The authors intended this book as a light and airy survey of the serious and significant aspects of software and its development. They have woven together a collection of anecdotes and vignettes, added a splash of history, then stirred in a dash of industrial-strength wisdom, emphasizing the importance of software in our society.

The book is organized into four sections: “Today and Tomorrow,” “Origins,” “Culture, Community, and Creation,” and “Making Software Work for You.” Each section consists of several loosely joined chapters. The material is organized and presented well. The authors are obviously thoughtful and reflective professionals.

If you are familiar with Pressman’s de facto standard textbook on software engineering [1], you may feel as though you have just drunk a bottle of light beer--this book is definitely less filling. The reader will want more. Read this book with a large bag of pretzels. More serious and valuable treatments are Forester and Morrison [2] and Dunlop and Kling [3].