Creating a Software Engineering Culture [Hardcover]

Karl Wiegers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0932633331 | ISBN-13: 978-0932633330 | Publication Date: October 1996

Presents a comprehensive approach to improving the quality and effectiveness of the software development process. Author identifies scores of culture builders and culture killers. DLC: Software engineering.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . Karl Wiegers writes using a practical manner that leaves you asking for more." -- Scott Ambler, Software Development

"I give it Four Stars!" -- Tim Lister, Atlantic Systems Guild

"Well written and easy to read, it is filled with information that will definitely help improve your products' quality." -- Sorel Reisman, IEEE Software

About the Author

Karl E. Wiegers is Principal Consultant at Process Impact in Happy Valley, Oregon, a company devoted to software process consulting and education. Previously, he spent 18 years at Eastman Kodak Company as a research scientist, software developer, software manager, and software process and quality improvement leader.

An author of numerous articles and a frequent speaker at conferences and professional society meetings, Wiegers holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and enjoys guitar, military history, and motorcycling. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House Publishing Company, Incorporated (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633331
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633330
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #567,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karl Wiegers is Principal Consultant with Process Impact (www.processimpact.com) in Portland, Oregon. He has provided training and consulting services worldwide on many aspects of software development, management and process improvement. Karl holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, which he believes provides the perfect background for anyone in IT. Prior to starting Process Impact in 1997, he spent 18 years at Eastman Kodak Company as a photographic research scientist, software developer, software manager, and software quality and process improvement specialist.

Karl's most recent book is a memoir of life lessons called "Pearls from Sand: How Small Encounters Lead to Powerful Lessons." Visit www.PearlsFromSand.com to get more information, follow the blog, and submit your own pearls of wisdom to share with the world.

Karl's professional goal is to create books, articles, training materials, templates, and other materials that can help improve the effectiveness of any individual or organization that develops software. You can download many of these items at www.processimpact.com/goodies.shtml. He is the author of five books and more than 170 articles on many aspects of software, chemistry, and military history. His training seminars are available as eLearning courses at www.processimpact.com/elearning.shtml.

When not at the keyboard, Karl enjoys reading military history, cooking, tasting (okay, drinking) wine, playing guitar, and writing and recording music. Check out his recipes at www.processimpact.com/recipes.shtml and his songs (if you dare) at www.karlwiegers.com/songs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A needed dose of software development sanity., April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating a Software Engineering Culture (Hardcover)

This is a great overview of all the elements of a successful software project - from project planning to system design on up to testing and project postmortem. Many of the topics are covered too lightly to allow a practitioner to use all of Wieger's advice right out of the gate. But that's fine - the book is meant to be a handbook of great ideas from which practitioners should choose, study and implement. Pay particular attention to the discussion on determing project drivers and constraints during the project planning phase - an area usually breezed over, with devastating consequences.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A common-sense approach to software process improvement., February 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating a Software Engineering Culture (Hardcover)

The book contains a common-sense approach to software process improvement strategies for most organizations to follow. Wiegers takes the mystique out of the Software Engineering Institute's CMM and offers the CMM as one way of many to accomplish process improvement. He balances technology and process-focus against real-world people issues. Must reading for anyone involved in a Software Engineering Process Group or for senior managers trying to figure out what all this stuff is about. Text is well illustrated by case studies and examples from the author's experience at Kodak

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guide to creating a healthy software organization, January 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating a Software Engineering Culture (Hardcover)

Karl Wieger's book is exceptional in that is provides you with ideas to improve the culture of the software department. It provides culture builders, as well as those nasty culture killers. It leaves you waiting for Monday morning to use at least one of the practices you have read. This is a MUST READ book for all software managers and practitioners.