Quality Software Management: Anticipating Change [Hardcover]

Gerald M. Weinberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997 | Series: Quality Software Management (Book 4)

Change is inherently dangerous. Moreover, change becomes even more dangerous when we don't know what we're doing. Attempts to change software organizations commonly fail because of inadequate understanding of change dynamics -- the same reason the organizations got into crisis in the first place.

Jerry Weinberg concludes his series of four stand-alone volumes with this pragmatic, comprehensive testament on the fundamentals of change management.

From systems thinking to project management to technology transfer to the interaction of culture and process, this volume analyzes change from a broad range of perspectives, spanning the spectrum of sources of organizational change. Such breadth of awareness is essential for successful management of system evolution.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633323
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633323
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write both non-fiction and fiction, in paper and for eReaders (such as Kindle). My fiction includes such novels as Mistress of Molecules; First Stringers: or eyes that do not see; Second Stringers: the sole advantage; The Hands of God; The Aremac Project; Aremac Power: Inventions at Risk; Earth's Endless Effort.

I am the author or co-author of many non-fiction articles and books, including a number on more effective thinking: The Psychology of Computer Programming; An Introduction to General Systems Thinking; Are Your Lights On?; What Did You Say?; and Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method.

My books on leadership include Becoming a Technical Leader, The Secrets of Consulting, More Secrets of Consulting, and the Quality Software Management four-volume series.

My books cover all phases of the software life-cycle, including Exploring Requirements; Rethinking Systems Analysis and Design; The Handbook of Walkthroughs, Inspections, and Technical Reviews; General Principles of System Design, Perfect Software and Other Illusions about Testing; How Software is Built; and Why Software Gets in Trouble.

I offer several blogs and workshops for writers and technical leaders including Problem Solving Leadership (PSL) and the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) Conference. They can be see on my personal website is at http://www.geraldmweinberg.com.

You may read more about me in the Festschrift, The Gift of Time, edited by Fiona Charles and written by many of my students and readers.

I also assist my wife, Dani, in training dogs for service activities and as pets. Her work is described in her book, Teaching People, Teaching Dogs, which can also be purchased on Amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of the series, April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Quality Software Management: Anticipating Change (Hardcover)

This book is the best of the quality software series. Save yourself sometime and start with it and if you find it useful, go back to the previous 3 (I found them best in the following order 2,3,1). The chapter on managing requirements is one of best tools I have ever found for convincing management that we must get a handle on our processes. Be warned however, that none of these books are as readable as "The Secrets of Consulting" or "The Pyschology of Computer Programming." Which I view as Weinberg's best works.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book on organizational change emphasising SW management, May 18, 1998

By 

Elaine May ([e-mail]) (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quality Software Management: Anticipating Change (Hardcover)

The first half of this book is useful for anyone contemplating changing an organization. The second half is directed specifically at project managers. Not a step-by-step guide, but a lot of good concepts and models. Very thought-provoking. If you wonder why you haven't been able to change your organization, this is well worth reading.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lengthy, but good for managers who want to enable change, December 21, 2003

By 

Lars Bergstrom "LarsBerg" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quality Software Management: Anticipating Change (Hardcover)

Well, it's for managers who want to enable change *and* have a lot of free time. This book is fairly long for the amount of information in it, and drags on, even if you're a speed reader. Still, there are some great ideas early on about change agents, how they work, and the environment they require to succeed. It's worth reading at least that part of the book, if you're a manager. However, as a technical leader or 'change agent' yourself, there's not much in this book for you.