The Advances in Computers series started in 1960 [1]. Each year, several volumes are printed; each volume contains four to seven chapters, with each chapter written by leading researchers who summarize the state of the art in their specific field. Four volumes were printed in 2018, and this volume is the first of those. It includes five chapters: “Model-Based Testing for Internet of Things Systems,” “Advances in Software Model Checking,” “Emerging Software Testing Technologies,” “Optimizing the Symbolic Execution of Evolving Rhapsody Statecharts,” and “A Tutorial on Software Obfuscation.”

Although each chapter stands alone as a research topic, there is a common thread to the volume. The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a global platform for innovation and transformation, and society is becoming increasingly dependent on smart “things” for daily life. The testing and validation of modern embedded systems is both increasingly more difficult and increasingly more necessary. Model-based testing may be the best chance to keep up with demand (note: while it’s not obvious from the title, chapter 4 also addresses model-driven engineering). Finally, chapter 5 explores the issue of protecting digital assets after they’ve been delivered to a consumer.

Dr. Memon, the editor of this collection, is a professor at the University of Maryland who has long been involved in testing research and the development of numerous testing tools [2]. He is passionate enough about this book series to provide his email address at the end of the preface, requesting suggestions for new topics and contacts for interested authors.

I am not involved in software model research and could not follow every detail of every chapter; however, I am a programmer. I enjoyed reading the essays, following the debates around various tradeoffs, and generally skimming for useful ideas to apply in my own work. The texts vary in complexity, but all are very readable. Proofreading and layout seem to be dying arts at many modern publishers, but the quality of this work is excellent.