O’Reilly has announced the book, Beautiful Testing. I’m one of the contributing authors.
I was asked if I would write about my experiences and thoughts on medical software. I have several different project experiences I could have written about. I chose to write about one of the most intense work experiences I’ve had throughout my career.
My chapter is told in the format of a story. It’s based on a previous project experience that was intensified this past year when a personal situation intertwined with my work in unexpected ways.
One reviewer asked if I was alright sharing anything so personal but I had concluded yes before submitting my chapter.
The reality for me is that my work is personal.
In the past year, several difficult events have taken place in my family life. Although I did write one blog post ( 23 rooms) which shared some of what has taken place, for the most part, I’ve written very little about what has been taking place in my personal life. One reason is out of respect and privacy for my family. The other reason is that I’m committed to keeping my blog focused on software testing. If I wanted an online personal journal, I’d seek a different venue. But when my personal life and my work became so intertwined, I decided to share.
I didn’t realize at the time of writing the chapter, how cathartic it would be for me. It seems so obvious now. It helped. Frankly the past 15 months have more than a little difficult and anyone in the software testing community who has spent time with me has seen the effects on me.
The primary reason I have been writing so much more this past year is I have truly been hit with the reality to fit into my life anything that I ever really wanted to do. Writing is at the top of my list, always has been. I’ve taken a close look at activities that perhaps I hadn’t fit it or let drop on the old to-do list. The past year has changed my perspective on many things.
It is my hope that my chapter helps software testers and other readers further realize the importance of what we do.
I’m looking forward to seeing the book in print.