The Art of Inquiry

Software as a collaborative game. An intriguing and radical concept. Cockburn built these ideas from debriefing highly successful software development teams, and finding that they didn’t follow the established “best practice.”

This was my introduction to complex adaptive systems, and the book that hooked me on the subject.

I came upon this book just after reading Fritof Capra’s book, “The web of life,” which focuses on complex adaptive systems.

This work fits right into Capra’s complex adaptive theory base. Highsmith’s metaphor of mountain climbing is an apt metaphor for product development, software or otherwise. When learning about Six Sigma or the Toyota Way, I see the theory bases described by Highsmith. This has become a primary resource of mine on project management, and the primary impetus for my focus on Adaptive Project Management.

I’ve read many books on agile, and while they are typically strong on process, they don’t do much to explain the underlying theory. Highsmith has clearly done his research in this regard.

The book that introduced the world to systems thinking and system dynamics. A must read for any aspiring organizational change agent.