This book provides a unique examination of the software development process, arguing that the discipline, still dominated by methods conceived in the framework of older technologies, must undergo a fundamental re-examination of its guiding principles in order for significant progress to take place. To gain fresh insights into how to direct future research, the book explores the scientific foundations of computer technology and examines design from the perspective of practitioners; it also offers a critique of the methods employed in software development and an evaluation of an alternate paradigm that has been used successfully for 14 years. Comprising a set of core readings for understanding the research and development challenges that will confront computer technology in the 21st century, the concepts reviewed here will be of great interest to computer science researchers and educators, graduate students, and software engineers.