Software Creativity 2.0

Robert L. Glass

Jan 2006 · developer.* Books

About this ebook

"This book is written from a powerfully felt, personal perspective: that software construction is primarily a problem-solving activity; that all problem-solving requires creativity; that software problem-solving is deeply complex, perhaps more deeply complex than any other activity; and that, therefore, software problem-solving requires the ultimate in creativity." --Robert L. Glass, from the Preface In Software Creativity 2.0, acclaimed author Robert L. Glass explores a critical, yet strangely neglected, question: What is the role of creativity in software engineering and computer programming? With his trademark easy-to-read style and practical approach, backed by research and personal experience, Glass takes on a wide range of related angles and implications. To name only a few: * Are discipline and formality at odds with flexibility and agility? * When are control-driven vs. experimentation-driven approaches most effective? * Can we "make creativity happen" in a software organization? * Which is more important, process or product? * How do theory and practice interact in the software field? Can practitioners and academe complement each other more effectively? * Is there a missing link between creativity and software design? * What is the balance of "intellectual" and "clerical" tasks in software work? * Can we still find a place for plain old fun? Revised, updated, and expanded, Software Creativity 2.0 also features a new Foreword by Tom DeMarco, author of Peopleware, and a new Preface by author Robert L. Glass.

Ratings and reviews

A nice, enjoyable book of essays covering the pros and cons of formal and non-formal approaches to designing and coding software. I had a hard time getting through this book as I kept noticing its lack of pragmatic advice to a software practitioner. However, I'm sure it would be a helpful read to a software manager.

About the author

Robert L. Glass has been a practitioner, academic, and observer in the software field for more than half a century. He is author or editor of more than 25 books, including Software Conflict 2.0 and Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering. Tom DeMarco is a Principal of the Atlantic Systems Guild, and a Fellow of the Cutter Consortium. He was the winner of the 1986 Warnier Prize for "lifetime contribution to the field of computing," and the 1999 Stevens Award for "contribution to the methods of software development." He has a BSEE degree from Cornell University, an M.S. from Columbia University and a diplome from the University of Paris at the Sorbonne. He is a member of the ACM and a Fellow of the IEEE. He makes his home in Camden, Maine. Tom is the author of several books, including Peopleware, Waltzing With Bears, The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management, and Slack.