8 Best Software Testing Books QA Engineer Must read

• Lessons Learned in Software Testing

(By: Cem Kaner )

This software testing book is a must read for beginners. This book focuses on many common mistakes people make during beginning of the quality assurance job. This book can help you do your job more efficiently. The book provides resource for test managers, developers and consultants. There are total 293 chapters in the book and it is not based on generic explanation. Actually it provides live project tips which can be used to reduce testing budget and to increase efficiency of a test team. A few buyers felt the book did not provide serious testing techniques which a tester should know to effectively delivers projects instead it is based on “untested” ideas.

• Beautiful Testing: Leading Professionals Reveal How They Improve Software

(By: Adam Goucher)

The book features 23 essays written by leading testers of the industry providing instances from different testing platforms, and it is suitable for managers and testers as it emphasizing on the concepts of customer based testing, explains the use of mini-maps for testing, uses image comparison, provides testing options for open source projects and other technical information valuable to a tester.

• Software Testing

(By: Ron Patton)

The book provides information about all the areas in software testing including the web-based testing and test automation. It covers functional aspects, usability, security and also localization. It provides easy solutions instead of using complex formula to define testing methodologies. It gives short explanations but provides a complete guide for new testers.

• Testing Computer Software

(By: C. Kaner)

The book covers most of the areas of testing including test case design, software errors , test planning , black box testing and it also provides rare information on Verification Testing and designing a test plan. It does not elaborate on various popular methodologies of testing used today but provides some basic information for both experts and new testers.

• Managing the Testing Process: Practical Tools and Techniques for Managing Hardware and Software Testing

(By: Rex Black)

The book provides information about test plans, test cases, good practices of testing, and setting up objectives, concrete examples and illustrations accompanying every topic and also how to manage test teams within limited resources. It provides many documents (also a CD) explaining how to start testing projects and informs about metrics in which the performance of testing operation can be tested. It is helpful to both experts and novice tester.

• Software Testing: A Craftsman’s Approach, Third Edition

(By: Paul C. Jorgensen)

The book provides basic information in test processes and the processes are presented through mathematical formulas. It provides introduction to set theory, graph theory and discrete math in the first sections, and basic – functional, integration, structural testing, and object-oriented testing are discussed in second half of the book.

• Implementing Automated Software Testing: How to Save Time and Lower Costs While Raising Quality

(By: Elfriede Dustin)

The book provides information about automated testing and it covers the requirements, automated testing lifecycle, methodologies, identifying best practices, limitations, tools, framework design, reporting and automation types & Interfaces. The book provides cases for reducing costs on testing and explains about the pitfalls of automated testing procedures. The only drawback is it does not provide much information about testing tools.

• Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams

(By: Lisa Crispin)

The book provides explanation about agile testing, organizational challenges and four testing quadrants. It also tells about exploratory testing, the 10 testing principles, test based development on unit-level, explains the role of software testers, and test automation strategies. It does not provide detailed unit testing but functional testing of higher level is covered in the book. It gives many experience based reports as compared to technical information.

Software testing helps to determine the capabilities of software application and every application requires a different testing approach. The above list of books cover various different aspects of software testing which helps to enhance the capabilities of testers individually and as a team member.

Hope you found this list useful, What are the best Software Testing Books you have read? Please don’t forget to share with me in comments.

Article Updates

• Updated on April 2019: Images are updated to HTTPS and updates to introduction section.