What do you think?
Rate this book
Unifying User Stories, Use Cases, and Story Maps: The Power of Verbs, 2nd/Amazon edition
Alistair Cockburn’s Unifying User Stories, Use Cases, and Story Maps resolves the persistent mystery in agile how to capture requirements clearly and completely while doing fine-grained incremental development.
One technique is quick and convenient, but not complete. Another is complete, but not easy in incremental environments. The third helps collaborative discussions, but isn’t easy to send around the company. The result is confusion, rework and expensive missed requirements.
In this 2nd edition of his ground-breaking book, Dr. Alistair Cockburn shows how they complete and complement each other.
Readers of the 1st edition
His comprehensive approach in breaking down these techniques and illustrating their synergies is nothing short of revolutionary.An absolute gem in the realm of Agile methodologies.Makes complex topics easy to understand. Meticulously structured.Perfect not only for self-study but also for classroom teaching.In this expanded 2nd edition, Dr. Alistair Cockburn — co-author of the Agile Manifesto and author of the bestselling Writing Effective Use Cases — brings these practices together with fresh clarity and examples. Drawing on decades of experience and teaching, he shows how the three techniques complement and strengthen each other when used with skill, all anchored in the seven key concepts that make them work.
What you’ll learn
How to use each technique independently without the common mistakes that plague it.How the three techniques connect, differ, and support one another.How to think and write from the verb, the most powerful lever for clarity in all three models.How to choose the right level of detail for your situation.How to move easily among the models as your conversation or project needs shift.How to use these tools to strengthen—not damage—team morale and cooperation.In this 2nd edition, you’ll
Larger page size for easier reading.A summary opening the book for a fast start, and a recap at the end to remind you.A revised and improved chapter on use casesImproved exercises with answers in the back for self-study or classroom discussion.Summary tables for each chapter for quick reference.Additional examples of use cases, with commentaries.Praised for its clarity, structure, and practical depth, the first edition has already helped thousands of practitioners demystify the relationships among user stories, use cases, and story maps. Readers especially appreciated the book’s concise explanations, accessible writing, and hands-on exercises that make it suitable for both self-study and classroom teaching.
The 2nd edition strengthens all of those qualities while improving the explanations and adding examples.
Who this book is for
Product owners and product managersUX designers and business analystsScrum masters, Agile coaches, and instructorsDevelopers and testers who want to understand how work is shapedAny
One technique is quick and convenient, but not complete. Another is complete, but not easy in incremental environments. The third helps collaborative discussions, but isn’t easy to send around the company. The result is confusion, rework and expensive missed requirements.
In this 2nd edition of his ground-breaking book, Dr. Alistair Cockburn shows how they complete and complement each other.
Readers of the 1st edition
His comprehensive approach in breaking down these techniques and illustrating their synergies is nothing short of revolutionary.An absolute gem in the realm of Agile methodologies.Makes complex topics easy to understand. Meticulously structured.Perfect not only for self-study but also for classroom teaching.In this expanded 2nd edition, Dr. Alistair Cockburn — co-author of the Agile Manifesto and author of the bestselling Writing Effective Use Cases — brings these practices together with fresh clarity and examples. Drawing on decades of experience and teaching, he shows how the three techniques complement and strengthen each other when used with skill, all anchored in the seven key concepts that make them work.
What you’ll learn
How to use each technique independently without the common mistakes that plague it.How the three techniques connect, differ, and support one another.How to think and write from the verb, the most powerful lever for clarity in all three models.How to choose the right level of detail for your situation.How to move easily among the models as your conversation or project needs shift.How to use these tools to strengthen—not damage—team morale and cooperation.In this 2nd edition, you’ll
Larger page size for easier reading.A summary opening the book for a fast start, and a recap at the end to remind you.A revised and improved chapter on use casesImproved exercises with answers in the back for self-study or classroom discussion.Summary tables for each chapter for quick reference.Additional examples of use cases, with commentaries.Praised for its clarity, structure, and practical depth, the first edition has already helped thousands of practitioners demystify the relationships among user stories, use cases, and story maps. Readers especially appreciated the book’s concise explanations, accessible writing, and hands-on exercises that make it suitable for both self-study and classroom teaching.
The 2nd edition strengthens all of those qualities while improving the explanations and adding examples.
Who this book is for
Product owners and product managersUX designers and business analystsScrum masters, Agile coaches, and instructorsDevelopers and testers who want to understand how work is shapedAny
Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2025
About the author
Alistair Cockburn
26 books48 followersAlistair Cockburn is an American computer scientist, known as one of the initiators of the agile movement in software development. He cosigned (with 16 others) the Manifesto for Agile Software Development.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.