A Good Read on Software Project Management

I have been in the software development industry for almost 20 years in roles ranging from developer/project lead/project manager to architect. This is one of the most comprehensive books on project management that I have found. It summarizes many of the experiences that I have encountered in software development and, in addition, adds some very good insights into subjects that have historically been problem areas for me.

Joe's description of software engineering thought processes are spot on, and will help anyone who needs to work closely with software engineers. His discussion of historic projects that ended in tragedy show that the problems that haunt large projects are not limited to software projects.

His section (Part 3 The Project-Management View) on project management is a must read for any person who has a project management role. The classic problem of tradeoffs, estimation and scheduling are analyzed and explained in a very useful manner. For some of the more `touchy-feely' subjects, Joe introduces Roscoe Leroy, an imaginary character, who spouts a continuous stream of common sense and real world wisdom.

This book is a good read for anyone in the software industry. The subject matter discussed in the book will help communication among all the different levels and roles in the software industry.

Other Reviews

• climb the logic tree
• Worth Reading
• A Good Read on Software Project Management
• like having a trusted advisor for managing people on software projects
• Insightful and applicable, detracted only by a couple of outliers