Beyond Chaos: The Expert Edge in Managing Software Development - Softcover

In Beyond Chaos, legendary software engineer Larry Constantine brings together 28 outstanding essays on software project management, straight from the must-read Management Forum column in Software Development Magazine. Critically important reading for every software manager and engineer, this book covers an extraordinarily wide range of issues -- with equally impressive depth. You'll find Karl Wiegers on the basics of project management, and Capers Jones on software productivity measurement; Steve McConnell on managing outsourced projects and Michael Vizard on the need for stronger software professional standards. From Lucy Lockwood on aligning development with e-Business, to Ed Yourdon on surviving software "death marches," it's here: dealing with difficult people, sustaining teamwork, coping with project failure, managing from the bottom up, and much more. There are also four essays by Larry Constantine himself, covering requirements, development culture, modeling, and other key issues.

The popularity of the Management Forum in Software Development Magazine is not surprising. Because the majority of software development projects fail to come in on time, on budget, or on specification, software development managers are constantly seeking out management approaches and techniques that will help them achieve success. Many software development projects deteriorate into a state of chaos.

In Beyond Chaos, the keenest contributions to the Management Forum have been incorporated into a single volume to reveal best practices in managing software projects and organizations. The forty-five essays contained in this book are written by many of the leading names in software development, software engineering, and technical management. Each piece has been selected and edited to provide highly focused ideas and suggestions that can be translated into immediate practice. Pragmatic and provocative, they address key management concerns involving people, planning and productivity, coping under pressure, quality, development processes, and leadership and teamwork.

Highlights of the book include:

• Larry Constantine, "Dealing with Difficult People: Changing the Changeable"
• Karl Wiegers, "First Things First: A Project Manager's Primer"
• Capers Jones, "Productivity by the Numbers: What Can Speed Up or Slow Down Software Development"
• Ed Yourdon, "Death March: Surviving a Hopeless Project"
• Dave Thomas, "Web-Time Development: High-Speed Software Engineering"
• Meilir Page-Jones, "Seduced by Reuse: Realizing Reusable Components"
• Jim Highsmith, "Order for Free: An Organic Model for Adaptation"
• Steve McConnell, "Managing Outsourced Projects: Project Management Inside-Out"

These and many more insightful and advisory essays together represent the cutting edge in software development management and the collective wisdom of the field's most knowledgeable practitioners. Both entertaining and enlightening,Beyond Chaos will enrich your skills and enhance your deeper understanding of the process of bringing software from idea to reality.

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