Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior (Paperback)

~ Tom Demarco (Author), Peter Hruschka (Author), Tim Lister (Author), Suzanne Robertson (Author), James Robertson (Author), Steve McMenamin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Another masterpiece from the folks who brought you Peopleware. Anyone who has survived a software project or two will surely recognize many of these patterns and will be able to learn from most of them. Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies is a real joy." --Joel Spolsky, author of Joel on Software

"Who else but these particular authors could mine 150 years of software team experience to capture memorable names for oft-encountered situations? I suspect you will start using these phrases in your work--I already have." --Alistair Cockburn, author of Agile Software Development

"utterly delightful collection of essays about 86 'project patterns' . . . These 'patterns' are grimly familiar to anyone who has worked in project-related organizations; and unfortunately, they can be found in small companies as well as large ones. Fortunately, some of the patterns ('Rattle Yer Dags' and 'Nanny,' for example) are good ones, and should be encouraged. Sadly, though, far too many of them ('Dead Fish,' 'Project-Speak') are not only depressingly familiar, but astonishingly destructive to productivity, quality, and the morale of the project team. . . . I really love this book, not the least because each pattern can be read and understood in a moment or two, since they take only 2-3 pages to explain. . . . If Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies gets the attention it deserves, Scott Adams may have to return to Corporate America and get an honest job as a project manager." --Ed Yourdon, author of Death March

Product Description

Adrenaline junkies, dead fish, project sluts, true believers, Lewis and Clark, template zombies . . .

Most developers, testers, and managers on IT projects are pretty good at recognizing patterns of behavior and gut-level hunches, as in, I sense that this project is headed for disaster.

But it has always been more difficult to transform these patterns and hunches into a usable form, something a team can debate, refine, and use. Until now.

In Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies, the six principal consultants of The Atlantic Systems Guild present the patterns of behavior they most often observe at the dozens of IT firms they transform each year, around the world.

The result is a quick-read guide to identifying nearly ninety typical scenarios, drawing on a combined one-hundred-and-fifty years of project management experience. Project by project, you'll improve the accuracy of your hunches and your ability to act on them.

The patterns are presented in an easy-reference format, with names designed to ease communication with your teammates. In just a few words, you can describe what's happening on your project. Citing the patterns of behavior can help you quickly move those above and below you to the next step on your project. You'll find classic patterns such as these:

* News Improvement
* Management By Mood Ring
* Piling On
* Rattle Yer Dags
* Natural Authority
* Food++
* Fridge Door
* and more than eighty more!

Not every pattern will be evident in your organization, and not every pattern is necessarily good or bad. However, you'll find many patterns that will apply to your current and future assignments, even in the most ambiguous circumstances. When you assess your situation and follow your next hunch, you'll have the collective wisdom of six world-class consultants at your side.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House (March 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633676
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633675
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,716 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic from "those Peopleware guys", July 20, 2008

By	Rob S. (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

The title and cover caught my eye (today!) in the bookstore and after flipping through, I couldn't wait to get home and blow through it.

It's clear why this is getting a 5-star average here @ Amazon. Written by the same folks who authored Peopleware (classic skilled-person management book), it contains ~80 patterns of project behaviour alternating between helpful and harmful.

Almost immediately I had several, "Ohhh yeah! That's what's going on!" moments. The authors do a terrific job of identifying patterns and the reasoning behind them. Being relatively new to a management gig, this sort of resource is invaluable. You might not be able to fix some of the issues, but you'll certainly be able to notice them more quickly - which is really the first step.

Each pattern is about 2-3 pages long, clearly identified in the table of contents and with pattern headings that stand out. This presentation allows me to quickly refer back to find out the suggested cure.

Most patterns are presented with prescriptive, corrective behaviour. Granted it's not a detailed dissertation on how to fix organizational issues, but enough to get an idea of the scope of the fix; work through it, or time to find another employer?

I'm already in the process of recommending this to my peers. It's such a brief, valuable read that anybody with skin in the game (from developers to CEOs) should give it a look.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Day, Another Pattern Book, March 31, 2008

By	Earl Beede (Maltby, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Patterns are all the rage these days in software development. You can't be a serious software person unless you invoke a pattern here or a pattern there. The bright folks at the Atlantic Systems Guild have named us 86 project patterns so that more of us can drop a pattern name here and there and get the mantel of being serious project folks.

Most of what you read in this book are patterns of things gone wrong patterns more than patterns of things gone right. I think that this is OK though I did find it a bit frustrating at times. There would be a suggestion on how to disrupt the negative patterns occasionally but, given the short, blithe entries, not a lot of detail. This book is more about diagnosis than about treatment.

So, read it more for enjoyment rather than serious project help. Anyway, most of the patterns, certainly the names, are all made up. "We make no claim to the universality of our observed patterns." Not measured, not tested, just observed. However, these are keen observers and I found myself agreeing with most of the entries.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These guys have visited my office (for 20 years_, March 27, 2008

By	Dwayne Phillips (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this book.

These guys must have been spying on my office for the past 20 years. Most of the bad things that happen where I work (and a few of the good things) are in this book. They truly are patterns of project behavior.

The book includes 86 project patterns. Each has a title, a one sentence summary, two or three pages of text, and a great illustration or photo. The first pattern is "Adrenaline Junkies" - the place I worked in 1986 where every thing is urgent and must be started now and no one eats or sleeps until it is done. The last pattern "Template Zombies" - the place I worked in 1996 where every thing is a template that must be filled without any thought. Working complex projects without any thought - not a good idea.

Flip through this book. Find a pattern - either good or bad - that fits your current project, bring the book to work and show people that your workplace is not unique, that others have done the same before, and what the result will probably be if you don't change.