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The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering

frederick p. brooks jr.

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Few books on software project management have been as influential and timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. With a blend of software engineering facts and thought-provoking opinions, Fred Brooks offers insight for anyone managing complex projects. These essays draw from his experience as project manager for the IBM System/360 computer family and then for OS/360, its massive software system. Now, 45 years after the initial publication of his book, Brooks has revisited his original ideas and added new thoughts and advice, both for readers already familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time.

The added chapters contain (1) a crisp condensation of all the propositions asserted in the original book, including Brooks' central argument in The Mythical Man-Month: that large programming projects suffer management problems different from small ones due to the division of labor; that the conceptual integrity of the product is therefore critical; and that it is difficult but possible to achieve this unity; (2) Brooks' view of these propositions a generation later; (3) a reprint of his classic 1986 paper "No Silver Bullet"; and (4) today's thoughts on the 1986 assertion, "There will be no silver bullet within ten years."

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1975

This edition

Format
322 pages, Paperback
Published
August 2, 1995 by Addison-Wesley Professional
ISBN
9780201835953
ASIN
0201835959
Language
English

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frederick p. brooks jr.

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Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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redpin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The fundamental idea posits that there are two distinct types of time.

First, there is Calendar time. This is the kind of time that cannot be accelerated by adding more people. For instance, no matter how many women are involved, it is impossible to grow a baby in less than nine months.

Second, there is the way people generally conceive of time. If a task takes one person a year to complete, surely it can be done in a month with 12 people. For example, when doing the dishes, it might seem that having two more people, one to dry and one to put things away, could speed up the process. However, those additional people are likely to be idle 50% or more of the time. And at a certain point, adding more people will actually slow things down, as the number of kitchen sinks limits the overall efficiency.

This idea is indeed essential, and Brooks is无疑 responsible for introducing it into the software realm. Nevertheless, the contents of the book have not aged well. It is likely no longer worth your time.
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Lapsaria
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Every software practitioner who has not read this book should get a copy from me.

This book has had a profound impact on me. It refreshes and renews my programming project soul time and time again. I often quote from it when working in software teams. For example, the saying "A good workman is known by his tools" from the Sharp Tools chapter.

Software productivity depends a great deal on clear communication, design, teamwork, and sharp tools and tool smiths for automation, all of which are covered in this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Recently, Dr Brooks was kind enough to sign a copy for me. I have both the original copy, copyrighted in 1975, and the 20th anniversary edition (c) 1995.

This book is a must-read for anyone in the software industry. It provides valuable insights and practical advice that can help improve the quality and efficiency of software development projects. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced professional, you will find something useful in this book.

I highly recommend it to all software practitioners.
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buymepocky
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I give it three stars, but it probably deserves four.

Several of the maxims herein have percolated into the wider community, and were known to me well before I first came across this.

Brooks, by the way, has written more than this rather soft title. His report on the IBM 360, for instance, is the first paper in Readings in Computer Architecture.

This shows that he has made significant contributions in other areas as well.

Although this particular work may not be his most outstanding, it still contains valuable insights and ideas.

The maxims that have spread to the wider community suggest that there is something of worth in it.

Perhaps with a more in-depth reading and analysis, one could discover even more hidden gems within the text.

Overall, it is a decent piece of work that is worth considering for those interested in the subject matter.
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pratulbagri
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Reading this book was like a journey through time for me. From today's perspective, it's a rather outdated book. However, it was truly amazing to read about the completely different everyday problems such as the techniques and strategies of updating paper-based documentation.


Nevertheless, software engineers, architects, and IT project managers, despite the current agile techniques and the experience of previous generations, are still grappling with certain problems. For example, the correct project estimations of time and cost remain a challenge. Many rules still hold true, like Brook's Law which states that adding people to late projects will only make them even later.


This book reveals that each generation of IT professionals has its own unique challenges to handle. And to paraphrase Heraclitus, change is indeed the only constant in software development. We must continuously adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of this dynamic field.

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Thebuttman
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This is a master piece of software engineering.

Many people have read it because it is an extremely approachable account.

When I read this book in 2007, I was amazed at how much value it brought, even though it was written more than 20 years ago.

Since then, I have heard numerous people talk about and swear by this book.

However, I have one gripe against the readers and those who discuss it.

They often use this book to support their stances, but most of these people lack the kind of expertise and experience that Fred Brooks had.

I hope we can all read this as an entertaining account and attempt to gain some insights into the process of software development.

We should not simply rely on the book to validate our own views without truly understanding its context and the author's intentions.

By approaching it with an open mind and a willingness to learn, we can extract the valuable lessons it has to offer and apply them to our own work in software engineering.

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shadowh09
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I picked up this book as it is frequently cited as one of the most popular books on software engineering. However, the slightly dated nature of the book, which was originally written more than 30 years ago, does become evident in many sections.


Some portions of the text have now been transformed into legendary quotes, such as "Brook's Law - adding manpower to a late software project makes it later". Nevertheless, the rest of the book is perhaps a bit hit-and-miss.


Also, the terminology employed is different nowadays. The software architect as described in the book is more akin to a product person in the present context.


There are some controversial opinions, as well as some (now-obvious) great ones. Overall, it is an average read. If you are seeking modern essays on software engineering, Joel Spolsky's books are probably a better starting point.

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stoneym23
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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There are certain parts of this book that will ALWAYS hold significance for software development.

I initially read a selection of chapters from this book during my college days. And now, having accumulated three years of industry experience (whatever that might be worth), I have just completed a cover-to-cover reading.

The reader should be aware that this is a compilation of essays, not a work that presents a single, continuous argument from beginning to end. It is mainly the reader's responsibility to identify the common strands of wisdom that run through the essays and underpin Brooks's arguments.

Brooks is a proficient writer and communicator. I give it a rating of 4/5 because the age of this book affects its accessibility. One must possess sufficient background knowledge of computer and software history to fully appreciate all of Brooks's examples and anecdotes. Without it, the reading can be quite challenging.

Furthermore, there are numerous essays that have become less relevant due to the advent of modern technology, such as version control systems, which have reduced what were once significant issues in the 1960s to mere molehills. With this edition of the book, it might be advisable to read Chapter 19 first. In this chapter, Brooks reexamines many of his previous arguments regarding their relevance and accuracy 20 years later. This helps to highlight the timeless chapters and saves you the time of avoiding those whose usefulness is diminishing.
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S_k_Roy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This book offers truly amazing explanations.

It is designed to assist in clarifying your intuitions regarding notions that are highly relevant to orderings within the field of Software Engineering.

The detailed and comprehensive explanations presented in this book can significantly enhance your understanding of these crucial concepts.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced professional in Software Engineering, this book can serve as a valuable resource.

It delves deep into the various aspects of orderings, providing insights and examples that make the complex ideas more accessible and easier to grasp.

By reading this book, you will gain a better understanding of how orderings impact the development and functionality of software systems, and be able to apply this knowledge to your own work more effectively.
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