A Good Introduction to the Topic of Uncertainty and Risk

The book “Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects” (German title: “Bärentango”) was published 10 years ago, and I have just re-read it (2013) to decide whether I should perhaps declutter it from my shelves.

I have a split opinion on this book: On the one hand, it is one of the best introductions to “probabilistic project planning.” The explanations are good, everything is nicely narrated, and there are some great examples. On the other hand, the two authors seem to have gained their experience primarily in large-scale software projects. The project durations in the examples are sometimes 2 years, and typical clients mentioned are airports and the Ministry of Defense. This doesn’t fit my everyday reality at all, as I mostly work on smaller projects. Therefore, I cannot apply parts from the second half of the book. Additionally, you can unfortunately notice the age of the book. Much has happened in the field of agile methods in the meantime. According to the website, the Riskology simulator mentioned in the book was last updated in 2010.

Nevertheless, I still give it 4 stars because large parts of the book are simply very important and very well written. As an introduction, it is very suitable. However, if you want to implement risk management specifically, you have to look further towards “Agile Risk Management.”

I have decided not to declutter the book and to read it again in 10 years at the latest.

P. S. I can also recommend this book to all politicians so they can better manage the risks of their projects, such as the Euro.

Tom DeMarco
Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects (German title: Bärentango)
Hanser
2003