How To Be A Programmer: A Comprehensive Summary

by Robert L. Read

Excellent Book

Genres: Programming, Technical, Nonfiction

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Mihnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for the 41 page version, could not find the 100 page one.

[Alexandru Muntean · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a nice reminder that "Programmers are the part of the bridge between ideas and reality that rests on reality." and I think that any programmer or software developer should read this summary book. It is like the title says: short, comprehensive, but most important it contains a lot of good advice.

[Sanika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book on my list for a while now. I had tried to read it a couple of times before, but wasn't able to get past the first few chapters. In retrospect, I realise that I was too inexperienced back then; I had no work experience, barely any programming knowledge, had never worked in a serious team (group projects do not count), and hadn't come even remotely close to managing anyone.

Now that I have had the chance to check off each of these items (at least in part), I can safely say that this is a good read. I will even go so far as to say that every programmer should read this: Not because it's a brilliant, seminal work, but because it is concise, won't take up a lot of your time, and is likely to leave you with at least a few bits of practical wisdom that you might not have consciously thought about.

The first edition was published over 20 years ago and there are places in the book where this shows. These are mostly parts of chapters which give technical advice. And even then, a lot of it still holds true. For the less-/non-technical part, here is the deal: Programmers and programming have changed in the last two decades, and they will continue to change in the decades to come, but humans will always be humans and any tribes we form will always be influenced by this humanness. A big part of this book addresses how to be a programmer in such a tribe/team/company. That's what makes this book timeless, in my opinion.

So yes, TL;DR: If you are a programmer, you should read this. If you plan to become one, maybe keep this for when you have been one for at least a year. If you neither are, nor plan to become one, skip it.

PS: I read the community version on GitHub: https://github.com/braydie/HowToBeAPr...

[Franks V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book summarizes so many things we need to know as a programmer, from a programmer 's perspective. Starting from the basic technical skills one must acquire, to managerial skills to manage a team of programmers. Emphases are put on the ethics of working as a programmer and as a member of the team. Inside this book you'll find tips on how to learn communication language among your peers, how to talk to non-engineers, and how to deal with difficult people. This book also shows us how to take a break when needed, and how to recognize when to go home, and how to communicate and negotiate with your boss, so that you won't end up working for 50 to 60 hours a week. This is a very good book, one that should be a mandatory for wannabe and professional programmers. If you happened to be a manager who supervises a hive of programmers, this book should provide you with useful insights into their minds and habits.

**

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great short read

[Mari]

Gives good advice and is a quick and concise read, so it's worth reading. Not a lot of the advice was new to me, but that will probably vary from person to person. The advice focuses more on the personal and organizational skills needed to function in a team and less on the technical issues. The essay also gives advice on how to handle decisions that need to be made when participating in a software project, which is very useful. Some might think it handles topics too superficially, but it is a good guide to find out what you may need to work on and which topics to look into further.

I hope the actual printed edition that people may pay for is proofread better, though, because I noticed too many errors (there/their, do/due, etc. as well as missing words) in the online version for such a short text – and English isn't even my first language.

[something_]

Read this a long, long time ago, while still in highschool. Having just begun to learn programming and liking it, I was just starting to consider it as a career path. For someone who just wanted to understand what a programmer actually does and what skills he needs, this was exactly what I was looking for at the time.

It's quite funny to pass the eyes over it now, and remembering being surprised that a programmer had to spent quite that much time hunting for bugs. Oh, how naive I was... I haven't read it again since, but I found it really interesting back then.

[Prahalad Belavadi]

More than a book on programming, it's more about a book on managerial skills.
Its best to Think on similar lines as a how-to book for programmers on how to exist in a corporate company.

Its helpful for people that haven't had a breakthrough in a corporate environment and first timers or anyone looking to understand how to be better in the workforce as programmers

[Vijayakrishna Pondala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick summary. Good read for beginners and a quick refresher for intermediate and advanced programmers. Pick what you want to read..

[Haffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the community version available online

https://github.com/braydie/HowToBeAPr...

It's short and to the point which I liked.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Читал community version. Хорошая книга, обо всем понемножку. Особенно приятно читать по одной маленькой главе в день.

[Aamna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and useful.