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The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master 1st Edition

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Andrew Hunt (Author)
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Andrew Hunt (Author), David Thomas (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 334 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 078-5342616224
ISBN-10: 020161622X
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (October 30, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 020161622X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0201616224
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (334 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA fresh, thoughtful, engaging approach to programming
By Melissa D. Binde on June 24, 2000
Format: Paperback
I bought this on a friend's recommendation, but expected yet another book rehashing the same standard rules: write comments, don't duplicate code, have plans for your projects, eat your vegetables.
Hunt and Thomas vastly exceeded my expectations. This book is never dry, often humorous, and always educational. They don't always say what you expect them to say (e.g., about commenting code), and I didn't always agree with them, but every sentence is full of thoughtful analysis.
One of the best features is their incredibly practical advice -- while yes, this book does teach philosophy and encourages thought, it also provides many immediately-implementable suggestions.
If you aren't a programmer with 10 years experience, buy it anyway -- it is not just for experienced programmers. While you will absorb less of the book, there is still enough to learn, and it's a great book to keep and re-read.
The book includes a pull-out card of the pithy sayings the authors use to sum up each section. Perhaps my mind just doesn't work the way theirs does, but I didn't find their summations to be helpful all the time -- I found myself frequently having to flip back to the section to remember what a particular phrase meant. But it's still useful.
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4.0 out of 5 starsNicely done
By B. Scott Andersen on March 6, 2001
Format: Paperback
Most software engineers don't have the opportunity to spend time with their colleagues and just talk about the craft of software development. While you can't have a conversation with a book, Andrew Hunt and David Thomas will talk if you will listen--and listen you should.

The Pragmatic Programmer is a collection of ideas, observations, and recommendations for software developers. Throughout the book, they highlight these notions in a set of numbered tips, about 70 of them, which are collected on a single tear-out card situated in the back of the book. Just reading the tips, without reading the text of the book, might make these gems seem trite, empty, and obvious. But, they're not!

Many of the tips actually build upon previous ones, like tip 4: "Don't live with broken windows", which urges programmers to fix problems and clean up messes, and tip 20: "Keep knowledge in plain text." With some books like this you can skip around--but this one is better read from beginning to end.

There is plenty of ideas to consider, agree with, and, perhaps, disagree with, too. You can also feel a little passion. "Conventional wisdom says that once a project is in the coding phase, the work is mostly mechanical, transcribing the design into executable statements. We think that this attitude is the single biggest reason that many programs are ugly, inefficient, poorly structured, unmaintainable, and just plain wrong." Hooray for authors who take a stand and then back it up with well reasoned arguments!

Reading this book isn't a substitute for having that conversation with a colleague about the craft. But, The Pragmatic Programmer is worth listening to in the mean time. It is a good, solid, fun read.
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3.0 out of 5 starsAesop's Fables for programmers
By Lance C. Hibbeler on February 3, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Well, after reading most of the glowing reviews here, I was pretty interested in the book. I thumbed through it at a bookstore, and ended up buying on Amazon (kudos for the lower price). I read the book, and became confused. I made sure the reviews matched the book title. I read the book again. Quite frankly, I don't see what makes this book so great- not that it is bad and/or a waste of money (though it is on the pricey side given how little you get- big font and big line spacing, like a 7th-grade term paper)- it just isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The authors have compiled a list of several tips to keep in mind while programming. Ultimately, I think this is their answer to Fred Brooks' searching for a silver bullet in The Mythical Man-Month, based on their years of experience in the field. It ends up being a lot of "eating your own dog food," in my humble opinion. Just because they met with success using a certain method/tool (usually on financial software) doesn't mean you will. Not all programming practices transcend all boundaries and are generally applicable to all programming problems. Some people are faster and more capable (and more comfortable) with an IDE than with a plain text editor; get off your high horse. I don't agree with most of the tips. Some, however, are absolutely necessary, such as version control. Every tip is tied to an analogy or some story outside of programming- which may be nice to some, but I see it as an insult to a reader's intelligence. Every single tip? Really? Not necessary....really.

The majority of the book is language-independent, which is nice.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsWisdom and Humor -- what a rare find
By Holm Court on May 31, 2000
Format: Paperback
This is, simply, a wonderful book. It is a book that celebrates the real depth of great programming -- something that is too often forgotten or ignored. This is not an idiot's guide to anything -- it is a remarkably entertaining set of dozens of tips to becoming better at what you do, especially if that happens to be programming.
The tips are deceptively simple at times, but only a truly naive or inexperienced reader would miss the rich depth that their combination presents. In fact, that is the real beauty of this book -- it does not present some short-lived miracle-cure approach -- instead, it weaves together small bits of wisdom and practical advice into a powerful work-style.
They have some controversial views -- these authors are witty and opinionated -- but agreeing or disagreeing with each individual idea is not the point -- "seeing the forest" is.
There are numerous specific code examples, but the book is a fun and easy read -- strangely, I also think it would be a wonderful book for someone who is NOT a programmer, but who works with them, perhaps a business manager having a major system built. Even skipping all the really technical parts, it would be a wonderful set of benchmarks to assess how good your programmers really are -- much more powerful than "he has 3 years of C++, 2 years of Linux"...
I am hoping this writing team will follow this book with some specific guides as well, but this one is destined to be a classic. These guys really know what they are talking about, and, as a wonderful bonus, they are terrific writers, as well!
The book has gotten great reviews on slashdot, as well as a couple of programming magazines, including Dr Dobbs and Software Development -- they were well deserved. Buy IT!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA Classic

I absolutely love this book. I originally got it in 2005 as a textbook for one of my college classes. Read more

Published 7 days ago by William Leu
5.0 out of 5 starsStill valid after 17 years since published

It is quite interesting to see that the advices in this book still hold true (in my personal experience at least), as if all that has changed is technology and some practices got... Read more

Published 12 days ago by DevelX
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great book... You should buy a copy...

Published 14 days ago by Nabile Coulibaly
5.0 out of 5 starsRecommended for every software engineer

One of my favorite sayings is "The worth of a carpenter is measured by the quality of his tools". So to read a book about software development from the perspective of a craftsman... Read more

Published 28 days ago by TODD C NICHOLS
4.0 out of 5 starsA good source of essential features for a programmer

I liked it. The book describes the features of a "pragmatic programmer", a programmer who cares deeply for his/her profession and the quality he/she produces. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Pekka Hellsten
5.0 out of 5 starsAwesome!

Excellent book. A must read for every programmer.

Published 1 month ago by Mohammad Mujeeb
5.0 out of 5 starsProgramming Meets Self-Improvement

This book discusses ways in which you can improve yourself as a software engineer. The variety of topics is decent, ranging from general tips, tools, programming, and projects. Read more

Published 1 month ago by William P Ross
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Really enjoying the book and the insight.

Published 2 months ago by amazon customer
4.0 out of 5 starsTimeless classic...

Great book, still enjoy reading it 15 years into my career. If you look at your job as a long-term career and want to be the best programmer you can be - no matter the language,... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Matthew Thebert
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

A little dated but the principles outlined are very useful and....pragmatic.

Published 3 months ago by Zach A. Leigh

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