Gerald Weinberg
Encyclopedia
Gerald Marvin Weinberg (27 October 1933) is an American
computer scientist
, author and teacher of the psychology
and anthropology
of computer software development
.
. In 1963 he received a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Michigan
.
Weinberg started working in the computing business at IBM
in 1956 at the Federal Systems Division Washington, where he participated as Manager of Operating Systems Development in the Project Mercury
(1959–1963), which aimed to put a human in orbit around the Earth. In 1960 he published one of his first papers. Since 1969 he is consultant and Principal at Weinberg & Weinberg. Here he conducts workshops such as the AYE Conference, The Problem Solving Leadership workshop since 1974, and workshops about the Fieldstone Method. Further Weinberg has been an author at Dorset House Publishing since 1970, consultant at Microsoft
since 1988, and moderator at the Shape Forum since 1993.
Weinberg has been a visiting professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, SUNY Binghamton, and Columbia University
. He has been a member of the Society for General Systems Research
since the late 1950s. He is also a Founding Member of the IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, a member of the Southwest Writers and the Oregon Writers Network, and a Keynote Speaker on many software development
conferences.
In 1993 he was the Winner of The J.-D. Warnier Prize for Excellence in Information Sciences, the 2000 Winner of The Stevens Award
for Contributions to Software Engineering, and the 2010 Software Test Professionals first annual Luminary Award.
.
In recent years, Weinberg was involved with the SHAPE Forum (Software as a Human Activity Performed Effectively) and working with the AYE Conference. Weinberg’s life and work were honored in November 2008 with the publication of The Gift of Time, a collection of essays by a few of his students, colleagues, and friends, describing lessons learned from Weinberg and incorporated in their own consulting and managerial work.
He has also written and published a number of novels, and is a member of the writers' cooperative, Book View Café.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
computer scientist
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
, author and teacher of the psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
of computer software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
.
Biography
Gerald Weinberg was born and raised in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In 1963 he received a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Weinberg started working in the computing business at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in 1956 at the Federal Systems Division Washington, where he participated as Manager of Operating Systems Development in the Project Mercury
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
(1959–1963), which aimed to put a human in orbit around the Earth. In 1960 he published one of his first papers. Since 1969 he is consultant and Principal at Weinberg & Weinberg. Here he conducts workshops such as the AYE Conference, The Problem Solving Leadership workshop since 1974, and workshops about the Fieldstone Method. Further Weinberg has been an author at Dorset House Publishing since 1970, consultant at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
since 1988, and moderator at the Shape Forum since 1993.
Weinberg has been a visiting professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, SUNY Binghamton, and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He has been a member of the Society for General Systems Research
Society for General Systems Research
The Society for General Systems Research is predecessor of the current International Society for the Systems Sciences , known to be one the first interdisciplinary and international co-operations in the field of systems theory and systems science...
since the late 1950s. He is also a Founding Member of the IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, a member of the Southwest Writers and the Oregon Writers Network, and a Keynote Speaker on many software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
conferences.
In 1993 he was the Winner of The J.-D. Warnier Prize for Excellence in Information Sciences, the 2000 Winner of The Stevens Award
Stevens Award
The Stevens Award is a software engineering award given in memory of Wayne Stevens. The international Stevens Award was created to recognize outstanding contributions to the literature or practice of methods for software and systems development...
for Contributions to Software Engineering, and the 2010 Software Test Professionals first annual Luminary Award.
Work
His most well-known books are The Psychology of Computer Programming and Introduction to General Systems Thinking, both of which are considered to be classics, having been re-issued by the publisher in "Silver Editions". Weinberg is well-known for an engaging style of writing that calls upon his own humorous aphorisms, such as his Law of TwinsWeinberg's Law of Twins
Weinberg's law of twins states that most of the time, no matter how much effort one expends, no event of any great significance will result. Weinberg's law of twins inverted states that occasionally—particularly when one isn't expecting it—a significant event occurs.Gerald Weinberg...
.
In recent years, Weinberg was involved with the SHAPE Forum (Software as a Human Activity Performed Effectively) and working with the AYE Conference. Weinberg’s life and work were honored in November 2008 with the publication of The Gift of Time, a collection of essays by a few of his students, colleagues, and friends, describing lessons learned from Weinberg and incorporated in their own consulting and managerial work.
He has also written and published a number of novels, and is a member of the writers' cooperative, Book View Café.
See also
- Egoless programmingEgoless programmingEgoless programming is a style of computer programming in which personal factors are minimized so that quality may be improved. The cooperative methods suggested are similar to those used by other collective ventures such as Wikipedia.- Origin :...
- PrefactoringPrefactoringPrefactoring is the application of past experience to the creation of new software systems. Its relationship to its namesake refactoring is that lessons learned from refactoring are part of that experience....
- Software qualitySoftware qualityIn the context of software engineering, software quality refers to two related but distinct notions that exist wherever quality is defined in a business context:...
- Weinberg's Law of TwinsWeinberg's Law of TwinsWeinberg's law of twins states that most of the time, no matter how much effort one expends, no event of any great significance will result. Weinberg's law of twins inverted states that occasionally—particularly when one isn't expecting it—a significant event occurs.Gerald Weinberg...
- List of computer books
Publications
Weinberg has published more than 40 books and more than 400 articles. A selection:- 1971. The Psychology of Computer Programming. Silver Anniversary Edition (1998). ISBN 0-932633-42-0
- 1975. An Introduction to General Systems Thinking. Silver Anniversary Edition (2001). ISBN 0-932633-49-8
- 1982. Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out what the Problem Really is. With Donald C. Gause. ISBN 0-932633-16-1
- 1986. Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem-Solving Approach. ISBN 0-932633-02-1
- 1986. Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully. ISBN 0932633013
- 1988. General Principles of Systems Design. With Daniela Weinberg. ISBN 0-932633-07-2
- 1992. Quality Software Management: Anticipating Change. Vol. 1: Systems Thinking. ISBN 0-932633-22-6
- 2002. More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit. ISBN 0-932633-52-8
- 2005. Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method. ISBN 0-932633-65-X
- 2008. Perfect Software: And Other Illusions about Testing. ISBN 0932633692
- 2010. Freshman Murders. ISBN 1453700153