Format: PaperbackChange
Price:$22.63+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
on August 28, 2016
I really like this book for the feeling that these people who have accomplished so much are just like me and do not do anything insane to achieve what they have. Many of their stories are like my own.
Sometimes we take the leaders of an industry and blow their importance and worth out of proportion: "Only THEY could have done it." That doesn't make their accomplishment any lesser and I like that this book shows the humanity that hides behind code and products they've built.
Sometimes we take the leaders of an industry and blow their importance and worth out of proportion: "Only THEY could have done it." That doesn't make their accomplishment any lesser and I like that this book shows the humanity that hides behind code and products they've built.
on September 19, 2009
*Spoiler*: The last bit of the last sentence of the last interview in this book is "don't only read the people who code like you."
At least one reviewer has complained that this title didn't "detail" how these programmers worked and how they approached programming. I must thoroughly disagree. The opinions of these people on common points of disagreement from type systems to tools and coding styles to debugging methods was explored. If you are hoping that you will be able to watch the subjects solve a complex problem or go through a typical day's work than you are in the wrong place. This isn't a screencast or a tutorial. On the other hand, there are a wide variety of opinions on display from experts in different areas of the field across different generations on numerous contentious issues.
This book is filled with words worth chewing on. On the first read, the interviews of Crockford, Deutsch, Eich, and Peyton-Jones stuck out to me in particular. In subsequent readings I expect that set to be different. All of the interviewees did agree on the importance of one thing, reading and writing code. For a beginner, this book is likely to point out some pitfalls that otherwise would've been missed and suggests valuable sources of intuition and insight. Perhaps most importantly, it may help popularize some knowledge of the history of our field. As Knuth laments, "The idea that people knew a thing or two in the '70s is strange to a lot of young programmers." There is some valuable distilled experience and wisdom here. At the very least, the book should help you hash over your own opinions on the issues discussed.
At least one reviewer has complained that this title didn't "detail" how these programmers worked and how they approached programming. I must thoroughly disagree. The opinions of these people on common points of disagreement from type systems to tools and coding styles to debugging methods was explored. If you are hoping that you will be able to watch the subjects solve a complex problem or go through a typical day's work than you are in the wrong place. This isn't a screencast or a tutorial. On the other hand, there are a wide variety of opinions on display from experts in different areas of the field across different generations on numerous contentious issues.
This book is filled with words worth chewing on. On the first read, the interviews of Crockford, Deutsch, Eich, and Peyton-Jones stuck out to me in particular. In subsequent readings I expect that set to be different. All of the interviewees did agree on the importance of one thing, reading and writing code. For a beginner, this book is likely to point out some pitfalls that otherwise would've been missed and suggests valuable sources of intuition and insight. Perhaps most importantly, it may help popularize some knowledge of the history of our field. As Knuth laments, "The idea that people knew a thing or two in the '70s is strange to a lot of young programmers." There is some valuable distilled experience and wisdom here. At the very least, the book should help you hash over your own opinions on the issues discussed.
on April 12, 2011
Coders at Work is organized into several interviews with prominent computer scientists, engineers, programmers and hackers (each seeing himself differently as regards to belonging in one of these categories).
Most of these masterminds started programming on punchcards on PDP-I machines in Assembler, running software on timeshares and debugging both software and hardware. Most of them have worked with LISP, almost all of them feel that there is something wrong with C++, some contributed on creating or improving programming languages like Javascript, Java, Smalltalk, Haskell, Erlang, Fortran and LISP, one of them developed the original UNIX implementation, another contributed on writing the software for the first ARPANET nodes which later grew into what we know today as the Internet and a few others have written cool software like the Netscape Navigator, Livejournal and memcached. One notable interview is with Donald Knuth, the author of the multi-volume work "The Art of Computer Programming" who is though of as the father of algorithm analysis and who invented "literate programming".
After reading this book I found myself wanting to learn more about systems programming and while I probably will always work in application programming, I now have a new found respect for the hard work that these scientists and hackers have put throughout their life-long careers.
This book is a must read for any passionate programmer who is interested about the history and the early developments made in the software industry, developments that made today's technologies possible!
Most of these masterminds started programming on punchcards on PDP-I machines in Assembler, running software on timeshares and debugging both software and hardware. Most of them have worked with LISP, almost all of them feel that there is something wrong with C++, some contributed on creating or improving programming languages like Javascript, Java, Smalltalk, Haskell, Erlang, Fortran and LISP, one of them developed the original UNIX implementation, another contributed on writing the software for the first ARPANET nodes which later grew into what we know today as the Internet and a few others have written cool software like the Netscape Navigator, Livejournal and memcached. One notable interview is with Donald Knuth, the author of the multi-volume work "The Art of Computer Programming" who is though of as the father of algorithm analysis and who invented "literate programming".
After reading this book I found myself wanting to learn more about systems programming and while I probably will always work in application programming, I now have a new found respect for the hard work that these scientists and hackers have put throughout their life-long careers.
This book is a must read for any passionate programmer who is interested about the history and the early developments made in the software industry, developments that made today's technologies possible!
on December 7, 2009
This book is an enjoyable collection of interviews of some well known personalities in the computer industry. These interviews run the gamut of topics: understanding programs, writing code, how programmers view themselves, and working with others to name a few. However, the most fantastic thing about the viewpoints is this: they differ.
The diversity of approaches, mindset, attitude, and execution of each of the coders interviewed is a welcome change from the onslaught of the "best practices" mindset which has become increasingly popular in recent years. Even more amazing is the levels of success that they have achieved in spite of (or perhaps, because of) their differences.
