Anyway, for my first "review" (if that's what you call these things) is just as suited for the GeekStuffs page as it is a book write up. It's for the programming industry, but it has made such an impact on me that I'm considering it Required Reading for anyone that even flirts around the field; it's a good look into the mind of an engineer that is constantly trying to "fix" marketing and sales. The book, The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World, was written Christopher Duncan, is about 200 pages and offers some strong opinions and insights on the industry.

If you've read the "about me" section, you already know that I spent a lot of my time commuting on the MetroNorth railroad that runs between Connecticut and Manhattan - even though this is where I usually write new Rants, I've been known to read on occasion, particularly when there's a lack of seating. Actually, when people find out that I commute train most days, the very next question I get is "what do you do on the train? Do you read? What do you read?" Since the conductors complained about the midget tossing contests, given the size of the rail cars, I have taken up reading as my "usual" commuting activity. As to what I read, this is actually not an easy thing to answer; I find myself with things on the NY Times Best Sellers list to SciFi that any critic would rather consume his own spleen before reading, much less reviewing. I've been told my book collection is eclectic, which I was sure was just a nice way to say "screwed" until I looked it up on dictionary.com.

Anyway, for my first "review" (if that's what you call these things) is just as suited for the GeekStuffs page as it is a book write up. It's for the programming industry, but it has made such an impact on me that I'm considering it Required Reading for anyone that even flirts around the field; it's a good look into the mind of an engineer that is constantly trying to "fix" marketing and sales. The book, The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World, was written Christopher Duncan, is about 200 pages and offers some strong opinions and insights on the industry. Having been in the field for about a decade now, I can really call his opinions "facts" and his insights to be proven courses of actions. Without sounding too managerial, go buy the book - if only because you'll feel like you're commiserating with a fellow programmer.

I bought it on Amazon - ISBN: 1-59059-008-2... like I said, if you're entrenched, or anyway related to, married to, or impacted by the software industry, this is a must read.