Don’t read this book unless you want to read about software project failure with lipstick on. Spoiler alert. Scott Rosenberg received access to Mitch Kapor’s (Lotus Development) dream team of open source programmers. The client-based project languishes. The architecture is re-designed several times. The scope is periodically scaled back. More bodies are thrown at development. After three years, Rosenberg decided to wrap up his book and publish it. Google does open source on line. Of that, you, the user, are the beneficiary. Of this book, you, the reader, are the victim.

If you want to learn something about software development, failure, and the culure of Silicon Valley, your time would be better served by reading Tracy Kidder’s “The Soul of  New Machine” followed by Michael Lewis’ “The New New Thing”.