by Joel Spolsky
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Product Description
Joel, Apress, Blogs, and Blooks
I was learning the hard way about how to be a publisher and probably spending way too much time looking at web sites and programming than I should have in response to that. Anyway, one day I came across this web site called Joel on Software, which was run by a guy with strong opinions and an unusual, clever writing style, along with a willingness to take on the conventional wisdom. In particular, he was writing this ongoing series about how bad most user interfaces were—mostly because programmers by and large knew, as Joel and I would say, using the same Yiddish–derived NYC vernacular that we both share, “bupkis” about what users really want. And I, like many, was hooked both by the series and the occasional random essay that Joel wrote. And then I had this epiphany: I'm a publisher, I like reading his stuff, why not turn it into a book?
Read the complete Foreword — Gary Cornell, Cofounder, Apress Since the release of the bestselling title Joel on Software in 2004, requests for a sequel have been relentless. So, we went back to the famed JoelonSoftware.com archives and pulled out a new batch of favorites, many of which have been downloaded over one million times. With Joel’s newest book, More Joel on Software, you’ll get an even better (not to mention updated) feast of Joel’s opinions and impressions on software development, software design, running a software business, and so much more. This is a new selection of essays from the author’s web site, http://www.joelonsoftware.com. Joel Spolsky started his web log in March 2000 in order to offer his insights, based on years of experience, on how to improve the world of programming. This web log has become infamous among the programming world, and is linked to more than 600 other web sites and translated into 30+ languages! Spolsky’s extraordinary writing skills, technical knowledge, and caustic wit have made him a programming guru. With the success of Joel on Software, there has been a strong demand for additional gems and advice, and this book is the answer to those requests. Containing a collection of all–new articles from the original, More Joel on Software has even more of an edge than the original, and the tips for running a business or managing people have far broader application than the software industry. We feel it is safe to say that this is the most useful book you will buy this year. What you’ll learn - The best approaches to managing and hiring extraordinary people
- Advice for those interested in the software industry as a career and for managers who want to get them
- Joel’s unique impressions of how to create products and design—good and bad
- An “in the trenches” look at how to start and run an effective software business (or any business for that matter)
- A true sense of what it takes to create a differentiated, unique, motivated organization
Who is this book for? Anyone interested in the software business will truly enjoy this book, but in particular this should be required reading for managers of technical businesses.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Joel rocks!, 2008-09-02
I have been subscribing to his email list for quite a while, and he always entertains you *and* makes you think.
This book is composed of his collected writings from his website. I'm posting this review mostly to counteract the "1" rating given by the person who didn't realize that, even though it says so in the description of the book......
4 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
 Don't waste your money (like I did), 2008-08-12
This is cut and paste from the Joel on Software Blog.
I just finished reading "Smart and Gets Things Done" by the same author and about a quarter of that book is in here.
What a waste of money! If you think this guy has good ideas, save your money and read the blog instead.
I felt ripped off buying this book after just reading "Smart and Gets Thinks Done" as it's a cut and paste from that book into this one.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Worth Rereading, 2008-08-07
Since I've been reading joelonsoftware for the past two years, a lot of this was already familiar to me, but it was well worth rereading. Some of the essays were old enough and I hadn't come by links to them so they were new to me, but not many. Most of the first part Managing People was already published in Joel's Smart and Gets Things Done.
Anyone even considering working on shrink-wrap software, especially in a small company, should read this book. (Anyone considering consultingware should especially read the last chapter; it will convince you not to, unless you are a masochist.)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
He'll definitely challenge a few of your industry practices and beliefs..., 2008-07-06
If you're a fan of the website Joel On Software, you will enjoy having so many of his postings in a single volume. More Joel on Software: Further Thoughts on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters That Will Prove of Interest to Software Developers, Designers, and ... Luck, Work with Them in Some Capacity by Joel Spolsky takes a number of his blog postings over the last six years and presents in a context that was unavailable as they unfold over time. This aspect of book over blog allows him to consolidate thoughts or explain the evolution of concepts that he's experienced as one of the A-list bloggers in the tech community.
Contents:
Part 1 - Managing People: My first BillG Review; Finding Great Developers; A Field Guide to Developers; Three Management Methods (Introduction); The Command and Control Management Method; The Econ 101 Management Method; The Identity Management Method
Part 2 - Advice to Potential Programmers: The Perils of JavaSchools; Talk at Yale; Advice for Computer Science College Students
Part 3 - The Impact of Design: Font Smoothing, Anti-Aliasing, and Subpixel Rendering; A Game of Inches; The Big Picture; Choices = Headaches; It's Not Just Usability; Building Communities with Software
Part 4 - Managing Large Projects: Martian Headsets; Why Are the Microsoft Office File Formats So Complicated? (And Some Workarounds); Where There's Muck, There's Brass
Part 5 - Programming Advice: Evidence-Based Scheduling; Strategy Letter VI; Can Your Programming Language Do This?; Making Wrong Code Look Wrong
Part 6 - Starting a Software Business: Forward to Eric Sink on the Business of Software; Forward to Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality; Hitting the High Notes
Part 7 - Running a Software Business: Bionic Office; Up the Tata Without a Tutu; Simplicity; Rub a Dub Dub; Top Twelve Tips for Running a Beta Test; Seven Steps to Remarkable Customer Service
Part 8 - Releasing Software: Picking a Ship Date; Camels and Rubber Duckies
Part 9 - Revising Software: Five Whys; Set Your Priorities
Index
The thing that either resonates with or infuriates you about Spolsky is that he has very strong opinions that don't always mesh with the "common practice" of our industry. For instance, he has some extremely defined ideas about what all programmers should be able to do, and most of them are only possible as the result of a computer science degree. He only wants "great developers", and these developers are only going to come out of high-end college programs. While he might only hire those who fall into that classification, the reality is that the industry is far more populated with solid and competent developers who don't work on code for software products that are designed to be released as saleable products. He would consider a development job in a regular company a life of hell. On the other hand, some of us like it. :)
But not all the topics are controversial. Some articles shed light on common industry problems, like "Martian Headsets" (backward compatibility) and "Why Are The Microsoft Office File Formats So Complicated?". It's easy to bash Microsoft for bloated and buggy software, but you start to understand a bit more after reading that last one. With popularity comes legacy, and with legacy comes compatibility and general nastiness. "Martian Headsets" also explains the "no win" situation Microsoft is in when it comes to IE8 and "standards". They're raked for not supporting strict standards, yet most existing sites would fail to render under a browser that adhered to strict standards. So do you bow to reality and accommodate quirks, or do you stick to ideals and break sites? It's not an easy argument...
More Joel on Software is a book that will challenge you on a few things that you thought you probably already knew. You won't agree with him on everything, but it's always good to be forced to think...
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