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Rapid Development (平装)
by Steve McConnell
| Category:
Software development, IT, Technology |
| Market price: ¥ 378.00
MSL price:
¥ 338.00
[ Shop incentives ]
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A succinct, well organized and must-read collection of the lessons learned and best practices in software engineering over the last three decades. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 18 items |
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Kincade (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Technology information is rarely organized and expressed with such insight and thoughtfulness, and out of such a confident sense that the software-production environment many of us increasingly live in could be a better place. This is an enormously valuable work for anyone from a computer-science student to the highest management in the information age - it takes seriously the social world of software engineering; McConnell's advice is sound and backed by research, experience, and an obvious passion. I buy this book regularly out of my own pocket for people starting in the business or joining my staff. |
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James Butler (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
How can I add any value to the multitude of reviews that obviously say "You must buy this"?
When I was working 80 hours a week - this was the only book I read cover-to-cover.
When I lent my book to one of my staff and he left the firm, I bought another copy off the shelf within 24 hours (I couldn't wait for Amazon's delivery time). This was after having read the book twice.
This is the only book I have bought 3 copies: one for work, one for home, and one to share. It's the only book which caused me to specifically make a trip to the bookstore to get a signature and hear a writer speak.
This is the 2nd of McConnell's books I've read. Code Complete was great. I couldn't believe anything could be better but this book is it. It repeated a few facts and figures but it's worthwhile to have it reorganized and re-presented for a different view. This book has led me to be a confirmed McConnell reader. His other books are good, but this is his best. Unfortunately, my expectation is so high now that his subsequent books are not impressing me as much.
Because of this book, I will attend my second course from his company - even if it means flying into Seattle's rain. One book and he's hooked me for literally a thousand dollars - that's an effective writer!
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
This is one of the few large computer books I can say has the content to match its size. Rapid Development contains an extensive compilation of software development practices that have been used over the years. The nice thing about the book is the author clearly addresses where particular development practices should be applied then gives other references if the reader wants to get more detail about a topic. There are a lot of techniques in this book that I've seen addressed elsewhere, but never in such an understandable manner. The book is packed with useful information, and I'm very glad I bought it. I will use this one for years. |
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An EU reader (MSL quote), Europe
<2007-01-10 00:00>
If you are involved in software development projects this is a book for you. Although oriented towards software project managers, the knowledge, insight, examples, and data make it a pool of useful information for anyone involved in software development projects.
Steve McConnell begins analyzing the causes why software projects fail, continues providing a list of classic mistakes (most of us learnt them in the hard way) and the ways to reach the maximum possible development speed by focusing on the four dimmenssions of any software project (people, process, product, and technology). The last part contains a list of "best practices" and analyzes the impact of them on the project schedule and development speed.
The book is easy to read (even for those among us that are not english spoken people), well structured, and full of useful references. The only drawback is, maybe, its age; be aware that is writen before the web revolution or the spring of eXtreme Programming. |
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Michael (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
I'm a big fan of eXtreme Programming (XP) so I was particularly interested in reading this book to see if I could pick up some ideas and concepts different from that of XP. I was quite suprised to see many of the concepts and best practices McConnell presents in this book are very consistent with XP's practices. I also like how McConnell gives lots of references for his claims. He gives plenty of convincing data and supporting arguments to show what many of us already know yet many managers refuse to believe. Things like mandatory overtime can make productivity go down, the importance of moral, why managers can't control all the variables of a SW project (cost, schedule, & product). Overall this book is a great read and I really believe if everyone followed this book's best practices, especially 40 hour work week and honest scheduling, the entire SW industry would be much better than it is today. (I'm a big fan of eXtreme Programming (XP) so I was particularly interested in reading this book to see if I could pick up some ideas and concepts different from that of XP. I was quite suprised to see many of the concepts and best practices McConnell presents in this book are very consistent with XP's practices. I also like how McConnell gives lots of references for his claims. He gives plenty of convincing data and supporting arguments to show what many of us already know yet many managers refuse to believe. Things like mandatory overtime can make productivity go down, the importance of moral, why managers can't control all the variables of a SW project (cost, schedule, & product). Overall this book is a great read and I really believe if everyone followed this book's best practices, especially 40 hour work week and honest scheduling, the entire SW industry would be much better than it is today. |
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Shawn Kresal (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Have you found yourself on a project that was running weeks or months late when the timeline itself was only a few months? The schedule was aggressive but reasonable, so where did things go awry? With software becoming more and more complex and growing pressure to release as quickly as possible it becomes critical for timelines to be maintained and adhered to. Rapid Development establishes a set of 27 Best Practices to help tame run-away software development schedules.
Is our project better suited for evolutionary or throwaway prototyping? What are the risks involved with each practice and how can we increase our chances of first-time success with this practice? McConnell's approach is credible and smart. He provides anecdotal and academic evidence of these practices with real-world examples and documented case studies, many of which come right from the halls of NASA, IBM, and Microsoft. How did the Windows management team motivate their developers to put in 18-hour days only to have them request that washers and dryers be installed so they wouldn't need to go home and do laundry? This and many other stories work as valuable lessons for every member of a software development team.
