The Passionate Programmer

I've finally finished 'The Passionate Programmer' by Chad Fowler one of 'technical books' I've most enjoyed. Specifically this is not an technical book but a book for technical developers who want to learn about the experience of a successful engineer.

The book is based on Chad's personal experience. He always try to give you the good parts from each one allowing you to learn his conclusions directly from the text.

The stories you'll find inside the book ( I won't spoil it to much ) are not only about Software Development Industry, before he becoming a programmer he started his career as a full-time saxophonist and a lot of his lessons are extracted from this period and surprisingly all of them fit nicely into IT world. I'm also a musician, I play the guitar in a blues band, just for fun, so that all his music examples sounds familiar to me.

One of the good parts in the book is the end of each section called 'Act on it' in which Chad Fowler send you homework about the topic of latter section.

The books it's structured into five main blocks:

• Choosing Your Market
• Investing in Your Product
• Executing
• Marketing...Not Just for Suits
• Maintaining Your Edge

A three first chapters brief resume could be the title of this one: 'Love It or Leave It', yes there are a lot of pieces of advices, so much useful, but the point is this one, according to Chad: 'You have to be passionate about your work if you want to be great at your work' that simple, but it really is. If your are really interested into Software Development you will find the way to be become a good Developer. Having said that, if you are crazy about Software you will learn a lot reading it. I really like the point of view he transmits about your carer treating it as a product which you want to succeed.

The next chapter was the most useful for me, and I think that it's the one that most technical people usually forget. To have a good marketing is as necessary as to have a brilliant product, and I usually forget it.

I feel the last chapter as series of challenge more than as advices, but of course I think that all of these challenges are different steps that we, as programmers, must climb.

Its price ( $15.00 ) thoroughly worth, so in conclusion I recommend it to everyone who loves and cares about Software Development!