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I half read, half skimmed the contents, and what I found was significantly divergent from what I was hoping for. I was hoping to find some combination of a bre

I half read, half skimmed the contents, and what I found was significantly divergent from what I was hoping for. I was hoping to find some combination of a breakdown of potential paper cuts that hold programmers back, and an insightful breakdown of seemingly insurmountable problems that keep programmers in their provincial comfort zones, providing a series of bite-sized victories to lead one to greatness. Instead I found number of already well-tread tropes of self-acceptance, limiting the amount one compares one's self to others, finding friends, and taking breaks. Furthermore, it does this without presenting any kind of new model to achieve this within the programmers existing emotional, executive and motivational budget. I don't know if I'm staggeringly abnormal but I'm already acutely aware of those requirements. Absent some seemingly miraculous improvement in my executive function, in order to effect change (at least in me), the content needs to provide either compelling anecdotes as to why I should try harder, or a new model that provides a path where the extra smashing of face is not required. I fully acknowledge I have no claim of liability for the content not meeting my hopes, given the generous lack of cost, but I must say I'm disappointed.

papandada 6y ago
Without any sarcasm, maybe that's the content you need to write.
username90 6y ago
The point of the book is to help people manage the struggle, not how to become a great programmer. If that isn't what you want then you can go find some other book. The authors own explanation: > There are plenty of books on how to become a better programmer out there. Books like this tend to have checklists and other advice that the author deems important enough for you to do in order to become a better programmer. They tend to focus on specific improvements like choosing a better editor, writing better test cases, or drinking lots of water. Those books have lots of useful advice, but they read like a laundry list of things that you must do all at once in order to succeed. This book will try not to saddle you with more work (you likely have enough as it is). Rather, we'll discuss what it feels like to be a programmer. We'll talk about the emotions in being a programmer; the feelings of frustration, guilt, anger, and inadequacy. We'll cover the struggles in learning new things and keeping your skills current. We'll talk about those times when you feel like giving up and walking away from computing and whether those feelings come from a place of love or a worry that you're not keeping up.
- _cs2017_ 6y ago
  So basically the book is teaching people to accept their mediocrity and be happy? Kinda like brainwashing people into being less ambitious, to counteract the brainwashing they experienced that made them too ambitious relative to their potential and abilities?
  - Shorel 6y ago
    It's a very popular topic. See the biblical book of Job. Countless self-help books. Scientology. Paulo Coelho books. And so on.
  - sdwr 6y ago
    Those sound more like expectations/goals/perspectives. Brainwashing reads like someone is jamming this stuff down your throat
    - _cs2017_ 6y ago
      Yeah, brainwashing carries a negative connotation. I'm not sure what the right verb would be. "Persuading" is too weak, since we're talking about changing the person's fundamental value system away from being too ambitious.
      - pjmlp 6y ago
        Not everyone wants to go up the ladder all the way to the top, many are happy to deliver whatever makes the customer happy with what is being asked today, without caring about what is going to be the next great thing, most likely already legacy in 5 years timeframe. The dark matter developers that don't care one second online communities like HN and Reddit do exist, never got paid to attend a conference even on their own town, and have more things to do with their life than hunting for stars on github after work.
- ShroudedNight 6y ago
  I will admit, I forgot that description as I got deeper into the content. In terms of managing the struggle, though, at least in my experience, a lot of it comes from having broken models of effectiveness. The net result is having to use a lot of emotional energy attempting to discern what the optimal answers are in a deeply ambiguous sea of grey, with the added difficulty of especially ruthless hindsight. Again, maybe my expectations were grossly miscalibrated, but there wasn't much in terms of orienteering in that environment. What advice there was: the regular, time-boxed 'containers' of learning, struck me as deeply taxing on someone who struggled with context switching or executive function. Further the exhortation to seek out like-minded peers would be especially painful (non-?) work for someone with social anxiety. I guess what I wrestle with reconciling is the desire to unconditionally affirm and pastor those in the depths of their struggle, with the advocated actions that would often be inconceivably costly to those most in need of that affirmation and support. Maybe the impersonal written word is a sub-optimal medium for this mission?
scsilver 6y ago
Me too, however, are we just crazy and hurting ourselves to achieve a highly lauded place in our world? Are you filled with the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament?
winfortheworld 6y ago
I agree, this book was free so its on us, but I must say I was fairly disappointed as well. Skimming through it I found it was providing general statement whereas I was expecting specifics. At the beginning this has the self-help flavor that tend to be hyper general. Yet towards the end it got a bit more specific. I feel like everything could've been summarized in max 10 pages or down to a blog post.

