I hoovered up all the hardcover copies I could and for many years gave them as gifts to my teammates after our projects shipped. Mostly as thanks for a job well done, and just a tiny bit as an apology for what they'd just been through.

Did your team work similar jobs as described in the book? That must be fantastic! Yeah I know most of work is 80% chore, but at least the other 20% part is fantastic.

Entirely software, far above the Hardy Boys and Microkids in the stack. But the general pace and pressure of the story are still relatable.

I got the same vibes, by the way, from Season One of Halt and Catch Fire (recently and deservedly discussed here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47056314).

I can't confirm it, but I think a few of the scenes from Halt and Catch Fire come from Soul of a New Machine.