Customer Reviews

Computer Parables: Enlightenment in the Information Age

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While slightly weaker than the first two books in this set, "The Tao of Programming," and "The Zen of Programming," this volume is strongly recommended for new software project leads and project managers, and for managers and executives who are trying to understand how (and why) software is built the way that it is built.

With the other two books in this series, James does an excellent job of conveying many of the lessons of large software project management and software design in a series of short, accessible anecdotes which can be easily digested by someone who is just coming to the field, or who doesn't have the time and focus to really digest Brooks ("The Mythical Man-month") or Demarco/Lister ("Peopleware"). This set is concise and to-the-point, and a must have for the new project manager or project lead.

Similar to _The Tao of Programming_ and _The Zen of Programming_ by James, in that it's funny, but also tremendously insightful. Like most very funny things, the parables in this book have a grain of truth that would be hard to convey in any other way.

It does us good to laugh at ourselves, and it does us good to take a look at ourselves as computer scientists; this trilogy accomplishes both of those. I would (easily!) call this a must-read.

If you are a novice in the arkana of programming, this book will make your delight while enlightening you in the best practices and the philosophy of Computer Science and creativity. But to truly appreciate the wisdom contained herein, you must be a computer Wizard or Guru. Only then will you really enjoy the invaluable wisdom and humour distilled in these short aphorisms.
A timeless classic of Computer Science. If you are into programming and have a sense of humour, you'll love it.

This book is somehow more poignant than the other two in the series (The Tao of Programming / The Zen of Programming) and relates more to the whole world than it does to the art of programming alone. While the humour is not as specifically targeted at programmers as it is in the first two books, the message is further-reaching and altogether grander. James' anger at various aspects of society (vivisection, for example) comes through clearly at times, and gives the book a note of vitriol which is less emphasized in the other two volumes: this, alone, renders it memorable, despite its overall presentation being humourous. The book functions as a more grown-up companion to the other, lighter volumes which preceded it.