Avoiding IT Disasters: Fallacies about enterprise systems and how you can rise above them

by Lance Gutteridge

This book tells you the real reasons behind enterprise system failure that no one else will tell you. It shows how software is a strange land where your physical world common sense just doesn't apply. It reveals the common fallacies regarding enterprise software and shows why they can lead you to bad decisions. It defines NLP (Non Locality and Proportionality) and shows hows this simple software property combines with software entropy (disorder) to create a toxic brew that can destroy your enterprise system. Avoiding IT Disasters gives you information that is essential for you to understand if you want your organization to avoid the ravages of enterprise system failure. It includes tips on how to deal with the claims of software salespeople and how to avoid bad systems that can cost so much and deliver so little. To run your business in the 21st century, you have to navigate through this strange land of enterprise software, and Dr. Gutteridge is uniquely qualified to be your guide. He has a rare combination of experience, that combines a background in theoretical computer science with decades of practical experience in a wide variety of software, including implementing many enterprise systems.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2018

Reviews

[Luke Avsec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discovered this book after reading a counter-cultural blog post written by the author titled "Doing Without Databases in the 21st Century". I recommend the post.

I found some of the expressed ideas both interesting and impactful to my work so I thought I would give the author a long-form chance at influencing my heart and mind.

The book is an easy read, the author who has a silly doctorate in something related to computers does a good job of writing for the intended audience, which I believe to be tech-focused decision-makers in small-to-medium sized businesses.

There is a great chapter that explains how computers work very simply that I enjoyed. As someone currently developing an enterprise system, I found the book relevant and useful.

Read this book if you currently are making an enterprise software or are tasked with finding enterprise software for your business. Yada yada yada.