Written before 1997, this is part musings on contract work and ad-hoc teams, part breakdown of the phases of a project, and mostly memoir. That last bit is the least readable, with little direction or focus. I think she tries to connect her relationship arc with Brian to a project phase arc - but it isn't convincing.

There are interesting nuggets here, and she does capture the frenzy of contract work and venture capital and startups from twenty years ago.

Like a few other reviewers, I'm not sure how this ended up on my to-be-read list. Many reviewers, along with forward author Jaron Lanier, list it as indispensable, insightful, or a cult classic. While more rare because it was penned by a woman, and perhaps unusual for the perspective at the time, neither of these facets make it inherently "good".