Book Review: The Mythical Man-Month

I finished reading the Mythical Man Month last week. I bought the 20th Anniversary Edition which includes the famous 'No Silver Bullet' essay and some updated content. This must be the oldest coding-related book I have ever bought - even that anniversary edition was published more than 10 years ago!

The Mythical Man-Month has stood the test of time. In spite of it's age, it's still read and quoted today. If you've been a programmer for a decent length of time you will have come across discussions and references to it. This is the book that introduced Brooks' Law, Second-System Syndrome and made the much debated recommendation to 'plan to throw one away'. It's also the second book on the Coding Horror recommended reading list. Baring in mind how fast technology changes, it is arguably a classic book in the true sense of the word.

That said, I have mixed feelings about MM-M. The book contains some timeless insights but, unfortunately, whole chapters are completely irrelevant to today's coders. The information is just too dated and obsolete. For example, there is a whole chapter about managing paper based documentation systems including tips about microfiche and page numbering.

Buy MM-M if you're looking for a historical perspective on the craft. If you're purely looking for a practical book on programming practices, try Code Complete instead.