This book, written in 1986, is as applicable today as it was when it was written over 14 years ago. To summarize, this book is a diary of the trials and tribulations of implementing a metrics program at Hewlett-Packard that is packed with practical advice that came from lesson's learned and a great roadmap to implementing a program of process improvement. The book addresses the difficulties and rewards of establishing an effective, viable metrics program. The authors clearly show the business and technical value that rewards the daunting effort, and guides the reader by providing an engaging saga that is easy to read packed with factual information. I was also struck by the excellent use of [the 144] charts that convey meaningful statistical information and portray data in a clear manner. Another nice surprise is the attention paid to metrics and how to effectively interpret and use them after a project transitions to production. Although I first read this book when it was originally published, it took 14 years of experience in the trenches to fully appreciate the message and content embodied within this book. I strongly recommend this book to the beginer and exerienced practitioner alike. If you have previously read this book I urge you to re-read it. Over the years I have learned and re-learned from this slim (288-page) book. I expect to spot additional gems of insight as I re-read it in the future. If you by one book on software metrics and process improvement, this is the one to get!