papandada 6y ago

Without any sarcasm, maybe that's the content you need to write.

username90 6y ago

The point of the book is to help people manage the struggle, not how to become a great programmer. If that isn't what you want then you can go find some other book. The authors own explanation: > There are plenty of books on how to become a better programmer out there. Books like this tend to have checklists and other advice that the author deems important enough for you to do in order to become a better programmer. They tend to focus on specific improvements like choosing a better editor, writing better test cases, or drinking lots of water. Those books have lots of useful advice, but they read like a laundry list of things that you must do all at once in order to succeed. This book will try not to saddle you with more work (you likely have enough as it is). Rather, we'll discuss what it feels like to be a programmer. We'll talk about the emotions in being a programmer; the feelings of frustration, guilt, anger, and inadequacy. We'll cover the struggles in learning new things and keeping your skills current. We'll talk about those times when you feel like giving up and walking away from computing and whether those feelings come from a place of love or a worry that you're not keeping up.

_cs2017_ 6y ago
So basically the book is teaching people to accept their mediocrity and be happy? Kinda like brainwashing people into being less ambitious, to counteract the brainwashing they experienced that made them too ambitious relative to their potential and abilities?
- Shorel 6y ago
  It's a very popular topic. See the biblical book of Job. Countless self-help books. Scientology. Paulo Coelho books. And so on.
- sdwr 6y ago
  Those sound more like expectations/goals/perspectives. Brainwashing reads like someone is jamming this stuff down your throat
  - _cs2017_ 6y ago
    Yeah, brainwashing carries a negative connotation. I'm not sure what the right verb would be. "Persuading" is too weak, since we're talking about changing the person's fundamental value system away from being too ambitious.
    - pjmlp 6y ago
      Not everyone wants to go up the ladder all the way to the top, many are happy to deliver whatever makes the customer happy with what is being asked today, without caring about what is going to be the next great thing, most likely already legacy in 5 years timeframe. The dark matter developers that don't care one second online communities like HN and Reddit do exist, never got paid to attend a conference even on their own town, and have more things to do with their life than hunting for stars on github after work.
ShroudedNight 6y ago
I will admit, I forgot that description as I got deeper into the content. In terms of managing the struggle, though, at least in my experience, a lot of it comes from having broken models of effectiveness. The net result is having to use a lot of emotional energy attempting to discern what the optimal answers are in a deeply ambiguous sea of grey, with the added difficulty of especially ruthless hindsight. Again, maybe my expectations were grossly miscalibrated, but there wasn't much in terms of orienteering in that environment. What advice there was: the regular, time-boxed 'containers' of learning, struck me as deeply taxing on someone who struggled with context switching or executive function. Further the exhortation to seek out like-minded peers would be especially painful (non-?) work for someone with social anxiety. I guess what I wrestle with reconciling is the desire to unconditionally affirm and pastor those in the depths of their struggle, with the advocated actions that would often be inconceivably costly to those most in need of that affirmation and support. Maybe the impersonal written word is a sub-optimal medium for this mission?

scsilver 6y ago

Me too, however, are we just crazy and hurting ourselves to achieve a highly lauded place in our world? Are you filled with the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament?

winfortheworld 6y ago

I agree, this book was free so its on us, but I must say I was fairly disappointed as well. Skimming through it I found it was providing general statement whereas I was expecting specifics. At the beginning this has the self-help flavor that tend to be hyper general. Yet towards the end it got a bit more specific. I feel like everything could've been summarized in max 10 pages or down to a blog post.