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Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior (Dorset House eBooks) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Tom DeMarco (Author), Peter Hruschka (Author), Tim Lister (Author), Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

This is the digital version of the printed book (Copyright © 2008).

 

Adrenaline junkies, dead fish, project sluts, true believers, Lewis and Clark, template zombies . . .

 

Most developers, testers, and managers on IT projects are pretty good at recognizing patterns of behavior and gut-level hunches, as in, “I sense that this project is headed for disaster.”

 

But it has always been more difficult to transform these patterns and hunches into a usable form, something a team can debate, refine, and use. Until now.

 

In Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies, the six principal consultants of The Atlantic Systems Guild present the patterns of behavior they most often observe at the dozens of IT firms they transform each year, around the world.

 

The result is a quick-read guide to identifying nearly ninety typical scenarios, drawing on a combined one-hundred-and-fifty years of project management experience. Project by project, you’ll improve the accuracy of your hunches and your ability to act on them.

 

The patterns are presented in an easy-reference format, with names designed to ease communication with your teammates. In just a few words, you can describe what’s happening on your project. Citing the patterns of behavior can help you quickly move those above and below you to the next step on your project. You’ll find classic patterns such as these: 

  • News Improvement
  • Management by Mood Ring
  • Piling On
  • Rattle Yer Dags
  • Natural Authority
  • Food++
  • Fridge Door
  • and more than eighty more! 

Not every pattern will be evident in your organization, and not every pattern is necessarily good or bad. However, you’ll find many patterns that will apply to your current and future assignments, even in the most ambiguous circumstances. When you assess your situation and follow your next hunch, you'll have the collective wisdom of six world-class consultants at your side.

 

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0133492279
  2. Edition
    1st
  3. Publisher
    Addison-Wesley Professional
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    July 15, 2013
  6. Part of series
    Dorset House eBooks
  7. Language
    English
  8. File size
    32.5 MB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Another masterpiece from the folks who brought you Peopleware. Anyone who has survived a software project or two will surely recognize many of these patterns and will be able to learn from most of them. Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies is a real joy." --Joel Spolsky, author of Joel on Software

"Who else but these particular authors could mine 150 years of software team experience to capture memorable names for oft-encountered situations? I suspect you will start using these phrases in your work--I already have." --Alistair Cockburn, author of Agile Software Development

"utterly delightful collection of essays about 86 'project patterns' . . . These 'patterns' are grimly familiar to anyone who has worked in project-related organizations; and unfortunately, they can be found in small companies as well as large ones. Fortunately, some of the patterns ('Rattle Yer Dags' and 'Nanny,' for example) are good ones, and should be encouraged. Sadly, though, far too many of them ('Dead Fish,' 'Project-Speak') are not only depressingly familiar, but astonishingly destructive to productivity, quality, and the morale of the project team. . . . I really love this book, not the least because each pattern can be read and understood in a moment or two, since they take only 2-3 pages to explain. . . . If Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies gets the attention it deserves, Scott Adams may have to return to Corporate America and get an honest job as a project manager." --Ed Yourdon, author of Death March

About the Author

If your organization builds systems of any kind, chances are that some of the methods and approaches that it uses came originally from the Atlantic Systems Guild. Collectively, the authors have published nearly twenty previous books, including Peopleware, Mastering the Requirements Process, The Deadline, Essential Systems Analysis, Waltzing With Bears, and Process for System Architecture and Requirements Engineering.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DY3KQHM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Addison-Wesley Professional
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 15, 2013
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 32.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 331 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0133492279
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Dorset House eBooks
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Suzanne Robertson

    Suzanne Robertson

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    Suzanne Robertson is a principal of the Atlantic Systems Guild. Suzanne is co-author of Mastering the Requirements Process (Addison-Wesley 2012), several other books and many articles about the socio-technical aspects of requirements and business analysis. Current work focuses on the integration of stakeholders, goals and scope and the use of iterative requirements techniques. The product of this research is Volere, a complete requirements process and template for discovering, understanding and communicating requirements and for specifying requirements. She was the founding editor of the Requirements column in IEEE Software magazine.

    See more on the author's page
  2. James Robertson

    James Robertson

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    James Robertson is a problem solver, consultant, teacher, photographer, author and practitioner of systems and software solutions. He is co-author of seven books and the Volere approach to requirements engineering. He is a principal of The Atlantic Systems Guild, a think tank known for its innovative approach to systems engineering.

    See more on the author's page
  3. Peter Hruschka

    Peter Hruschka

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    Peter Hruschka, based in Aachen, Germany, specializes in requirements and design of embedded real-time systems. He is the co-developer of the REQ42-template for agile requirements engineers and the ARC42 template for system architecture documentation. In one of his earlier lives, he pioneered modeling tools for structured and object-oriented methods. He has coauthored half-a-dozen books on methods and tools.

