Project Management Book Reviews

If you want to build software successfully, you need a solid software development process. Projects with great individuals fail regularly because they don’t have good processes. Project management for software projects consists of making sure that the team builds a repeatable and reliable process as well as good software. The books on this page provide good overviews of the problems involved in creating software and of the best practices developed for dealing with those problems.

Improve how you manage your projects, and you will improve your software and your business.

Rapid Development by Steve McConnell: A Top Ten Book List selection.; This book should be called Project Complete. It is the single best overview of the development process I know. Different techniques and methodologies are compared and explained so that you can pick the best practices for your project and organization. The writing is clear and engaging. My only criticism is that McConnell does not emphasize usability-oriented design and development enough. Get Usability Engineering as a supplement. Most highly recommended. Review added 1999.
After the Gold Rush by Steve McConnell: Steve McConnell’s latest book points out that you need a license to groom poodles, but you don’t need a license to call yourself a software developer. This book focuses on best practices in software development and why they are increasingly important to software developers and their customers. Review July 2000.; You can read samples from this book at Steve McConnell’s site.
Software Requirements by Karl E. Wiegers: Software Requirements is a well orginized introduction to finding, documenting, and using requirements. The book's strength clearly explains what requirements are and why they are important. The book is not as detailed about how to effectively develop and manage requirements. I'd rate the book a solid introduction to the subject but not a complete reference.
The Software Project Survival Guide by Steve McConnell: This is a shorter book than Rapid Development. It presents a single solid approach to managing the development process. This book is short and to the point. If you are short on time, read this book and use Rapid Development as a supplemental reference. There is a Web site for this book. Review added 1999.
Creating a Software Engineering Culture by Karl E. Wiegers: This is a practical explanation of quality-oriented software development and project management. If you don’t yet believe that building software right is cheaper, you will by the end of this book. The book draws on a team’s experience, so it is practical, not academic. Highly recommended. Review added 1999.
Debugging the Development Process by Steve Maquire: This is a great and terrible book. The book is full of real wisdom, but it is dangerously easy to misread the message. This is a useful book if you are already an experienced project manager; otherwise, get McConnell’s books. Review added 1999.
Peopleware by DeMarco and Lister: This is one of the most influential computer books ever published. It argues that software development is about people, not technology. This book explains to managers of software development how to motivate programmers. Its COBOL orientation makes it feel dated, but it’s a classic. You will find yourself quoting it to people until they force you to stop. Review added 1999.
The Mythical Man Month by Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.: This another book you’ll find yourself quoting. Even after more than 20 years, almost all of it rings true. Make sure to get the 20th anniversary edition with the new chapters. The No Silver Bullet essay is particularly worth reading. Review added 1999.

Read a great book lately? Send an email to dpadams@island-data.com.