Software Project Survival Guide

Computer books written in 1997 are either obsolete or classics. This one is a classic and a timeless one at that because it gives a straightforward approach to development projects that is consistent with best practices. Best practices are usually born from lesson's learned from disasters. While there have been criticisms that this book might not be up to the realities of web development, I believe that the inverse is true: too many web development projects are initiated before they are properly planned, and are not effectively controlled because of unskilled project managers. But that's a personal opinion. What you will find in this book that is applicable to any development project, regardless of whether the goal is a web- or e-commerce-based system, client/server or host-based. What you get is a structured approach to planning and estimating using proven methods (as opposed to pulling numbers out of thin air), excellent advice on organizing and motivating (and protecting) a project team, and how to manage delivery and release of a quality product. What I particularly like is the life-cycle framework, the controls provided to manage scope and product integrity and the emphasis on testing, release and quality. However, much of this can be mined from other books. What sets this book apart and makes it a classic is the wealth of tips and checklists and the way the author weaves his experiences into the approach. What makes this book effective is the copious advice given throughout about dealing with politics, people issues and other project and career killers. This book is about surviving projects and if the advice liberally sprinkled throughout is heeded it will go a long way towards helping you to do just that.

This book is a wonderful resource for the frustrated developer attempting to understand the software management process. It is filled with little understandings which illuminate different aspects of broken process. This book made be laugh and cry with recognition as I read it. I couldn't put it down.What is useful about this book, is that it presents a complete process model. This book is a great vision reference for a group. It's completeness, is it's realy strength. Rather than focusing on what goes wrong, this book explains how to do things right, and points out what failures that prevents.This book deserves all five stars, for it's completeness and focus, although I think a more appropriate title might be "A Complete Vision for Managing Software Projects." This book is not really about individual survival for Software Projects, it's about team survival. In that sense, this book is designed with the Manager in mind, rather than the individual developer.The resources provided by the Author's website (and other books) raise the bar for what it means to be a software professional, and in that sense, this book is inspirational for the developer wishing to become an expert in their field.I intend to have every co-worker in my group read this book.

This book is especially helpful to those either: 1) new to managing projects 2) have never been formally trained in managing projects 3) are more on the business side of the fence and need insight into the software development processI highly recommend this book if you fall into any of the above categories. I also recommend buying this book for any non-technical bosses.

In a past life I made the weekly study of this book a requirement for my entire software development management staff. Steve McConnell provides a blueprint that works with just about any project size. If you don't have a software development lifecycle, hand out copies of this book and tell you staff to "just do it." If you have processes that are defined and implemented use Steve's best practices to raise the bar in the organization. Either way, you and your organization are much better off than before...

McConnell's released books on good construction practises, and good development practices. Now he finishes the circle with a book on good management practices. McConnell has a very good way of integrating the thoughts of many prominent industry gurus into a readible comprehensive format. His talent is to recognize the best ways that improve people as software workers. The thoughts and techniques from his previous work, Rapid Development, were excellent, and it is "the Software Project Survival Guide" that puts those techniques into concrete perspective. He concentrates on only a few of his published techniques, those that are most tried and true, but also provides a framework well suited to young and upcoming technical students hoping to become managers. (Like myself 8-D) A great companion to this book is Tom Demarco's "The Deadline", as it adds the human-element of managing projects that sometimes seems missing from McConnell's book. This is not to the detriment of McConnell's work, it is just that his approach is different. McConnell's books are readible, interesting, and are the _best_ comprehensive books on improving yourself as a software worker. He's the guru of the 90's.