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rodhilton's review
5.0
Think of Apprenticeship Patterns as a bugfixing patch for Pete McBreen's "Software Craftsmanship"
While reading McBreen's book, it becomes clear after a while that what he is describing is an ideal, something of a "this is the way that the software industry ought to work" and while reading it I couldn't help but agree, it ought to. However, the real world is so vastly different from McBreen's utopia that it often feels hopeless, like a lot of the great benefits of the book are out of reach because of constraints of the real world.
Apprenticeship Patterns aims to fix this, by showing how apprentice software craftsmen can benefit from the ideas even in the real world. It accomplishes this goal very well, grounded in pragmatism but relentlessly adamant about how software professionals can live.
The book is organized like a Design Patterns book, with individual named patterns and a formula to each section. This feels somewhat like a square peg in a round hole, but the strange format doesn't distract from the book's content, which is excellent. Though there are a lot of common sense patterns and a number of "I've seen this before" patterns, the book has a lot of new stuff, a lot of great suggestions, and is overall a well-organized wealth of advice for programmers who take themselves, perhaps, a bit too seriously. I highlighted a LOT of stuff.
I'd actually recommend this book above McBreen's, which I really enjoyed, largely because it's so pragmatic, and avoids pie-in-the-sky idealism so well. Software developers can read this book and start bettering themselves immediately. And don't think that, since it's for "apprentices" that you're too good for it, the book makes a strong argument that you are probably an apprentice, at best (and, spoiler alert, that there are no masters yet).
While reading McBreen's book, it becomes clear after a while that what he is describing is an ideal, something of a "this is the way that the software industry ought to work" and while reading it I couldn't help but agree, it ought to. However, the real world is so vastly different from McBreen's utopia that it often feels hopeless, like a lot of the great benefits of the book are out of reach because of constraints of the real world.
Apprenticeship Patterns aims to fix this, by showing how apprentice software craftsmen can benefit from the ideas even in the real world. It accomplishes this goal very well, grounded in pragmatism but relentlessly adamant about how software professionals can live.
The book is organized like a Design Patterns book, with individual named patterns and a formula to each section. This feels somewhat like a square peg in a round hole, but the strange format doesn't distract from the book's content, which is excellent. Though there are a lot of common sense patterns and a number of "I've seen this before" patterns, the book has a lot of new stuff, a lot of great suggestions, and is overall a well-organized wealth of advice for programmers who take themselves, perhaps, a bit too seriously. I highlighted a LOT of stuff.
I'd actually recommend this book above McBreen's, which I really enjoyed, largely because it's so pragmatic, and avoids pie-in-the-sky idealism so well. Software developers can read this book and start bettering themselves immediately. And don't think that, since it's for "apprentices" that you're too good for it, the book makes a strong argument that you are probably an apprentice, at best (and, spoiler alert, that there are no masters yet).
forthright48's review
4.0
Some common knowledge, feelings and methodology of a novice developer has been captured in a structured format. I already knew most of them, but now I know them as patterns.
krng's review
3.0
I've rated it 3 stars since I happened to read the book at this stage of my career. Had I read it when I started out, this would've definitely been a 4 star or more. That being said, I'd highly recommend this book for someone who is starting out as a programmer.
rovingrhea's review
4.0
Very informative, understanding and pragmatic. I'll come back to this frequently as long as I'm learning (which hopefully is forever).
dunguyen's review
4.0
Excellent book that points you toward the road of software apprenticeship or life-long learning. It describes ways to become a better software craftsman and to manage your career.
The book is divided into patterns with a problem for each pattern and solutions. Central to all or most of the patterns is that it is a road of learning and that once you have gained some sort of competency you should pay it forward.
Hugely valuable book if only a bit intimidating as it shows how much there is yet to learn even after years of education and work.
The book is divided into patterns with a problem for each pattern and solutions. Central to all or most of the patterns is that it is a road of learning and that once you have gained some sort of competency you should pay it forward.
