brainworm reviewed How Big Things Get Done by Dan Gardner
.... with really good planning and experience
4 stars
Well, I made a paper model after reading this one and talked to a bunch of people about it as I was reading it.
In the subtitle, "the surprising factors that determine the fate of every project", the "surprising" is clickbait. But that's a good thing I guess, maybe means I've learned something over the years. Nevertheless, the book is dramatic, interesting and quite readable.
Flyvbjerg, a professor and consultant for megaproject management, compiled a huge database of megaprojects. This book seems to be the fit-for-public compilation of his research an experience. Packed with fascinating stories of great success (Empire State building, Guggenheim Bilbao) and hard(ly) success (Sydney Opera House, Heaven's Gate), interviews with Edwin Catmull, Franck Gehry and Daniel Kahnemann.
I think the practical point that stood out most for me is that the most accurate forecasting method is to refer to other completed projects of …
Well, I made a paper model after reading this one and talked to a bunch of people about it as I was reading it.
In the subtitle, "the surprising factors that determine the fate of every project", the "surprising" is clickbait. But that's a good thing I guess, maybe means I've learned something over the years. Nevertheless, the book is dramatic, interesting and quite readable.
Flyvbjerg, a professor and consultant for megaproject management, compiled a huge database of megaprojects. This book seems to be the fit-for-public compilation of his research an experience. Packed with fascinating stories of great success (Empire State building, Guggenheim Bilbao) and hard(ly) success (Sydney Opera House, Heaven's Gate), interviews with Edwin Catmull, Franck Gehry and Daniel Kahnemann.
I think the practical point that stood out most for me is that the most accurate forecasting method is to refer to other completed projects of the same class, the more the better. This helps account for unknown unknowns & black swans which we otherwise don't factor in due to latent human optimism.
So read about how the Sydney Opera house went 14 times over budget and the architect was forced out half way, leaving Australia never to return. Read about how Pixar films go through ~8 iterations of feature-length, hand-drawn slide shows before being developed. And how solar and wind are the most reliably on budget of all project classes.
(And this is definitely an engineering book. While conscious of climate change, it goes on to suggest carbon capture and storage as a serious technology. And one of the examples of success is the expansion of Heathrom terminal 5... it is steeped in Capitalism Realism. Still valid and useful and helpful for doing stuff, just don't come for your critical theory.)
