A unique examination of the software development process, arguing that it must undergo a fundamental re-examination of its guiding principles in order for significant progress to take place.

1. In the Tradition; 2. The Philosophy of Science; 3. Discovery and Design; 4. Foundation for Design; 5. Problem Solving; 6. Activity, Reflection, Context; 7. The Design Process; 8. Participatory Design; 9. The Software Process; 10. Design Methods; 11. Adaptive Design; 12. A Case Study

Bruce I. BlumApplied Physics Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University

"The title does not do justice to the originality of the author's ideas, nor to the broad range of related subjects he considers, such as the philosophy of science, the relationship between science and technology, human problem solving, and so on. Such holistic books are rare, as are authors who combine a comprehensive outlook with a keen critical faculty . . . . Anyone involved with building software should read this book."--Computing Reviews