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Discuss this Chapter!
Joshua Kerievsky, [knowledge_hydrant]
Discover the great literature in your profession or area of interest -- the finest books, articles, and speeches ever written -- and then begin an earnest study of these works.
Context: You are self-taught or experienced a highly practical education that valued skills training over theory.
Problem: The experienced people you collaborate with are constantly referencing concepts such as "Brooks' law" from books that they assume you have read, books they assume that any self-respecting software developer has read.
Solution: Chapter 4, Expose Your Ignorance and ask about the unknown concept and which book it came from. Add this book to your Chapter 32, Reading List.
Joshua Kerievsky once asked Jerry Weinberg how he keeps up with all the books that come out. Jerry said, "Easy -- I only read the great ones." [refactoring_to_patterns] (page 33). By Chapter 34, Read Constantly and Chapter 29, Reflect As You Work, you will, Like Jerry, eventually be able to "only read the good ones". When you pick up a book and the first thing you wonder is "how out-of-date is this?", that's a sign that you're reading the wrong sorts of book. Successful apprentices tend to focus on "long-lived books" and use the web or experimentation to learn about the books that become out of date within a few years of their publication. Dave remembers vividly the experience of reading his first classic in this field, [psychology_of_computer_programming], and marveling at the how relevant the book felt, despite the stories of punchcards and room-size computers. The wisdom captured in these classics is vital information to keep you on the correct trajectory along Chapter 9, The Long Road.
One danger of focusing on the classics is taking it too far and abandoning the more pragmatic knowledge and information that enables you to improve your day-to-day craftsmanship. Be sure to intermingle classics with modern, pragmatic books and/or articles in your Chapter 32, Reading List.
