Mythical Man-Month (A Software Developer's 20th Anniversary Classic Commemorative Edition)

Author: Frederick P. Brooks
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: A must-read classic in the software field, unparalleled and consistently best-selling for over 20 years. Young software engineers, frugal graduate students, and lazy software veterans often ask me to identify the best software books so far. "If I’m stranded on a desert island with only one computer book," they ask, "which should it be?" It’s a ridiculous question, but people insist on an answer. If you were actually exiled to such an island (or you decide to hide there to avoid the fear of the 2000 software crash!), The Mythical Man-Month should follow you. — Ed Yourdon
Since its first publication, The Mythical Man-Month has been a bestseller for over 20 years, an unparalleled must-read classic in the software field. The author provides insightful perspectives on managing complex projects, offering both thought-provoking ideas and extensive software engineering practices. The content is based on Brooks’ project management experience with IBM’s System/360 family and OS/360. Twenty years after its first publication, Brooks revisits his original views and adds new insights and recommendations, making it convenient for those familiar with the original content and for readers who are reading it for the second time. The new chapters added to this edition include:
- A distillation of some core insights from the original work;
- Brooks’ updated reflections on his original views after a generation has passed;
- The classic 1986 article No Silver Bullet;
- The current perspective on the 1986 conclusion (that a silver bullet would not appear within 10 years).
This book is intended for: software developers, software project managers, systems analysts, and students and faculty in STEM and technical management fields.