I enjoyed reading Jerry Weinberg's foray into fiction writing. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jerry for about ten years and his non-fiction writing for twenty years. As he reveals in his blog on writing (weinbergonwriting.blogspot.com), Jerry has returned to fiction writing as a way to spread some of his lessons learned from 50 years working in computers and other technical areas.

That was the source of my joy reading "The Aremac Project" - finding the gems of technical advice woven into the story of terrorists and hero technologists (yes, a book where the geeks are the good guys).

Among the good advice to use is:

• People trap themselves in inefficient patterns and aren't likely to change unless something drastic happens to them.
• It's is because software is easier to change that it requires more discipline.
• The lack of clues is a clue.
• Telling them to go faster only leads to making mistakes.
• Notice the world around you.

Among the bad advice frequently given and we should all avoid is:

• What could possibly go wrong?
• We don't have time to make a plan.
• Thinking is a luxury we can no longer afford.

I especially appreciated the lesson on intellectual property rights. Weinberg knows this topic after having published 40-something books and hundreds of papers. His advice serves authors and others (like computer programmers) well, and for us this is worth the price of the novel.

I recommend "The Aremac Project" for anyone wishing entertainment and consultation with one of the technical world's leading consultants.