"The Aremac Project"
by Gerald M. Weinberg
Published by Little West Press, a Division of Dorset House Publishing, http://dorsethouse.com
Reviewed by Dwayne Phillips
I enjoyed reading Jerry Weinberg's foray into fiction writing. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jerry for about ten years and his non-fiction writing for twenty years. As he reveals in his blog on writing (weinbergonwriting.blogspot.com), Jerry has returned to fiction writing as a way to spread some of his lessons learned from 50 years working in computers and other technical areas.
That was the source of my joy reading "The Aremac Project" - finding the gems of technical advice woven into the story of terrorists and hero technologists (yes, a book where the geeks are the good guys).
Among the good advice to use is:
People trap themselves in inefficient patterns and aren't likely to change unless something drastic happens to them.
It's is because software is easier to change that it requires more discipline.
The lack of clues is a clue.
Telling them to go faster only leads to making mistakes.
Notice the world around you.
Among the bad advice frequently given and we should all avoid is:
What could possibly go wrong?
We don't have time to make a plan.
Thinking is a luxury we can no longer afford.
I especially appreciated the lesson on intellectual property rights. Weinberg knows this topic after having published 40-something books and hundreds of papers. His advice serves authors and others (like computer programmers) well, and for us this is worth the price of the novel.
I recommend "The Aremac Project" for anyone wishing entertainment and consultation with one of the technical world's leading consultants.
Page Last Updated: Jul 21 11:59am by Dwayne Phillips