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  4. Steve McMenamin

    Steve McMenamin

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Steve McMenamin was a Principal of The Atlantic Systems Guild from its founding in 1983 until his death in 2019. He had a parallel career as a manager at Edison International, Crossgain, and later at Hawaii Electric. Over his lifetime he managed more than a thousand people, and was known for taking a continuing and compulsive interest in the advancement of their careers.

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  5. Steve McMenamin

    Steve McMenamin

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

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  6. Tim Lister

    Tim Lister

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  7. Tom DeMarco

    Tom DeMarco

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    Tom DeMarco is the author of sixteen published books, including five novels, a collection of short stories, and the rest books about systems technology and the sociology of the workplace.

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
68 global ratings

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Customers find the book fun to read and appreciate its enlightening content, with one customer noting it presents a lot of information.

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8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and fun to read, with one customer noting that each chapter is engaging.

"This was a very very fun book to read!!..." Read more

"...Each chapter is a good reading, and a is a lesson on project management, however the book, as a whole, lacks consistency or organization...." Read more

"It's ok. Just ok. Not the same calibre as other writing by Demarco and Lister. There are a few interesting nuggets...." Read more

"Amazing and witty. Masterpiece for those working in Requirements Engineering and IT delivery." Read more

4 customers mention "Enlightened content"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enlightening, with one mentioning it provides a lot of information and another noting its relevance.

"...There are a few interesting nuggets. Some stories are so convoluted I'm not sure if they are patterns or anti-patterns." Read more

"Enlightening and fun read." Read more

"...There is a lot of information presented here with very little fluff. I will be retreading this over again many times." Read more

"Precious and relevant..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Daniel D
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun!!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This was a very very fun book to read!!

    Sometimes when I have a discussion @ work, I start laughing a little bit because I get the feeling that a couple of pattern zombies are around me.

    Reflects the culture of some corporations in US.

    Thanks!
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Geraldo XEXEO
    4.0 out of 5 stars Some are good patterns, others are anti-patterns
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is a catalog of professional behaviors patterns found in the software industry.
    Some are good patterns, others are anti-patterns, however which is which is not clear in the beginning of the chapter.
    Each chapter is a good reading, and a is a lesson on project management, however the book, as a whole, lacks consistency or organization.
    It kind of looks like the linear printing of a very good web site/hypertext.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • S.Özener
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    If you consider yourself as a software developer or project manager, you should definitely read this book!

    You can find really good solutions for the most fundamental problems in software development and project management.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars A few nuggets doesn't make a great book.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    It's ok. Just ok. Not the same calibre as other writing by Demarco and Lister. There are a few interesting nuggets. Some stories are so convoluted I'm not sure if they are patterns or anti-patterns.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Peter Czirjak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Precious and relevant
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Amazing and witty.
    Masterpiece for those working in Requirements Engineering and IT delivery.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Lars Indresaeter
    4.0 out of 5 stars Develop your intuition and smile a bit along the way
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    In this book we learn about familiar patterns in software projects and projects in general. If you have worked for a while you will enjoy this book to further develop your intuition for good and bad patterns in a project and I can guarantee you it will even bring upon a smile or two
    One person found this helpful
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  • Alexei Merkoulov
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Enlightening and fun read.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Matt
    5.0 out of 5 stars New favorite book!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2022
    Format: Kindle
    The chapter on software engineering meetings is so enlightening and hilarious. I will never look at a meeting the same way again.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Oliver S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful
    Reviewed in Germany on December 11, 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Though not all of the described patterns and anti-patterns will apply to your situation or that of your organization, this book will certainly give you one insight, even if it's the only one: you're not alone. But more likely you will find yourself, your colleagues and bosses, former colleagues and bosses in the (anti-)patterns.

    Easily digestible small chapters with one (anti-)pattern described per chapter invite to pick it up and read through a chapter even when there's only little time. Sometimes I got hooked by it and had to read several chapters at once. Definitely a good pick.

    Side-note: you will also recognize the style from Deadline and Peopleware. So if you liked those, another reason to buy this one.
    Report
  • Darren
    5.0 out of 5 stars a must
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A must read for software development managers and project managers. Explains the anti patterns and patterns to avoid or encourage.
    Report
  • Another Satisfied Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting But Expensive Coffee Table Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book comprises a series of pragmatic vignettes on project management that are interesting reminders on what to do and what not to do when managing the delivery of project deliverables. As a practicing programme and project manager I found the book an interesting and easy read. I believe that the book would make a good introductory tome for anyone new to project management - primarily as a guide to the things one should be thinking about when setting-up, running and closing projects.
    Report
  • Yousof Alsatom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in Germany on March 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book, it has a lot of information and experience. I recommend everyone to read it. The nice think it is written as stories
    Report

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