Universal Elixir and Other Computing Projects Which Failed [Paperback]

Robert L. Glass (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0686236092 | ISBN-13: 978-0686236092 | Publication Date: December 1977

This book contains fictionalized tales about real failed computing projects. The book is a classic in its field; it has been reprinted 3 times, and its lessons learned are as fresh today as they were when it was originally written.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Compulsive and essential reading ... the perfect Programmer's Bedside Book" -- Software Practice and Experience

"Read it! Remember it the next time some wild new project is organized" -- ACM Computing Reviews

"This short book ought to be read about twice a year to keep one alert to his frailties" -- Data Processing Digest

About the Author

Robert L. Glass is president of Computing Trends, a software publishing and consulting company. He has been an active technologist in the computing field for over 40 years, and is the author of 23 books and 66 published papers on computing topics. He is also a columnist for several computing periodicals, including Communications of the ACM, and IEEE Software. "My head is in the academic world of computing," he says, "but my heart is in its practice."

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Computing Trends (December 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0686236092
• ISBN-13: 978-0686236092
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,762,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert L. Glass held his first job in computing in 1954. Author of over 25 books, he is one of the true pioneers of the software field. He is the editor and publisher of The Software Practitioner newsletter, and has written regular columns for Communications of the ACM, IEEE Software, and Information Systems Management. In 1995 he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Linkoping University of Sweden, and in 1999 he was named a Fellow of the ACM professional society. His unique viewpoint and timeless (often contrarian!)writings have for decades offered insights to practitioners, managers, professors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students alike. Recent books include Software Conflict 2.0 and Software Creativity 2.0, from developer.* Books, Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering, from Addison-Wesley, and The Dark Dide of Software Engineering, from Wiley/IEEE CS Press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Names Were Changed To Protect EVERYONE, October 16, 2006

By 

John R. Strohm - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Universal Elixir and Other Computing Projects Which Failed (Paperback)

Robert Glass had a crazy idea. By studying projects which failed, and figuring out why they failed, it might be possible to learn how to avoid making those mistakes again. Thus was born a long-running column, in "Computerworld", I believe, and eventually he collected the columns into a book.

No one wants to admit having had a failure, especially a big one, and so the names were all changed. All that remains is the lessons to learn - of which there are plenty.

This book is an easy read, and amusing, even if the stories, now four decades old, may seem dated today.

This book should be required reading for everyone who might ever consider managing, or working on, a software project of any complexity at all. Taken together, it is an outstanding list of reasons why projects fail, and warning signs of a Project in Trouble, one that has a very good change of becoming another Project Which Failed.