The Holy Grail of Software Development

A hairy title, I know...

But that said, I find, Jack W. Reeves essays as so at the heart of programming that I feel it is appropriate.
Also, like the Holy Grail Myth, these ideas are old (relatively), controversary and has been tried to be FUDded by Method Tools Software Industry.

So, if you want to get a grasp on what goes on when designig software, these essays are a must-read.