The author(Chad Fowler) starts the book explaining his reasons for writing it which explains its original title(My Job Went to India (And All I Got Was This Lousy Book)) and the reasons why it was changed.
The book greatly progresses to a series of chapters about situations and options a programmer may or may not have already faced throughout his/her career and tries to explain what choices would have been the best depending on several points.
After several brilliant explained chapters, it starts then to show what we(programmers) can or perhaps could do to improve ourselves, several chapters illustrating possible options one can choose to move on and self-improve as a programmer.
The author makes use of a series of analogies with his own career as a musician which in an interesting ways to explain things as like a musician, a programmer can never stop learning and practicing.
Throughout this incredible book, which I saw a lot of myself in many of its chapters, you will be able to find in which of the situations you find yourself in and relate your own career with what the author tries to present here.
I undoubtedly recommend this book as a way to find yourself as a professional computer programmer.
Author(s): Chad Fowler
Series: Pragmatic Life
Edition: 1
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf
Year: 2009
Language: English
Commentary: +OCR
Pages: 218
Contents......Page 7
Foreword......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Introduction......Page 13
Choosing Your Market......Page 20
Lead or Bleed?......Page 23
Supply and Demand......Page 27
Coding Don't Cut It Anymore......Page 31
Be the Worst......Page 34
Invest in Your Intelligence......Page 37
Don't Listen to Your Parents......Page 41
Be a Generalist......Page 46
Be a Specialist......Page 51
Don't Put All Your Eggs in Someone Else's Basket......Page 54
Love It or Leave It......Page 56
Investing in Your Product......Page 62
Learn to Fish......Page 65
Learn How Businesses Really Work......Page 68
Find a Mentor......Page 70
Be a Mentor......Page 74
Practice, Practice, Practice......Page 76
The Way That You Do It......Page 81
On the Shoulders of Giants......Page 84
Automate Yourself into a Job......Page 87
Executing......Page 94
Right Now......Page 96
Mind Reader......Page 98
Daily Hit......Page 101
Remember Who You Work For......Page 103
Be Where You're At......Page 106
How Good a Job Can I Do Today?......Page 109
How Much Are You Worth?......Page 112
A Pebble in a Bucket of Water......Page 115
Learn to Love Maintenance......Page 118
Eight-Hour Burn......Page 122
Learn How to Fail......Page 125
Say ``No''......Page 128
Don't Panic......Page 131
Say It, Do It, Show It......Page 135
Marketing... Not Just for Suits......Page 143
Perceptions, Perschmeptions......Page 146
Adventure Tour Guide......Page 149
Me Rite Reel Nice......Page 152
Being Present......Page 154
Suit Speak......Page 158
Change the World......Page 160
Let Your Voice Be Heard......Page 162
Build Your Brand......Page 166
Release Your Code......Page 168
Remarkability......Page 171
Making the Hang......Page 174
Maintaining Your Edge......Page 179
Already Obsolete......Page 181
You've Already Lost Your Job......Page 184
Path with No Destination......Page 186
Make Yourself a Map......Page 188
Watch the Market......Page 190
That Fat Man in the Mirror......Page 192
The South Indian Monkey Trap......Page 195
Avoid Waterfall Career Planning......Page 199
Better Than Yesterday......Page 202
Go Independent......Page 206
Have Fun......Page 210
Resources......Page 211
