The first part of the book is fantastic. I can't recmomend it higlhy enough for a professional software developer that wishes to ELEAVTE him or herself to a higher standard. The second part was more difficult for me to digest. Anyway, I didn't REGRET of buying it.
Bwahahahaha! It's hilarious and yet profound. Such a pity it's so short. Feels almost like cheating to count it for my 2021 reading challenge (can't believe I've stumbled upon this book only now), but since it's in the catalogue and I want to rate it, why not :)
It's infinitely quotable - you can read it for free, for example, here, so there's not much sense in copy/paste, but one in particular hits the spot for me:
Thus spake the master programmer: "After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless."
- "A well-written program is its own Heaven; a poorly-written program is its own Hell." - "Without the wind, the grass does not move. Without software hardware is useless."
Not all of it was new; most has crossed my path one way or the other, perhaps in combination with the Jargon File. Some was new, and some things I only understand having seen companies in multiple sizes now.
This wisdom is timeless, even if it takes having read up on older architectures (like mainframes) to understand, for the younger ones. It was prophetic as well (I really laughed out loud when the clouds rolled in, for quality went out of the window with that).
Something mysterious is formed, born in the silent void. Waiting alone and unmoving, it is at once still and yet in constant motion. It is the source of all programs. I do not know its name, so I will call it the Tao of Programming.
Thus spake the master programmer: “When you have learned to snatch the error code from the trap frame, it will be time for you to leave.” “When the program is being tested, it is too late to make design changes.” “A well-written program is its own heaven; a poorly-written program is its own hell.” “Though a program be but three lines long, someday it will have to be maintained.” “Let the programmers be many and the managers few - then all will be productive.” “Without the wind, the grass does not move. Without software, hardware is useless.” “It is time for you to leave.”
Cute and funny. I recognized some references to the Tao Te Ching. Maybe half of the book is anecdotes about "the master said" and "the novice said", which I'm pretty sure is more Zen Buddhism than Taoism...
Very nice book to explore yourself as a developer. It gives you a good inspiration about how things should be considered, how you can manage problems on the road, what the real cost of success, how you can avoid distractions and may focus, what is the road of progress with nice examples. Also it is a good sample about philosophical relation and what really happens behind the success curtain.
Me hizo sonreir... cualquier parecido con la realidad es mera coincidencia. xD
4.4 El programador del Príncipe Wang estaba codificando software. Sus dedos bailaban sobre el teclado. El programa compiló sin errores y se ejecutó cual ligera brisa.
“¡Excelente!”, exclamó el Príncipe, “¡Tu técnica es infalible!”.
“¿Técnica?”, dijo el programador girándose desde su terminal, “¡Lo que yo sigo es el Tao más allá de toda técnica! Cuando empecé a programar, veía ante mí el problema completo como un todo.
Después de tres años ya no veía ese bloque: empecé a usar subrutinas. Pero ahora no veo nada. Mi ser existe en un vacío sin forma. Mis sentidos están ociosos. Mi espíritu, libre para trabajar sin un plan, sigue su propio instinto. En resumen, mi programa se escribe a sí mismo. Es cierto que a veces hay problemas complejos. Los veo acercarse, me detengo, observo en silencio. Entonces cambio una única línea de código y las dificultades se desvanecen como una voluta de humo. Compilo mi programa. Me quedo quieto y dejo que el gozo del trabajo llene mi ser. Cierro los ojos un momento, y entonces cierro mi sesión”.
El Príncipe Wang dijo “Ojalá todos mis programadores fueran tan sabios”.
-------
6.3 Un gerente estaba a punto de ser despedido, pero un programador que trabajaba para él inventó un nuevo programa que se hizo popular y se vendió bien. Como consecuencia, el gerente conservó su empleo.
El gerente intentó darle al programador una bonificación, pero éste se negó diciendo “yo escribí el programa porque pensé que era un concepto interesante, por lo que no espero ninguna recompensa”.
Al oír esto, el gerente comentó: “Este programador, a pesar de su baja autoestima, entiende bien los deberes de un empleado. ¡Vamos a promocionarlo hacia la posición de consultor de gestión!”.
Pero cuando se le dijo esto, el programador lo rechazó una vez más diciendo: “Vivo para la programación. Si fuera ascendido no haría más que desperdiciar el tiempo de todos. ¿Me puedo ir? Tengo un programa en el que trabajar”.
Probably the oldest computer book I still own and use. The technical references are dated, but the content is as relative today as it was twenty years ago. In that sense, it reminds me of Mythical Man Month. Unfortunately, I believe this book has not been in print for quite some time. But you can find the content on the web.
This book has both humor and wisdom that's shared as bite sized anecdotes, mostly as stories or as a conversation between a novice and a master programmer. This would be one of those books that you would go back and read again every now and then.
Yes it's dated, but ways mentioned will always apply to contemporary and beyond, rather agnostic. Great read to get into the minds of the programmers. Basic principles are independent from language specifics. Enjoyed this book in one sitting.
A friend gave me this a while back and I just read it again. It is an old book (especially in computer years) but it's just as relevant today as when it was written. Definitely a classic.
Among the hilarious situations and metaphors this book presents, there is valuable knowledge about programming and everyday challenges developers worldwide face. A must read, since it is so short.