The Mythical Man-Month

In this summary you will learn

• What software engineering entails
• Why the principles of organization and communication involved are universal
• How you can apply these principles to your own complex projects

getAbstract rating

Why you should read The Mythical Man-Month

This book is a classic for a reason. Every essay by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. addresses software engineering and proves invaluable for those interested in the history and processes of that field. getAbstract also recommends Brooks’ book to anyone who plans or organizes major projects. The collection remains timely due to the clarity of his thought and the educated loveliness of his prose. When Brooks is writing about programming, he’s never just writing about programming. He's writing about the complexities of life, and about how best to plan, organize and communicate the concepts you need to overcome those complexities. This 20th-anniversary edition contains new essays in which Brooks reflects on his earlier writing – especially his principles and predications – and responds to his critics. The result showcases a singular, markedly honest mind at work.

About the Author

Frederick P. Brooks Jr. is the author of The Design of Design and other works. He won the Association for Computing Machinery’s A. M. Turing Award in 1999.