While some would find the repetition of questions or extended stories regarding the history of each coder yawn-inducing, I found it to be a refreshing break from the standard computer book fare. If you want to learn about a specific language, platform, or development process, you will want to buy a different book; it covers these topics in only the broadest sense.
My only gripes are minor: first, there are a surprising amount of typos. Second, the book tends to drag when Seibel does more of the talking than the interviewee. Thankfully, this doesn't happen often.
Ultimately, it is a good collection of opinions and war stories which will broaden your perspective towards code and people who write it.
The diversity of approaches, mindset, attitude, and execution of each of the coders interviewed is a welcome change from the onslaught of the "best practices" mindset which has become increasingly popular in recent years. Even more amazing is the levels of success that they have achieved in spite of (or perhaps, because of) their differences.
While some would find the repetition of questions or extended stories regarding the history of each coder yawn-inducing, I found it to be a refreshing break from the standard computer book fare. If you want to learn about a specific language, platform, or development process, you will want to buy a different book; it covers these topics in only the broadest sense.
My only gripes are minor: first, there are a surprising amount of typos. Second, the book tends to drag when Seibel does more of the talking than the interviewee. Thankfully, this doesn't happen often.
Ultimately, it is a good collection of opinions and war stories which will broaden your perspective towards code and people who write it.
on October 19, 2012
This work is a classic, which should not be going out
of print for the next 5 years. I have 2 good points to make.
1. To have so much condensed brainpower in one book is wonderful, as it will make other publishers embarrassed enough
to put out better books.
2. This book will help a lot of people going into Computer Science, as the way this book is designed is psychologically
sound. By this I mean programmers/ role models speaking in their own words about topics that are essential to
Computer Science students. Also, the price is affordable, even for students.
of print for the next 5 years. I have 2 good points to make.
1. To have so much condensed brainpower in one book is wonderful, as it will make other publishers embarrassed enough
to put out better books.
2. This book will help a lot of people going into Computer Science, as the way this book is designed is psychologically
sound. By this I mean programmers/ role models speaking in their own words about topics that are essential to
Computer Science students. Also, the price is affordable, even for students.
on November 23, 2009
This book is just a bunch of interviews with some programmers you might recognize and some you may not. It seems to be pretty lightly edited and some people may find some sections boring (and others may not)! "Coders at Work" is a fascinating insight into the education, careers and minds of some pretty big names in the field. I ordered the book before reading some of the negative reviews and I'm very glad I did. I almost hesitated to start reading it thinking that it was going to be boring and dry but it wasn't. Yes, there is definitely heavy use of acronyms and terms that I wasn't familiar with but to me it was a learning opportunity and a chance to dig a little deeper to figure out what the interviewees were talking about.
It's tough to predict if this book will appeal to you. If you're a seasoned software industry professional with a deep love for the 'craft' of coding then you'll love this collection if interviews. I certainly did and it reminded me of why I got into this industry in the first place and it rekindled a love for coding.
It's tough to predict if this book will appeal to you. If you're a seasoned software industry professional with a deep love for the 'craft' of coding then you'll love this collection if interviews. I certainly did and it reminded me of why I got into this industry in the first place and it rekindled a love for coding.
on January 4, 2010
I always enjoy reading books about other programmers, and this book is the best of that kind that I have found. Reading about the techniques that other coders use and the programs they have created always inspires me to work harder and try and become a better programmer myself. The interviews in this book provide a great insight to many of the programmers that I have long admired.
Coders at Work benefits heavily from Peter Seibel's own experience programming, and his familiarity really helps drive the conversation in direction that true coders will appreciate. If you view programming as more than just a day job and are looking for ways to improve your craft, or just inspiration from hearing the tasks that others have been able to accomplish this is a great read.
Coders at Work benefits heavily from Peter Seibel's own experience programming, and his familiarity really helps drive the conversation in direction that true coders will appreciate. If you view programming as more than just a day job and are looking for ways to improve your craft, or just inspiration from hearing the tasks that others have been able to accomplish this is a great read.
on December 12, 2011
This book records the insights & reflections of some highly proficient programmers with lots of experience and years behind them. As a programmer, reading through the conversations is very interesting, learning the "stories behind the stories", what came before what, what things eventually lead to, and it's actually quite educational too as often the interviewee will mention various methodologies they apply & tools they use. It's also very much on the tech side so as much as it's appealing to technocrats it's probably equally unappealing to non-technocrats.
Seibel presents questions from all kinds of aspects and ranging from plain-personal to pure-professional. It is a very good read.
Seibel presents questions from all kinds of aspects and ranging from plain-personal to pure-professional. It is a very good read.
on April 5, 2012
I am almost finished with the book and definitely enjoyed it.
It is a little geared towards the old school.
I guess I could find them elsewhere, but in this book I would have liked to have seen interviews with Anders Hejlsberg, Kristian Høgsberg, Miguel De Icaza, John Carmac, Richard Garriot, etc.
Of particular interest was the discussion how each programmer debugged code -- as to me this is my important skill I am always trying to improve.
It is a little geared towards the old school.
I guess I could find them elsewhere, but in this book I would have liked to have seen interviews with Anders Hejlsberg, Kristian Høgsberg, Miguel De Icaza, John Carmac, Richard Garriot, etc.
Of particular interest was the discussion how each programmer debugged code -- as to me this is my important skill I am always trying to improve.
