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Title: Why Does Software Cost So Much?: And Other Puzzles of the Information Age by Tom Demarco ISBN: 093263334X Publisher: Dorset House Pub. Date: 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2
Rating: 4
Summary: Insightful, funny, and very readable
Comment: The software industry has been cranking out books at a record pace. Any self respecting software professional reads anywhere from a handful to a pile each year. But, if an engineer could get upper management to read one book so they could better understand the engineer's world, which book would it be? This one comes to mind.
Why does software cost so much? DeMarco bristles at the question. Compared to what?! "[its] not a question at all; it's an assertion." In a series of essays DeMarco and others make observations that ring true. Here's one gem: "I suspect the typical software engineer doesn't work overtime to make the schedule, but in order not to feel so bad about not making it."
All of the essays are brief and to the point. The book was first published in 1995 and several of the essays are works published earlier. A few that mention particular technologies, languages, or management fads are showing signs of age. The essays that concentrate on the sociology of programming still hit home. And why not? Tools and technologies evolve quickly but people and their habits don't.
DeMarco's casual and fluid writing style make each of the essays easy to read but be careful not to confuse "easy to read" with "trivial." There is plenty here to make an engineer think and to give a CEO some insight into the complex and sometimes baffling world of software.
Rating: 4
Summary: Very thought provoking essays on Software Engineering
Comment: Tom DeMarco has to be one of the most clear and lucid writers in software engineering. In this book he covers a wide range of material, all with the same light, easy to read style. Almost every essay raises questions or provides insight that I had not considered before. DeMarco has definitely changed my outlook (or at least made me think more critically) on many areas of my career in software.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was that some of the essays seem to have been thrown in as an afterthought to make the book thicker. A few didn't really flow together with the rest of the book.
Rating: 4
Summary: Don't stop until you finish reading this appetizing book!
Comment: This, the first book I have read by this author, I initially thought to myself, "Where is he going with this?" Then, I realized that through what at first seemed to me to be ramble, some very important points emerged and the author had captured my interest!
I rarely have the time to read for pleasure, but I did make time to read through this array of 24 essays.
This book covers many subjects and expresses philosophical as well as factual views. It is filled with a variety of software and technology topics, management and other business issues. It is thought-provoking and interesting.
True, the book has been around for a while and I found some of the reading to be outdated; however, beyond that, this book does offer interesting insights.
Tom DeMarco has a way with words, is witty, and is a brilliant communicator. Essay 23 adds flavor to the book . . . enjoy! Bon Appetit!
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