is an excellent book by Jerry Weinberg.
As usual I'm going to quote from a few pages:
I know I've snippeted this before, but I've read it again and I don't see why a really good book shouldn't get repeat snippets. It was published in 1971. If there's an earlier software-related book still in print I don't know what it is.
We must deal with one other problem, which is important because of a seldom questioned view of programming - a view which this book will spend a great deal of time questioning. That view is that programming is an individual activity.
In the end though, it's their method of learning that distinguishes teams from groups… team members always have a common goal, regardless of the product - the goal of helping each other learn to perform better.
If egoless programming is used, everyone in the group will have the opportunity to examine the work of everyone else at some time, thereby tending to prevent the establishment of strong hierarchy.
The greatest challenge, then, is not creative thinking, but creative communicating: representing our thoughts in a way that other persons - each with a unique style - can understand.
The programming business relies more than any other on unending learning.
