It’s often assumed that anyone can be a good manager if they really try. Frequently, technicians are made managers because it’s assumed they can do the job as well as they could do technical work. Metzger spells out the fallacy in this thinking and explains in detail how a technician (or anyone else) can learn to be a manager of programming people.

Metzger describes management of analysts, designers, and testers, as well as programmers. The relationships between the manager, the support staff, and customer are also discussed. This book is composed of what most would call "common sense."

After a delightful hour or two reading about the exploits of characters like Mary Magnificent and Bill Goodguy, readers will discover they have learned a great deal about being a good manager.