how valuable training can be, as well as the many inherent limitations that it has.
As the title explains, this is not for developers, but for the manager who is either contemplating the use of OOTs or is faced with the tasks of implementing them after the decision has been made. Several projects are examined, some of which were successes, others which were simply survived by the participants and a few that crashed and burned. In my experience with working with developer teams, the hardest task of all in moving to OOTs is not making the decision to make the move or in getting the initial training. The fact that there are benefits is clear and trainers are relatively easy to find.
The hardest part is choosing where to begin the transfer of their legacy systems to an object-oriented form. This is something that is difficult even for those experienced in the transfer and for someone still unfamiliar with OOTs it can be intimidating. It is this group of people who will obtain the most benefit from the book. Cockburn clearly has a great deal of consulting experience in helping people make the transition and he passes that on using a very readable style. He also is very explicit in pointing out potential problems with the move.
Moving to any new technology is difficult, and nearly everyone needs help to make it successful. While reading this book will not guarantee that your move to OOTs is successful, it will make it more likely.