Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic
Review: If you think that you can apply Tom DeMarco's novel knowledge only to the software engineering field, you will get surprised how management is the same across all fields, including software development. This is my favorite quote from this book. "It's not what you don't know what kills you, but what you know and isn't so."
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Summary: Project Management Easy Read
Review: I am an independent software developer and I enjoyed reading this book. Before reading the book, I could sense something is wrong with a particular project. After reading the book, I am able to put what's wrong into words.I particularly agree with these two ideas:
1. one of the most important things in managing a project is to manage the people in the project.
2. a jelled team is a valuable product of a project.
Rating:
Summary: This book has some terrific information and is terrific fun
Review: The premise of the novel is silly, but a lovely fantasy, yet it doesn't get in the way of the real-world problems that the hero manages to solve on his way to meeting an outrageously impossible deadline. The suggested solutions are based on the author's dozens of years of real-world consulting in the software development industry and are very helpful, avoiding both abstruse theory (hard to apply) and cookbook-style lists of "10 steps to success" (which somehow, never quite fit your particular situation). All in all, I'd say this book is very useful, and very fun!
Rating: 
Summary: A enjoyable read, but too ideal to actually help
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, anyone who has been on a tight project will be able to relate to many of the events. In fact the ability to relate kind of spoils it, you can guess what is coming next. Also one or two of the events are far too idealised to really give the storyline any bite. It is a reasonable way of winding down after a hard day of trying to get the job done.
For me personally I didn't actually learn anything, a book such as 'Death March' provides more real information.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Book, and its Right on the Money
Review: The difference between this book and anything else like it is that you'll actually WANT to read it. Its a fun story and you won't want to put it down. It starts out a little hokey, but please do persist. If you've ever developed software you'll immediately identify with the problems that the lead character is faced with. DeMarco gives valuable insights at the end of each chapter that alone are worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Must read for all managers
Review: Everything in this book are more than just true, they are painfully true. The stupid management practices are not limited to software development projects. Such as abusive managers, impossible due dates, bad (or non-existing) specification, deny the existence of conflicts, and more. They exist in all type of management and companies. There are plenty of data and studies to back it up - both the problems and the solutions. Read it, study it, memorize it, and implement it. It will make you the best manager ever existed and your people will follow you to end of the earth (and beyond).
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but less than convincing
Review: I read this novel shortly after reading "The Goal" by Eli Goldblatt. I was expecting the same sort of gripping tale that taught me principles, convinced me of their truth and entertained me at the same time. While, "The Deadline" was entertaining, it seemed too far removed from the work of the projects it described. Consequently, the storyline seems to take place inside of a vacuum. Furthermore, the events that precipitate crises seem artificial. The author's didactic technique made the lessons learned obvious by having the main character write them down in his journal as a bulleted list. Yet as I reached the end of the chapter I did not feel convinced that the lessons presented were true. Whereas, when I read "The Goal" I found myself actively answering the questions posed and felt the truth of the answers reverberating within me. On the upside, "The Deadline" has much less profanity than "The Goal". Perhaps I did not relate to this book as well because instead of being in charge of 1500 people I typically manage teams of three to four people counting myself. Nevertheless, I am not a plant manager yet I relate well to the lessons of "The Goal" In any case there are several valuable insights presented in the book; those most useful to me were found in the first few chapters. One insight that I gained, that the author did not explicitly mention, is, don't accept drinks from strangers, or you just might be shanghaied off to Morovia -- the 'Wonderland' of project management.
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Summary: This Book Will Be Translated Into Chinese
Review: This is an excellent book. And it will be translated into Chinese. I'll be the translator. It will be published by Tsinghua Press, Beijing.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable but slanted
Review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It's a pretty quick read, and is quite funny in spots. The book's aim is to provide Project Management "tidbits", especially related to software development. I agreed with most of the conclusions, especially the ones about delaying coding and (almost) eliminating debugging, and the ones related to the effectiveness of smaller teams. The book is slanted, however, a bit too much towards the programmers. The author recommends running software development projects with no pressure, and, essentially, no deadline. I've never heard of any project, especially a software development project, that completed effectively with those guidelines (or lack thereof). Overall though, I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: ...and now for some fun! A not-so-serious look at developing
Review: What a fun book! It's a delightful novel about product management and a massive project. Our hero is kidnapped by a despot of a new country who wants to create a thriving software industry. As the plot progresses, we learn techniques and rules for effective product and project management.
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