Although the book is aimed at project management and team leads, it is a must-read for anyone looking to establish a better grip on their effort/cost estimates, reduce development risk, or learn how to make a more accurate schedule.
A must-have, indispensible book for software developers, managers, and consultants. If you think you might benefit from this book, then just buy it. The chapter on morale alone is worth the cover price. |
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Eric Dillingham (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
This book is amazing. After years of "code-like-hell" development and amazingly frustrating bugs related to design flaws, I finally decided to pick up a book on the development process geared towards getting the project done and out the door.
After digging around numerous sites, reading literally hundreds of reviews, and soliciting the opinions of fellow developers, I finally settled on ordering Rapid Development and one of the other books by the same author, Code Complete.
All I can say is "holy cow". Rapid Development was delivered to my door around 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. I picked it up and right away read Chapter 3 - "Classic Mistakes". The scenario presented in the chapter just about blew my mind; it detailed every issue I have ever come across in the development process that has stalled or killed a project. It was also well written with a dry, witty humor; a definate must for any technical book about typically dry subjects.
All I can say is "holy cow". Rapid Development was delivered to my door around 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. I picked it up and right away read chapter 3 - "Classic Mistakes". The scenario presented in the chapter just about blew my mind; it detailed every issue I have ever come across in the development process that has stalled or killed a project. It was also well written with a dry, witty humor; a definate must for any technical book about typically dry subjects.
After reading that one chapter, I flipped back to the beginning of the book and read it all the way through. I didn't put the book down until midnight, and after I had, there were all sorts of ideas screaming through my head I could apply to my current engagements.
Managers and non-technical people will greatly benefit from this book too. Have you ever that manager who stands over your shoulder asking you how it's going, why you're doing something a certain way, or what's taking the project so long? Give this book to your manager and tell him to read Chapter 11, "Motivaton". Chapters 3 and 11 provided the proper explanations for the constant recurrance of certain software project issues ("Why are the programmers working twelve hours a day and the project never seems to get any closer to completion?" "What exactly is so hard about adding this one feature to the program that was never accounted for in the first place?" "If those programmers are such geniuses, why won't they share code or use each other libraries?") to persuade my company to buy this book for all developers and technical managers.
Blah. What a burst of hot air. I've personally never EVER written a review for a book (never enough time), but I just HAD to stop and give five stars to this one.
Buy this book. And buy it for your managers. Now. I am THAT confident that it provide at least one improvement to the way you develop software, if not many. |
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Thummalapalli (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Anyone who has ever been on a software project is initially confused by all the chaos involved. When Ford can churn out good quality and inexpensive automobiles and McDonald's can serve millions of satisfied people around the world, and we can put man on the moon, why do the most reputable companies struggle to deliver even the simplest of software projects?
After being on two new model launches at Ford that went smoothly, I moved into IT at the beginning of the economic boom in the mid-nineties and asked the same question. Why is the IT world so inept at managing software projects? My boss at the time quickly whipped out this book and asked me to read it cover to cover before asking any more questions or wasting any more time trying to figure this out. I did as I was told and found the answers I was looking for. I also found answers to questions I hadn't asked yet but I would have eventually. I instantly purchased a copy of this book for my long term personal book collection.
The book contains a thorough discussion of various software development practices and their effectiveness using case studies very extensively. These case studies stick in your mind really well and drive home the point that the author is trying to make. The book also talks about the most classic mistakes on any software development project and then details several strategies to avoid them altogether on your own project.
I still refer to this book whenever I feel nervous on a software project that something's not right. You don't need to be technical to understand the book and the book is written for anyone on a software project - from the project manager to the developer to the tester. I can't believe the pricing on the book. I am always comparing the value I get from any book I purchase and this is one of the most reasonably priced books for the 600 + pages of wisdom it provides. Share this book with your colleagues and friends, they will definitely thank you for it. Get a copy and start taming those wild software schedules! |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Having seen quite a few projects go haywire; reading this book made me pinpoint exactly all the faults those projects had. The good thing about this book is that its complete. Some books cover some areas and some others, but this covers all. For eg., if you just read the first few chapters and decided to apply techniques learnt to your project, you might not apply them correctly as you you didn't read the whole book to get a complete picture of rapid development.
This books is good for people working in startups. Developers should also read this book so that they can help avoid mistakes of managers/ technologyleads in a fast-paced environment where things can get easily missed. |
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D. Keating (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
I recently read this book as part of my graduate MIS program at the University of Virginia. I thought the book was a great introduction to the world of software development. Having limited experience in the IT world, this book did an outstanding job of giving me insight into the tricky business of project management. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a lot about classic mistakes that software developers and managers commonly make. Luckily, Mr. McConnell also lists many best practices that project managers can use in order to maximize their chances for success on software development projects. |
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1 2 | Total 2 pages 18 items |
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