We know that many software projects fail, and most projects fail the same way. But instead of taking that as a call to arms, a rallying cry to avoid the common pitfalls and well-understood problems, a lot of software developers and managers take comfort in the fact that they're surrounded by lots of other failing projects!

The products are easy to do and produce quality projects. An easy-to-follow project guide and just the right color palette comes with every activity, to make crafting simple and successful for anyone, even those who don't think they are creative. The idea is for families to focus on the fun of creating a keepsake together.

Most research projects just look at impacts on biodiversity and land degradation without integrating socioeconomic factors. Changes in social systems are all reflected in the environment. It is critical to link the two.

My daughters really enjoy the projects, and I like that we spend quality time together.

So the book first explains the engineering aspects of the tools, techniques, and practices that are needed in order to solve the problems that cause project failure. But then it goes further, addressing why people are resistant to these ideas and giving advice to project managers who need to navigate the thorny political problems that prevent them from successfully implementing the practices.

There's a pervasive - and incorrect - idea that all of the research that's been done on project failure and fixing their root causes is somehow 'just academic.' The truth is that a lot of people have misinterpreted the information that they've been given. They've had a lot of trouble implementing the ideas, and the reason that they've had trouble has to do with politics more often than the validity of the ideas themselves.