: Dreaming in Code
Author: Scott Rosenberg
This is a book about a “failed” software venture. It reads like a novel, telling about how Mitch Kapor (Lotus 1-2-3 inventor) formed an open source foundation with the vague goal of creating the ultimate information manager, discovered that was a lot more difficult than it seemed, and three years later they’re barely out with a 0.5 release. It’s a fascinating read about the difficulties of software creation, looking throughout history and comparing software development to fields like architecture, art, and engineering. Unfortunately, though an interesting read, the book fails to provide any conclusions, and the dramatic story of Kapor’s company doesn’t end, it just peters out, since Rosenberg didn’t want to wait several more years until Kapor’s software is actually released. A bit disappointing in that respect, but as long as you aren’t expecting a resolution to the story, it’s a wonderful intellectual read that will have you asking a lot of questions about how we develop software.
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