The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management

Rating:
Summary: Neither fowl nor fish
Review: The good: The book is an enjoyable read, it raised some interesting ideas, and it really motivated me to do "what I know is right" even when opposed by management or others in the organization.

The bad: The book is both a novel and a project management text book - and as such it fails somewhat as either. As a novel the plot (especially the romantic plot) is too shallow and linear. As a project management text book it was difficult to know: Is this solution something DeMarco has researched and found useful, or is it merely speculation on his part? Since it is a novel, there's no way to tell - there are no references to real-world cases or research.

Still - it WAS an enjoyable read, the main character was quite inspirational, some of the ideas quite fresh, and it was a welcome relief from heavier literature on the subject of project management.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: The story line is contrived and the characters one dimensional, but The Deadline is a must read for anyone involved in the software development process.

If you have ever been involved in a project that has gone terribly wrong and want to take a fresh look at the possible reasons why, this book could be your guide. Demarco provides excellent insight into the circumstances that derail projects and offers concrete suggestions for improving the development process. The Deadline conveys its message in an entertaining and easily digested form.

Rating:
Summary: the Goal for IT project management
Review: This is perhaps the only management novel for IT. In the vein of "the Goal" by Goldratt, Tom DeMarco preaches the gospel of good project management. The ideas on staffing, conflict resolution and managing to deadlines are very helpful. The challenge is that the novel format could and should provide insight into the conflicts dealing with situations that are not ideal. In reality, we are left with great ideas, but a lost opportunity to highlight how to deal with the difficulties of making them happen.

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing !
Review: Tom DeMarco's choice of a novel format to describe the "black art" of project management was absolutely delightful. I didn't think anyone could write about that subject with such charm and wit. Everyone in the software industry should take note. Each time there was a twist in the plot, I thought of how one of my past projects took a similar turn.

His project management tips listed throughout the book were wonderful. My only gripe is that they weren't listed together in one place (like an epilogue.) If only more managers, particularly those in larger businesses, would run software projects by these principles.

Rating:
Summary: An easy read? Sure, but where's the substance?
Review: Most other reviewers of this book claim that it is an easy read. I agree, but is "easy to read" enough to recommend this book? I don't have time for "an easy read" with little value. DeMarco gives us laundry lists of project management tips that most of us already know. I could have saved myself a bunch of time if I had simply read the main character's journal entries at the end of each chapter and skipped the "novel" part.

Speaking of "the novel part," DeMarco doesn't pull off the combination novel/business volume well. His fictional examples were too far from reality to be useful or compelling for me. At the same time, the examples weren't far enough from reality to accomplish the goals he set out in the Preface. In the Preface, DeMarco wrote that he patterned the style of the book after the style of George Gamow, a University of Colorado physicist of the 1930's. As a method of instruction about physics, Gamow wrote a series of essays in which a fictional Mr. Tompkins wakes up in alternate universes where fundamental physical constants are dramatically changed. This vehicle worked for Gamov's objective physical constants, but it falls short in the VERY subjective world DeMarco paints for us.

My last complaint about this book is the advertisement it contains for iThink software. It begins in chapter 10, when Tompkins meets a man who uses iThink to create a model of project management "hunches." We are shown a screen shot of what looks like a state machine diagram with rectangles, circles and arrows going this way and that between them. Tompkins, the main character, looks at the screen and says, "It looks pretty much like what's going on inside me when I try to figure out how well the team will perform." Huh? Is Tompkins a man or a machine? I just don't buy it. What are we being sold here?

Don't let the high marks from other reviewers fool you. This book does not have high value. If what you really want is "an easy read," find yourself a decent novel. If what you really want is a book about project management, try the books other reviewers have recommended.

Rating:
Summary: ReSOE
Review: This book follows a project manager (Webster Tompkins) from the time he becomes a "ReSOE" (Released to Seek Opportunities Elsewhere) from the Big Telephone and Telegraph copmpany. Tompkins is made an offer he can't refuse to take the roll of project manager of a seemingly un-doable software development task.

