Quality Software ManagementVol 4. Anticipating Change

is an excellent book by Jerry Weinberg (isbn 0-932633-32-3). As usual I'm going to quote from a few pages:

Organization inhibits reorganization (Minot's Law).

Growth is always non-linear.

Stability is the ability to ward off change.

A measurement system helps makes the software product visible.

Things will only get less visible over time.

Measure process not individuals.

Never use loops in a process description.

You need stability in order to make improvements.

Testing to improve, not to prove.

Without constant tending any process will deteriorate.

In a feedback control system it's only our perception that determines which is controller and which is controllee.