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The Aremac Project

Name: The Aremac Project
Author: Gerald Weinberg
ISBN: 9781611380095

by Gerald Weinberg

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Overview

While a pair of grad students push the boundaries of neuroscience and nanotechnology to create software that takes pictures of a person's memory, a terrorist group has been bombing landmarks in Chicago, attempting to extort millions from the city. In the desperate search for clues, two agents hire the grad students, hoping to apply their experimental discoveries to learn more from a suspect's mind. When a sudden murder stymies their investigation, the investigators and the unique Aremac project become the terrorist's next target!

Gerald M. Weinberg has covered the area of systems thinking, writing, and secrets of consulting with a handful of books already. In the light of his previous publications "The Aremac Project" is perhaps an odd one - it's a thriller, not a handbook. "The Aremac Project" is a thrilling story about young geniuses, terrorism, FBI agents, bombs, a mind reading device, and above all it really is a story about a software development project.

Software development is a rare subject in fiction. If you've read any or some of mr Weinberg's other books you'll see pieces of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book. Like the "A Buffalo Story" from "The Secrets of Consulting". "He's like a buffalo. I can get him to do anything I want him to do, as long as he wants to do it." And there's a Robin Hood character, the "Bag Bandit", who teaches bureaucrats about queueing theory and systems thinking.

The heroes of this story, the two married genius hardware and software engineers, Tess and Roger, are assigned to a federal-funded anti-terrorism project, with the aim to develop a mind reading device, lead by professor Wyatt. Tess and Roger are of course not informed about the true origins of this project when they sign on the project, but the implications of the project are bound to make them aware soon enough. Professor Wyatt turns out to be utterly incompetent. In fact, you could read the book and use his examples as anti patterns for project management.

Professor Wyatt isn't just an incompetent leader, he's a dangerous programmer as well. A hack in the Aremac's control program's compiled code causes a massive electromagnetic jolt to be released while Tess is strapped to the machine, rendering Tess to a stable paralyzed condition. With Tess paralyzed, Roger turns his focus on helping Tess back to normal, using the Aremac technology. At the same time a group of terrorists are bombing soft targets in Chicago and the FBI is growing more and more impatient to use the Aremac. Tess and Roger are soon entangled in a very challenging software development project.

About the Author, Gerald Weinberg

I've always been interested in helping smart people be happy and productive. To that end, I've published books on human behavior, including Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method, The Psychology of Computer Programming, Perfect Software and Other Fallacies, and an Introduction to General Systems Thinking. I've also written books on leadership including Becoming a Technical Leader, The Secrets of Consulting (Foreword by Virginia Satir), More Secrets of Consulting, and the four-volume Quality Software Management series.

I try to incorporate my knowledge of science, engineering, and human behavior into all of my writing and consulting work (with writers, hi-tech researchers, software engineers, and people whose life-situation could require the use of a service dog). I write novels about such people, including The Aremac Project, Aremac Power, Jigglers, First Stringers, Second Stringers, The Hands of God, Freshman Murders, Earth's Endless Effort, and Mistress of Molecules—all about how my brilliant protagonists produce quality work and learn to be happy. My books may be found as eBooks at <http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JerryWeinberg>; on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B000AP8TZ8; and at Barnes and Noble.

Early in my career, I was the architect for the Project Mercury's space tracking network and designer of the world's first multiprogrammed operating system. I won the Warnier Prize, the Stevens Award, and the first Software Testing Professionals' Luminary Award, all for mu writing on software quality. I was also elected a charter member of the Computing Hall of Fame in San Diego and chosen for the University of Nebraska Hall of Fame.

But the "award" I'm most proud of is The book, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) written by my student and readers for my 75th birthday. Their stories make me feel that I've been at least partially successful at helping smart people be happy.

Reviews

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Editorials

Tony Hillerman

"A thrilling glimpse into the near future. Don't miss it!"
- Tony Hillerman, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries

Peter Sykes

With double-dealing agents, atypical terrorists and a dash of humor Weinberg's proficiency in physics and communication sciences comes to the fore. As with all good thrillers readers are kept guessing for a while until it comes time to sit back, hold on and enjoy the final run home.

Dwayne Phillips

The source of my joy reading "The Aremac Project"was finding the gems of technical advice woven into the story of terrorists and hero technologists (yes, a book where the geeks are the good guys).
Among the good advice to use is:
It's is because software is easier to change that it requires more discipline.
His advice is worth the price of the novel. I recommend "The Aremac Project" for anyone wishing entertainment and consultation with one of the technical world's leading consult

Peter Heck

"a near-future thriller built around neuroscience and nanotech by one of the giants of the IT revolution. . . . he has plenty of ideas, and a way of making them convincing. He has a likable pair of protagonists, a supporting cast that manages to avoid stereotyping, and he contrives to keep a few plot surprises up his sleeve for the final showdown. If that's your kind of reading fare, I suggest you give Weinberg a try."

Matthew R. Heusser

The characters are flawed and make mistakes, but it's unclear what they are learning. Then you start to see consequences for poor choices, and Weinberg picks up the pace. Slowly, but quicker and quicker, you see the characters develop as all forces -- and all sides -- are drawn toward a central conflict that results in a showdown. The last fifty pages had me nailed to the chair, flipping pages, unwilling to get up for any reason - it's that good.