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The Testers’ Christmas Present

So the holidays are coming up, and you’re wondering what to get for your tester friends, or (if you’re a tester) for your kids.

Let me be the first this season to recommend I Am A Bug, a perfectly charming little book by Robert Sabourin, and illustrated by his daughter Catherine, who was between 11 and 12 years old as the book was being published. It’s been around for several years.

The secret is that I Am A Bug is a serious testing book, cleverly disguised as a children’s book. It’s one of the wisest books on testing I’ve ever read. Each page begins with a big message, illustrated and elaborated below. Here’s a littl sample:

A bee sting may hurt a bit

The same bug can be found in different computer programs. In one program the bug may not cause much damage…

But it can kill you if you’re allergic to bees.

…but in another program it could be fatal.


The whole book is online, at Rob’s Web site, http://www.amibug.com. (The book is found under “Presentations”.) It’s fun to read there, but order the dead-tree version for a very reasonable price. You can get it from the usual online booksellers. Highly recommended.

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