The tar pit -- The mythical man-month -- The surgical team -- Aristocracy, democracy, and system design -- The second-system effect -- Passing the word -- Why did the Tower of Babel fail? -- Calling the shot -- Ten pounds in a five-pound sack -- The documentary hypothesis -- Plan to throw one away -- Sharp tools -- The whole and the parts -- Hatching a catastrophe -- The other face -- No silver bulled -- essence and accident -- "No silver bullet" refired -- Propositions of The Mythical Man-Month: true or false? -- The Mythical Man-Month after 20 years.
These essays draw from Brooks' experience as project manager for the IBM System/360 computer family and then for OS/360, its massive software system. Now, 20 years after the initial publication of his book, Brooks has revisited his original ideas and added new thoughts and advice. -- from publisher description.