Hugely valuable book if only a bit intimidating as it shows how much there is yet to learn even after years of education and work.
islomar's review
4.0
Nice to read book, HIGHLY recommended for newbies on software development... or even to not so newbies :-)
It's a cliché as an opinion for this book, but as many others, I wish I had read it some years ago :-)
It's a cliché as an opinion for this book, but as many others, I wish I had read it some years ago :-)
hectorip's review
3.0
Es un libro bastante interesante para casi cualquier desarrollador de software respecto a los consejos que da para aprender más. Muchos de los consejos creo yo, además, son aplicables para otras profesiones en las que haya gente dispuesta a aprender.
Sin embargo, creo que este libro envejeció un poco mal (¿o siempre fue así?) en el sentido de que habla de algunas personas como "maestros" y actitudes de sacrificio que debes tener que, por lo menos yo, no creo que quepan en ninguna profesión que se haga por dinero. (Sí, el desarrollo de software se hacer por dinero principalmente.)
Me quedo con algunos consejos que quiero buscar aplicar:
- Nunca dejas de aprender aunque lleves mucho mucho tiempo haciendo lo que sea, si en algún momento sientes que ya dejaste de aprender, probablemente lo estás haciendo mal.
- Una forma efectiva de aprender son los experimentos rápidos, sobre los que tengas completo control y además no exista gran responsabilidad sobre ellos (breakable toys).
- Para continuar haciendo algo, necesitas motivaciones sostenibles, a veces es un conjunto que se relevan cuando una falla. Creo que este principio se puede aplicar a cosas que sabemos que debemos hacer por un bien mayor.
- Encontrar un grupo de personas similares en intereses e ímpetu a ti te ayudará a continuar aprendiendo y motivado, incluso si en otras partes de tu vida (como tu trabajo, te enfrentas a cosas difíciles)
- A veces, para aprender, tienes que olvidarte de las ideas que tienes ya y acercarte a un tema con como un vaso vacío
- Crear ciclos de retroalimentación es algo obligatorio para aprender efectivamente
- Encuentra cosas en las que seas débil y enfréntate a ellas
- Profundiza en algo, ve directamente a las fuentes del conocimiento, reconstruye su estructura mental, vuélvete un experto en adquirir conocimiento especializado
Sin duda hay muchas partes del libro que quiero casi tatuarme, pero en algunas partes del libro me dejaron con un mal sabor de boca. Recomendaría leerlo a todo desarrollador de software, pero con la advertencia de que no se tome lo que dice ahí demasiado en serio.
Sin embargo, creo que este libro envejeció un poco mal (¿o siempre fue así?) en el sentido de que habla de algunas personas como "maestros" y actitudes de sacrificio que debes tener que, por lo menos yo, no creo que quepan en ninguna profesión que se haga por dinero. (Sí, el desarrollo de software se hacer por dinero principalmente.)
Me quedo con algunos consejos que quiero buscar aplicar:
- Nunca dejas de aprender aunque lleves mucho mucho tiempo haciendo lo que sea, si en algún momento sientes que ya dejaste de aprender, probablemente lo estás haciendo mal.
- Una forma efectiva de aprender son los experimentos rápidos, sobre los que tengas completo control y además no exista gran responsabilidad sobre ellos (breakable toys).
- Para continuar haciendo algo, necesitas motivaciones sostenibles, a veces es un conjunto que se relevan cuando una falla. Creo que este principio se puede aplicar a cosas que sabemos que debemos hacer por un bien mayor.
- Encontrar un grupo de personas similares en intereses e ímpetu a ti te ayudará a continuar aprendiendo y motivado, incluso si en otras partes de tu vida (como tu trabajo, te enfrentas a cosas difíciles)
- A veces, para aprender, tienes que olvidarte de las ideas que tienes ya y acercarte a un tema con como un vaso vacío
- Crear ciclos de retroalimentación es algo obligatorio para aprender efectivamente
- Encuentra cosas en las que seas débil y enfréntate a ellas
- Profundiza en algo, ve directamente a las fuentes del conocimiento, reconstruye su estructura mental, vuélvete un experto en adquirir conocimiento especializado
Sin duda hay muchas partes del libro que quiero casi tatuarme, pero en algunas partes del libro me dejaron con un mal sabor de boca. Recomendaría leerlo a todo desarrollador de software, pero con la advertencia de que no se tome lo que dice ahí demasiado en serio.