A Tribute to Dr. Stephen A. Book (1941–2012)

Abstract

Dr. Stephen A. Book, co-editor of the Journal of Cost Analysis and Parametrics, died at his home in Seal Beach, CA, on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Steve touched the lives of many of us on a personal and professional level through his friendship, teaching, mentoring, leadership, and inspiration. He also left an indelible mark on the cost, schedule, and risk analysis professional community worldwide. Steve earned his Ph.D. in mathematics, with a concentration in probability and statistics, at the University of Oregon. He joined The Aerospace Corporation in 1980, where he worked on a wide variety of Air Force programs and directed a vigorous program of research analysis into methods of conducting cost and schedule risk analyses and deriving cost estimating relationships (CERs). He went on to serve as Director, Cost and Requirements Analysis from 1989 to 1995 and then held one of the most eminent titles The Aerospace Corporation would bestow, the title of “Distinguished Engineer” from 1996 to 2000. Steve joined MCR in January 2001 and served as Chief Technical Officer from 2001 to 2009. Dr. Christian Smart (JCAP Managing Editor), who worked for Steve at MCR, remembers Steve as a pioneering researcher, a prolific writer and editor, and one of the icons of our profession. “Those of us who saw him lecture at a seminar or at a conference remember him as a gifted and witty speaker. Those of us who knew Steve personally remember him fondly for his self-deprecating wit, warmth, and patience as a teacher. Steve may be gone, but his legacy continues not only through his published papers, but also in the lives that he touched. I am fortunate to have known Steve and to have worked for him. Steve was my primary mentor in cost analysis, and I miss him.” Dr. Book was the recipient of ISPA’s Freiman Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2010, he was the recipient of the SCEA Lifetime Achievement Award. He is one of only four individuals to receive both lifetime achievement awards. At the SCEA Awards ceremony, Dick Coleman (SCEA Regional VP) delivered a warm and personal accolade when he stressed how “ . . . the facts do not explain the deep respect and high regard that all in the cost community feel for Steve. Steve is a giant in the field, but unlike many eminent people, Steve is as unaffected and warm a person as you will ever meet. He hasn’t a trace of pomp or pretense. He is known for his iconoclastic style and his innovation, but nobody ever minded Steve’s view on things, even when it was their ox he was goring,