Writings by Robert L. Read

Front Cover

Back Cover

Spine

Synopsis

This long essay attempts to summarize the non-technical things that I wish someone had explained to me at the beginning of my career as a professional programmer. It is primarily concerned with social situations and team relationships that occur in typical software development. I try to cover what I consider the essential, often non-techncial, skills of the beginning, intermediate and advanced programmer. The essay gives my opinions only; its value lies in that the material is so subjective that it is generally not taught in school directly or emphasized enough in publications. It begins with a table of contents that will allow the reader to judge their interest in the material. To the beginner, it may be a peek into the culture of the software engineer; to the advanced programmer, it is an opinionated review that I hope will provoke thought due to its comprehensiveness.