Blog post #3

  

Winter break reading

Hello again! I was having my winter break, so it has been a while since my last post. During my free time, I had time to read some literature and decided to introduce you to one specific chapter. I chose this chapter because I consider myself a pragmatic person and wanted to find out how I could utilize that feature in this field. And after reading that I think that it might be beneficial to you too!

In the first chapter of The Pragmatic Programmer (1999), Andrew Hunt and David Thomas emphasize a philosophy of thoughtful, informed, and balanced decision-making in software development. The chapter is titled “A pragmatic philosophy” and sets the basis of the qualities of pragmatic thinking that you can turn in your favor when writing a code.

Some main points are the importance of taking responsibility and critical thinking, which I believe are fundamental qualities for anyone with common sense to have in everyday life. In the first chapter they point out other important points and tips like Broken Window Theory, emphasizing the importance of promptly fixing or at least addressing minor issues to prevent software rot and maintain a high-quality codebase. And putting out fires: maintaining high standards in software development prevents decline. Pretty self-explanatory but backs up the theme of the chapter.

The Stone Soup and Boiled Frog analogies were the parts that resonated with me the most. The Stone Soup story illustrates how small, strategic steps can catalyze collaboration and progress, while the Boiled Frog analogy warns against failing to notice slow, creeping problems that can lead to disaster. I enjoy these kinds of educational stories that make you think and leave a memory trace. Yet other useful things to keep in mind.

In the preface, Hunt and Thomas make a bold statement claiming that this book will help you become a better programmer. I am not sure if I can agree to that by reading just one chapter of the book, but I can say that pragmatic thinking truly does that.

The book is easy to read, not too serious and does not use too many complex expressions, although I learned a few new words when reading it. Maybe I have to admit that I must read more this kind of texts to keep achieving my English learning goals. To wrap things up, I can recommend reading this book, or at least this chapter, if you are interested in improving your way of thinking. It is surely beneficial not only for coding, but also for everyday life.

From the perspective of my English learning goals, this was a very rewarding week. Funny how I often forget that reading improves reading skills.


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