Tom DeMarco manages to squeeze a tremendous amount or project management advice into this 300 page novel. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. This is a great read for anyone who is tired of reading management handbooks or software development manuals, but still wants to stay in the same area, like a lawyer reading the new Grisham novel. It's a perfect book for nightime or airplane reading.

Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining, and Educational
Review: "The Deadline: A Novel about Project Management", is a delightful book especially when compared to the dry, heavy feel of a text. I think that DeMarco uses a technique that more teachers and professors should use, as opposed to a straight lecture style.

He lightly touches on most of the key aspects of project management. The story makes it easy to read without stopping to say, "Hey, I deal with this all day at work, why would I want to read about it."

Another interesting and useful feature of the book, is the journal kept by the main character. DeMarco cleverly sums up each chapter, and hence each lesson, by having the main character write entries in a journal. These lessons are generally found at the end of each chapter making them easy to find and reread at one's leisure, or as needed.

Rating:
Summary: An easy read? Sure, but where's the substance?
Review: Most other reviewers of this book claim that it is an easy read. I agree, but is "easy to read" enough to recommend this book? I don't have time for "an easy read" with little value. DeMarco gives us laundry lists of project management tips that most of us already know. I could have saved myself a bunch of time if I had simply read the main character's journal entries at the end of each chapter and skipped the "novel" part.

Speaking of "the novel part," DeMarco doesn't pull off the combination novel/business volume well. His fictional examples were too far from reality to be useful or compelling for me. At the same time, the examples weren't far enough from reality to accomplish the goals he set out in the Preface. In the Preface, DeMarco wrote that he patterned the style of the book after the style of George Gamow, a University of Colorado physicist of the 1930's. As a method of instruction about physics, Gamow wrote a series of essays in which a fictional Mr. Tompkins wakes up in alternate universes where fundamental physical constants are dramatically changed. This vehicle worked for Gamov's objective physical constants, but it falls short in the VERY subjective world DeMarco paints for us.

My last complaint about this book is the advertisement it contains for iThink software. It begins in chapter 10, when Tompkins meets a man who uses iThink to create a model of project management "hunches." We are shown a screen shot of what looks like a state machine diagram with rectangles, circles and arrows going this way and that between them. Tompkins, the main character, looks at the screen and says, "It looks pretty much like what's going on inside me when I try to figure out how well the team will perform." Huh? Is Tompkins a man or a machine? I just don't buy it. What are we being sold here?

Don't let the high marks from other reviewers fool you. This book does not have high value. If what you really want is "an easy read," find yourself a decent novel. If what you really want is a book about project management, try the books other reviewers have recommended.

Rating:
Summary: the Goal for IT project management
Review: This is perhaps the only management novel for IT. In the vein of "the Goal" by Goldratt, Tom DeMarco preaches the gospel of good project management. The ideas on staffing, conflict resolution and managing to deadlines are very helpful. The challenge is that the novel format could and should provide insight into the conflicts dealing with situations that are not ideal. In reality, we are left with great ideas, but a lost opportunity to highlight how to deal with the difficulties of making them happen.

Rating:
Summary: Art of Project Management.......feeling it in your bones
Review: I am certified professional with several years in this profession, this is amongst my favorite - if not the favorite book.

This book, indeed very interesting novel on Project Management, helps one understand the 'Art' part of the profession. The book's main theme is managing project in grey area, from start to finish. Unlike other books which discuss different elements and tools of project management, this book elaborates inner self traits required for successful delivery. Mr. Demarco not only identifies but gives working examples of the key traits for successful delivery. He identifies building trust, having big heart, good brain, dare and good risk sense, nose for smelling who/when is *&&#@!..... and lastly collaboration, as THE key traits of 'good project manager'. Then he blends these with general tools of PM in a storyline . If one is looking for science part of the subject, tools, what to do when, then this is not that kind of book. There are hundreds of books on the profession you can easily find to read about what, when, how....but this is about 'you' and 'why'.

You cannot highlight what it is that you need beyond management tools and techniques - unless you write in a narrative manner and develop scenarios. Story format has made this possible.

To Summarize: you may read many good books on the subject, which discuss phases, input/output of different processes and management tools, but you cannot feel it in your bones what the project management is - unless you read this beautiful novel.