This past winter I completed a well-done book by Dino Esposito and Andrea Saltarello entitled Microsoft .NET: Architecting Applications for the Enterprise.  I’d like to give my endorsement to this well-written, well-thought-out book.  It encapsulates all of the core concepts needed to correctly build an enterprise-class, durable, yet flexible application.  In many cases, it also gives these concepts detailed treatment, as well.

What I like most about this book is that, although it’s got “.NET” in the title – and it occasionally touts Microsoft-specific technologies, most of book content is dedicated on traditional application architecture and design concepts that are time-tested, proven, and have developed outside of the .NET community.  This includes concepts such as UML, layered architecture and the use of design patterns.  This is a good thing.

Although the book is not a replacement for the core application design and architecture books that I consider mandatory reading from authors such as Booch, GoF, and Fowler (more on this in a future post), it is a great book to dive into that you can consider a comprehensive and detailed treatment of application architecture.  Check it out.

Additionally, while listening to a podcast today, I heard about App Arch Guide 2.0 from the Microsoft Patterns & Practices team.  While I have not read this book, I can say that the interview with one of the authors was compelling enough for me to download it.  More to come on this one.