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Key benefits

? Read and enjoy the superlative writing and insights of the legendary Max Kanat-Alexander

? Learn and reflect with Max on how to bring simplicity to your software design principles

? Discover the secrets of rockstar programmers and how to also just suck less as a programmer

Description

In Understanding Software, Max Kanat-Alexander, Technical Lead for Code Health at Google, shows you how to bring simplicity back to computer programming. Max explains to you why programmers suck, and how to suck less as a programmer. There’s just too much complex stuff in the world. Complex stuff can’t be used, and it breaks too easily. Complexity is stupid. Simplicity is smart. Understanding Software covers many areas of programming, from how to write simple code to profound insights into programming, and then how to suck less at what you do! You'll discover the problems with software complexity, the root of its causes, and how to use simplicity to create great software. You'll examine debugging like you've never done before, and how to get a handle on being happy while working in teams. Max brings a selection of carefully crafted essays, thoughts, and advice about working and succeeding in the software industry, from his legendary blog Code Simplicity. Max has crafted forty-three essays which have the power to help you avoid complexity and embrace simplicity, so you can be a happier and more successful developer. Max's technical knowledge, insight, and kindness, has earned him code guru status, and his ideas will inspire you and help refresh your approach to the challenges of being a developer.

Who is this book for?

Understanding Software is for every programmer, or anyone who works with programmers. If life is feeling more complex than it should be, and you need to touch base with some clear thinking again, this book is for you. If you need some inspiration and a reminder of how to approach your work as a programmer by embracing some simplicity in your work again, this book is for you. If you’re one of Max’s followers already, this book is a collection of Max’s thoughts selected and curated for you to enjoy and reflect on. If you’re new to Max’s work, and ready to connect with the power of simplicity again, this book is for you!

What you will learn

? See how to bring simplicity and success to your programming world

? Clues to complexity - and how to build excellent software

? Simplicity and software design

? Principles for programmers

? The secrets of rockstar programmers

? Max's views and interpretation of the Software industry

? Why Programmers suck and how to suck less as a programmer

? Software design in two sentences

? What is a bug? Go deep into debugging

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!

Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!

50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.

Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.

Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.

Subscribe now

View plans & pricing

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Amazon verified reviews

Seth Hatlin Oct 13, 2017

Incisive, helpful and vital information for any programmer.

Amazon Verified review

Someone - Oct 24, 2017

This book ROCKS! Compulsively readable, excellent prose, extremely insightful, and yet very simple to understand. You won’t find a better look at the *fundamental* principles underlying software and software design anywhere. And it applies regardless of the language you use—this book will still be useful in 100 years. (A bold claim, I know. Read the book and you’ll see why I say that.)This book isn't about math, or computer science. It's about the practice of software development itself, and how *humans* fit into that (or how they fail to fit). The effects of software design decisions on humans, what it takes to become an excellent developer, what are the real principles underlying debugging anything, how to resurrect a dying codebase—and not just technically, but practically: what are the technical principles that let you accomplish this without being stopped dead by management priorities or bureaucracies?Having read much of the material on the author’s blog, I’m additionally fascinated with how smoothly this book is arranged. I doubt most people would guess that the chapters were not written in just the sequence they’re printed in; the choices made in organizing the material show an incisive grasp not only of software but of pedagogy.In case you're on the fence about getting this book, I will point to my two favorite freely available articles that are also in this book. (There are other parts of the book I like even better that *aren't* freely available, but these two are.) Amazon won't let me post links, so go to "code simplicity dot com" and append "/post/the-fundamental-philosophy-of-debugging/" to the URL for one article, and "/post/make-it-never-come-back/" for the other.If I am ever a manager of a software development team, this book will be number one on the required reading list for the developers working under me.

N. Crandall Jul 02, 2019

Great book. A must read for beginner developers.

Kindle Customer Dec 19, 2017

Have You ever wondered what software development is about? Is it more about technology or about people, or about the process itself?Max Kanat-Alexander opens your mind to taking a look at the software development process from a new perspective.Insightful, helpful and user-friendly

Client d'Amazon Jun 23, 2018

Un livre de "sagesse logicielle", dans la lignée des Robert Martin, très bien structuré et plein de bon sens. L'anglais est facile à lire. Ce livre vous redonnera foi dans le développement, en vous donnant des tas de conseils sur le savoir-faire et le savoir-être en tant qu'ingénieur développement logiciel. Très agréable à lire.

Understanding Software: Max Kanat-Alexander on simplicity, coding, and how to suck less as a programmer

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