I was lucky enough to read a series of books from Addison-Wesley’s RUP series on learning and using RUP, and letting it make the most sense for your projects.

One thing’s for sure: it’s impossible for any one person to “know” the Rational Unified Process in and out. So, stop right there if you’re looking to get the printed documentation of RUP, because it’s logistically impossible to bundle it all into a paperback book. These titles give a bird’s eye view of what RUP is and how it can be leveraged for optimal productivity in the vein of software development.

These books give you great high-level insight on how your organization can benefit by adopting and implementing RUP in your developmental projects.

First, “The Rational Unified Process: An Introduction” (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321166094/qid=1073104419/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-1339915-1067139) is an overview into the theory behind RUP. Great chart and graphics describe the processes RUP is rooted in, and the title is written in such a way as to indirectly hammer home the concepts into your subconscious, without being too blatantly redundant. Essentially, you’ll get the jist of RUP – iterations, that the waterfall process isn’t efficient, the importance of establishing diversity in team-based development, and the importance of architecture.

Basically, the book also enforces the concept that self-organization and communication within an organization (within the team, throughout the company, and with clients) is key. It reads more like a business journal than a technical guide, so hands-on examples are left out.

Also, the poster summarizing the key RUP activities that’s included with the book is really great. I would have liked a case study at the end of the book to tie together the concepts with a practical example, but the book is great otherwise. I also found the fact that samples of RUP templates to be a bit disappointing. A helpful appendix listing some (not all) of the key artifacts used in RUP planning is also appreciated.

Next, “Adopting the Rational Unified Process: Success with the RUP” (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321202945/qid=1073105259/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-1339915-1067139?v=glance&s=books) is a title any organization looking to streamline operations would be wise to pick up. It’s basically a “how-to” guide on making RUP work for you. And right off the bat, it lets you know that RUP is meant to be picked apart.

It explains strategies in getting the members of your team to buy into RUP’s concepts, as well as getting management to support it. It also maps out a proposed strategy for using RUP not only in new projects, but for inserting it into work already ongoing.

It’s written with a very friendly tone, and explained in plain English, with short, to the point chapters, making it a very easy read. It’s also organized very logically, and features many of the RUP templates, as well as UML diagrams and schematics that reinforce the lessons learned. The book also does a good job of demonstrating the concepts mentioned, by giving examples of how RUP is used, and then follows it up with an outstanding appendix highlighting many well-known businesses using RUP in their operations.

Because of the clarity of writing, proven examples, and exhibits, this book would make an outstanding addition to the curriculum for either a software engineering course or business class.

Lastly, the book “Software Development for Small teams: A RUP-Centric Approach” shows that RUP isn’t just reserved for enterprise-level developers, and can still be applicable to smaller organizations.

It uses a voice that’s more narrative than descriptive, which is a nice change. The book speaks from the first-person, from a team of developers who bridged RUP and PSP (the Personal Software Process) to develop a set of tools that makes RUP’s concepts applicable to smaller teams or on less-complex projects.

As such, the reader learns to scale down RUP, and also how to implement PSP. To a certain extent, other agile software development methodologies are used, such as eXtreme Programming. The book demonstrates the use of models and tools used so that smaller teams can create with the efficiency and customer satisfaction of their enterprise counterparts.