Semantic Software Design: A New Theory and Practical Guide for Modern Architects

by Eben Hewitt

With this practical book, architects, CTOs, and CIOs will learn a set of patterns for the practice of architecture, including analysis, documentation, and communication. Author Eben Hewitt shows you how to create holistic and thoughtful technology plans, communicate them clearly, lead people toward the vision, and become a great architect or Chief Architect.

This book covers each key aspect of architecture comprehensively, including how to incorporate business architecture, information architecture, data architecture, application (software) architecture together to have the best chance for the system's success.


Get a practical set of proven architecture practices focused on shipping great products using architecture
Learn how architecture works effectively with development teams, management, and product management teams through the value chain
Find updated special coverage on machine learning architecture
Get usable templates to start incorporating into your teams immediately
Incorporate business architecture, information architecture, data architecture, and application (software) architecture together

Genres: Computer Science, Technology, Architecture

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2019

Reviews

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Someone has failed miserably here. Either it was me (the reader) or the author. Let's start with dissecting the title:
* "a new theory" - where is it? I couldn't find it ...
* "practical guide" - no, there's nothing practical here, because there are zero examples/cases
* "semantic software design" - a definition? please? it's quite a big book & after reading it I still have no clue what the SSD is about ...

The content of the book is a mixture of:
* (very rare) good, spot-on thoughts & remarks (just a few of them, e.g. about the adequacy of using the word "architect" in "software architect" job title)
* very high level, vague considerations that do not lead to any specific conclusions
* mixed in technical advice & considerations (not really revealing, doesn't fit the rest of the book at all)
* personal lessons learned (e.g. Design Definition Document - a formal & rather unusable, over-bloated template of a design document)

I had quite high expectations (there was something about controversy & boldness in the book's intro), but in the end it feels almost like a scam. Sorry, I don't want to be rude, but damn - I haven't seen such a useless architecture-related book in ages ;/

[Lim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ambitious book. It starts out very strong with an interesting point: as Software designer, we are more philosophers than architects. Our problem space is inherently one of semantic, our first task conceptualisation. There is a lot to like about this philosophy, so much so that I took a screenshot and sent it to my team. But it all went down hill from there.

Writing about Software architecture is very hard. If you start out with frameworks and patterns, you risk being too specific, too technical too fast. The map becomes the territory. If you start out with philosophy, you risk getting stuck there and can’t establish a coherent flow with practicality, which this book is an example.

[Tainan Fidelis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book, it has some new ideas and viewpoints. On the other way, the title misleads the reader, because the author talks about a lot of things - good things -, but not about what you expect from the book title, summary and chapters titles.

[V. Tei-Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was quite promising at the beginning, but later on it turned into a quite difficult to comprehend set of chapters (mess).