An ancient adage warns, "Never go to sea with two chronometers; take one or three."

- Fred Brooks

How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time.

- Fred Brooks

A scientist builds in order to learn; an engineer learns in order to build.

- Fred Brooks

Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later

- Fred Brooks

You can learn more from failure than success. In failure you're forced to find out what part did not work. But in success you can believe everything …

- Fred Brooks

Present to inform, not to impress. If you inform, you will impress.

- Fred Brooks

The bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned.

- Fred Brooks

The hardest single part of building a software system is deciding precisely what to build.

- Fred Brooks

Nine people can't make a baby in a month.

- Fred Brooks