• The Firmware Handbook (Embedded Technology)
• An Embedded Software Primer
• The Art of Programming Embedded Systems
• Embedded Systems Dictionary
• Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for Engineers and Programmers (Embedded Technology)

A Classic For the Embedded Developer
Review written by: D. Comer From Albuquerque, NM
In a perfect world managers grant unlimited budgets to designers, upgrade development tools as soon as a new tool is released, managers accept the answer "It will be done when it's done", and every prototype works the first time. In Jack's world (the real world) the embedded systems designer must deal with facts, experience, and limited resources to get a product to market. That's what this book is about. The book does not arm you with sure-fire advice to persuade your boss to purchase those new development tools, nor does it contain "how-to" advice, code snippets, or schematics. The book does contain a collection of solid advice that Jack has accumulated during his career as tool-vendor, developer, consultant, and other positions associated with embedded systems design and development. There are "musings" from a collection of areas including rational for developing time estimates for firmware schedules, troubleshooting, code organization, and advice on how to improve your approach to development. I was particularly impressed with how Jack's approach to scheduling based on many studies to justify his advice. In fact, much of first part of the book applies equally to system software development. How many times have you been asked for a schedule estimate knowing fully that your boss has already determined the number waiting for you to commit to that number or have to pull a number out of a hat to satisfy the boss? Jack discusses solid advice on how to arrive data-driven estimates.

I felt the book deserved 4 stars primarily because the book is a little out of date, but is otherwise fun to reads, interesting, and introspective.

The chapter titles are:

1. Introduction
2. Diciplined Development
3. Real Time Means Right Now
4. Firmware Musings
5. Hardware Musings
6. Troubleshooting Tools
7. Trougleshooting
8. People Musings
Appendix A: A firmware Standards Manual
Appendix B: A Drawing System

Best Suited For Those On Big Teams
Review written by: EmbeddedFlyer From Seattle, WA United States
Like Ganssle's other books, this one is best suited to those working on big teams and/or for big companies. That's clearly his background and much of his writing and suggested methods reflect big company bureaucracy. His writing is also generally geared towards larger 16 and 32 bit embedded projects with external memory versus smaller self contained MCUs. Most examples are x86 or 68k based.

Ganssle's style is humorous at times, and generally easy to read. Sometimes he exaggerates, however. For example, he makes interrupt routines sound like the hardest thing on earth. This book is far from being comprehensive but contains some solid advice--especially for those managing large high-budget projects.

This may NOT be the best book f you're a student, a one-man-show, work on a small team, or are using a small single chip MCU (ditto for Gannsle's other books).

Stumbling on prophecies
How about that! I spent money in the amount of two scholarships to buy this book and all i got is a tutorial on how to please your boss and the customers! As i am still a student looking for enlightment on this subject i thought Jack Ganssle's book could take me there. No doubt it has valuable information, but that is spreaded across almost 250 pages like marbles on ice(could be resumed in a few pages of tips and tricks). If i wanted "filosofia" i would have read Nietzsche, if i wanted literature i would have read Miller. But i was looking for embedded systems design and i got almost nothing! Obsessing about the fact that "every idiot can write code" is not much of an "art". Very poor on examples, too much of "this thing should be done this way or else ...", lots of statistics and no fun!
He might be a good engineer but he is a poor teacher!

Don't buy this book unless you have Liberia's defficit in your account!

Very good.. but not for beginners
This is a very good book... but it is meant for people with experience in the industry.... the book is about industry and the dynamics within it...

not for "student" who are just in college/univ.

excelent book once you've had at least 6 months industry experience

Heartily recommend to folks starting in embedded systems
This is a great book for folks who are starting out in embedded systems - a solid overview with practical advice that can be applied throughout one's career. Jack Ganssle also writes for Embedded Systems Programming mag, providing a lot of useful info in an entertaining and lively manner. Good technical writing is tough to come across - he does a wonderful job.