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 Twins, which states that most of the time, no matter how much effort one expends, no event of any great significance will result. He described it in his book The Secrets of Consulting (1986), in which he explains the origin of its name. He reported that, while riding a bus in New York City, he observed a mother with eight small children embark. She asked the driver the amount of the fare; he told her that the cost was thirty-five cents, but that children under the age of five could ride for free. When the woman deposited only thirty-five cents into the payment slot, the driver was incredulous. "Do you mean to tell me that all your children are under five years old?" The woman explained that she had four sets of twins. The driver replied, "Do you always have twins?" "No," said the woman, "most of the time we don't have any."
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.
Read more about this topic: Gerald Weinberg
Famous quotes containing the word work:
“Thou hast left behind
Powers that will work for thee; air, earth, and skies;
There’s not a breathing of the common wind
That will forget thee; thou hast great allies;
Thy friends are exultations, agonies,
And love, and man’s unconquerable mind.”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“Oh sure, everyone goes back to the earth at some point, but life itself is a thread that is never broken, never lost. Do you know why? Because each man makes a knot in the thread during his lifetime: it is the work he has done and that’s what gives life to life in the long stretch of time: the usefulness of man on this earth.”
—Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)
“Having an identity at work separate from an identity at home means that the work role can help absorb some of the emotional shock of domestic distress. Even a mediocre performance at the office can help a person repair self-esteem damaged in domestic battles.”
—Faye J. Crosby (20th century)