Upon learning of the death of Ed Yourdon, I immediately went to my bookshelf and started reviewing his books. Mr. Yourdon didn’t know me, but I feel as if I knew him. Throughout my career, he always seemed to be there when I needed some direction or a new approach to analysis. I recommend many of his books but one in particular was very important to me: Death March. Many years ago I was consulting as a Project Manager and was almost pushed to the breaking point on a project that seemed to be heading for disaster. Needing to get out of the office at lunch one day, I went to a bookstore desperately looking for help and there it was, Death March, The Complete Software Developer’s Guide to Surviving “Mission Impossible” Projects by Ed Yourdon. Feeling confident that Yourdon would help me, I bought the book and spent the evening reading the whole thing! And I wasn’t disappointed. As usual, he totally understood my situation, gave practical suggestions, and hit the mark on all of the frustration I was feeling. He acknowledged that some projects can’t be saved. It was like I had dinner with a friend who listened to my complaints and confirmed that I was not crazy. I left the project soon after and never looked back. Thanks Ed. RIP
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