I haven't previously added any computer-related books here, but I'm making an exception for this book as it's really more about people than computers, and most of all, because it's read as a normal book, straight through.

It's enlightening hearing 14 awesome programmers reflect on various things they've learned over their careers, see how many things are shared by all of them, and think about the wildly contrasting opinions they have on other things. It's also nice to know they still need that unique rush you get from programming, even after 50+ years of doing it for some of them. It really is an awesome field to work in.

But the book is more than that. While reading it, almost immediately I had to grab a notepad and a pen to start scribbling down TODO items for myself to look up / do things they were talking about. Some of them I have known about for a long time but have never had the energy to actually do, some were brand new to me, but all of them, once I get around to doing them, will improve me as a software developer. So in addition to being first-class entertainment, the book also serves as an inspirational coach.

You may wonder why I said "14" before when the book actually has interviews with 15 people. That's because only 14 of them actually fit the title of the book, "Coders At Work", and only 14 of them actually talk about the craft of coding, how they do it, why they like it, why they think they're good at it, and so on.

The remaining person is not famous for any programming achievements, admits to never being a good programmer to begin with, switched to a management position very early on, has not coded in over three decades, and talks about everything else but the actual subject of the book in the interview.

So why was this person included in the book, you ask? Because instead of having XY chromosomes, this person has XX chromosomes.

Nobody dislikes the lack of women in programming more than me, but facts are facts, and if the author was unable to find a female person to fit the book's profile then he should've been content with an all-male cast instead of clumsily putting in a token female who doesn't fit the book's chosen topic at all.