Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An entertaining, educational experience, December 30, 1999
Like economics, the discipline of software development suffers from a weakness that prevents the resolution of competing theories, in that it is generally impossible to perform controlled experiments. It would take an extremely brave manager to ever try out two competing development theories by having two teams build the same product simultaneously. However, it is possible to borrow a technique from theoretical physics and perform thought experiments. Such an experiment would involve having more than one team develop the same product simultaneously, but using different techniques. That type of experiment is the premise of this novel.
The main character is a recent victim of downsizing who is kidnapped and taken to a formerly communist country where the educational level is high and the costs are low. Once there, he succumbs to his fantasies and agrees to perform the experiment of his dreams. With six products to build and a large staff of developers, he splits them into eighteen groups where each product is being built by three teams simultaneously. Each group of the three then uses a different development method. Throw in impossible deadlines and you have a microcosm of software development.
It would appear that such a premise would guarantee a boring book, but nothing could be further from the truth. The book is entertaining and enduring, as developers will recognize most of their development problems, albeit couched in somewhat unique circumstances. Many of the leading figures in the theory of software development management make cameo appearances, including a certain very rich man. The end result is a true stroke of genius that has somewhat of a surprise ending, but actually quite natural, given the current climate in the computer business.
It is rare when a book about the management of software development is not as dull as baked dirt, and this book is indeed the exception. Not only is it entertaining, but you can even learn some management skills in the process.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun read, with plenty to learn..., January 9, 2000
If you normally fall asleep while reading books about Project Management, give this one a try. Set in the form of a novel, the reader follows the experiences of a Project Manager charged with bringing home a series of project with typically impossible deadlines.This is not a text book. If you're new to Project Management, I recommend that you start elsewhere. However, if you've been involved in projects or find yourself in the lucky position of being a Project Manager, this book provides some valuable ideas about how to improve your project -- or at least cope with inevitabilities. If you enjoy this book, also look at "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox, and also "Zapp: The Lightening of Improvement" by William Byham.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding resource for software project managers., April 30, 1999
By A Customer
Mr. Demarco's book is an easy, entertaining read. It can be consumed in an evening with very little effort. In the guise of the protagonist's diary entries, Demarco instructs the reader on the finer points of software project management. Humor and a cutting wit are two more of Demarco's strong points. There is more practical information in this little book than in any 10 textbooks on the subject. It is now a part of my library (if I can ever get it back - people keep borrowing it!).
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