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I've not read the book version but "How Buildings Learn" is one of my favorite things ever (a great case-study for looking outside of software for lessons that

by swanson 10y ago

I've not read the book version but "How Buildings Learn" is one of my favorite things ever (a great case-study for looking outside of software for lessons that can apply to well...software). Stewart Brand (of Longnow fame) produced a really lovely 6 part series for BBC in the late 90's and they are on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brandst/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/brandst/videos -- highly recommended (Warning: there is a very loud and obnoxious beeping during the first 10 seconds or so) A look at "the evolution of buildings and how buildings adapt to changing requirements over long periods" -- replace buildings with software and you’ve probably got a best-seller from Pragmatic Programmers!

pjmorris 10y ago
I'm a huge fan of Stewart Brand, starting with the 'Next Whole Earth Catalog', which is where I learned how big a fan Brand is of Christopher Alexander and his 'A Pattern Language'. Alexander's work in patterns inspired the 'Gang of Four' to write 'Design Patterns'... so I think your best-seller prediction is not only correct, but empirically validated :)
neves 10y ago
Please let me disagree. It is a beautiful book, but really boring and repetitive. Never finished it. I'll resume it for you all: "Buildings change over time to adapt for their owners livestyle." The really good part is the author bashing renowned architects that build prize winning buildings that leak.
- swanson 10y ago
  I've never read the book so you aren't disagreeing :) Sounds like the video series might be the way to go if the book is too repetitive
- andyjohnson0 10y ago
  > I'll resume it for you all: "Buildings change over time to adapt for their owners livestyle." An important concept in the book is "shearing layers" [1]: different parts of a building change at different rates due to differential pressures. E.g. walls change faster than foundations. Its a few years since I last read it, but fwiw I found the book insightful and not at all boring. Each to their own though. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_layers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_layers
kriro 10y ago
Thanks for sharing. I just watched the first couple of episodes and they were pretty great. Reminds me a lot of "Design of everyday things" meets buildings. And of course the mental transfer to software is fairly obvious (think user centered design, make sure software is adaptable etc.)

by swanson 10y ago

pjmorris 10y ago

I'm a huge fan of Stewart Brand, starting with the 'Next Whole Earth Catalog', which is where I learned how big a fan Brand is of Christopher Alexander and his 'A Pattern Language'. Alexander's work in patterns inspired the 'Gang of Four' to write 'Design Patterns'... so I think your best-seller prediction is not only correct, but empirically validated :)

neves 10y ago

Please let me disagree. It is a beautiful book, but really boring and repetitive. Never finished it. I'll resume it for you all: "Buildings change over time to adapt for their owners livestyle." The really good part is the author bashing renowned architects that build prize winning buildings that leak.

swanson 10y ago
I've never read the book so you aren't disagreeing :) Sounds like the video series might be the way to go if the book is too repetitive
andyjohnson0 10y ago
> I'll resume it for you all: "Buildings change over time to adapt for their owners livestyle." An important concept in the book is "shearing layers" [1]: different parts of a building change at different rates due to differential pressures. E.g. walls change faster than foundations. Its a few years since I last read it, but fwiw I found the book insightful and not at all boring. Each to their own though. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_layers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_layers

kriro 10y ago

Thanks for sharing. I just watched the first couple of episodes and they were pretty great. Reminds me a lot of "Design of everyday things" meets buildings. And of course the mental transfer to software is fairly obvious (think user centered design, make sure software is adaptable etc.)