Peopleware

Productive Projects and Teams

By: DeMarco Tom, Lister Tim

Narrated by: Amy Gordon

Few books in computing have had as profound an influence on software management as "peopleware". The unique insight of this longtime best seller is that the major issues of software development are human, not technical. They’re not easy issues; but solve them, and you’ll maximize your chances of success.

For this third edition, the authors have added six new chapters and updated the text throughout, bringing it in line with today’s development environments and challenges. For example, the audiobook now discusses pathologies of leadership that hadn’t previously been judged to be pathological; an evolving culture of meetings; hybrid teams made up of people from seemingly incompatible generations; and a growing awareness that some of our most common tools are more like anchors than propellers.

Anyone who needs to manage a software project or software organization will find invaluable advice throughout the audiobook.

©1987, 1999, 2013 Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister (P)2022 Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

Hopefully a post-covid version is released

Its good, but I felt bogged done in home many pages were devoted to the physical workspace. Also, in today's workplace, much of this perspective is commonly shared (maybe thanks to this book & others like it). A new edition that iterates on this could improve the text's current usefulness.

Narration is solid.

A book everyone in (IT)management should read

it can feel outdated, and many things from this book are more or less understood in our industry by now, yet the principles it speaks about remain truer than ever. It simplifies some concepts that are thought to be complex, in a way that is understandable and logical. one wouldn't learn some great new insight from it, but learn many basics that we probably instinctively know are true, are indeed considered true (at least by this book's authors :)) easy to read, a book worth spending time on

Impractical for managers, but may be valuable for CEOs

The book talks about many things that are out of control of managers in a large organizations. It does share some things that managers can do better, however it offers little advice on how to do so.

Example -

It talks about offices vs limited spaces vs open seating. In a large organization there is little influence managers have over such decisions.

It talks about removing performance reviews. And it says as a manager you must think that is not feasible. Yes that is not feasible.

It gives great advice that we should create team bonding, but offers little suggestions about it. One of the suggestion it does provide requires the team to work over the weekend and over night.

It shares good advice on managers should show trust in their team, but offers little advice on how.

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for managers and leaders the 2 books i would recommend instead are
'Everyone deserves a great manager' and 'Nine minutes on Monday'