More Joel on Software: Further Thoughts on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters
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 a feast of Joel’s opinions and impressions on software development, software design, running a software business, and so much more.
Review By: Harmon Avera, Jr.
05/06/2009
The volume of ideas and opinions available on Internet blogs can be overwhelming. Based on my online exploration and that old "wet-ware" filter, one of my personal favorite bloggers is Joel Spolsky at www.JoelOnSoftware.com. When I was asked to review More Joel on Software, I jumped at the chance. Once I started reading it, I could hardly put it down.
This book is a new collection of Spolsky’s blog entries about the software business. It is fun to read and short enough to almost finish it in one sitting. The style is conversational, informative, opinionated, and usually a little humorous. The chapters are a bit of a mish-mash, with everything from finding and keeping good developers to Internet standards (using Martian headsets as an example), and dealing with those pesky customers. He gives his opinion on managing developers and large software projects as well as successfully starting and running a software business. There are even entries explaining social-network features of his company's software and congratulations for his developers for delivering the next software version. His emphasis throughout the book remains on the people issues and human interfaces that create software which is what people pay for and use. He tries to show that managing and developing great software is often more of a social endeavor than an engineering one.
His "Field Guide to Developers" gave me a melancholy chuckle. How many of us work in "cube farms"? Although located in New York City, Spolsky's company actually has offices with windows for his full time developers. The article got me thinking—is it only small private companies that can afford to treat their developers like valued, important people? Then there's his long chapter about setting up his online forum—the small user interface details that drive the way the forum community develops, behaves, and feels. In examining other communities, he describes their history and design decisions, and then explains why he chose to do it differently. You may agree or think he's nuts, but the article can get you questioning your philosophy and assumptions, defending them, figuring out where he's wrong, or maybe changing your mind.
To those of us working in Dilbert-land, More Joel on Software is a fun-to-read breath of fresh air. It's also a hopeful sign that somebody "gets it" about the social aspects of software development and can point to a place, both physical and virtual, to prove it.
Review By: L. John Ribar
05/06/2009
I always like reading a book that reminds me of the things I've learned over the years, and I also like reading a good blog, although finding one is somewhat difficult with the millions currently available. This book combines the best of both. The entries in this book come from Joel Spolsky's blog at www.JoelOnSoftware.com, which I consider a good blog. Joel’s blog and this resulting book is something you can read time after time without losing interest.
The entries in the book, taken from his blog, cover a wide variety of software development topics and is written for "software developers, designers, and managers, and to those who, whether by good fortune or ill luck, work with them in some capacity." After thirty years in the various capacities Joel has worked in, I feel that this book (the second in a series) fulfills the promise.
One of the best things about this book is that there is little information that can be dated. The discussions on hiring and keeping developers are as valid now as they were ten years ago. The advice for programmers-to-be is valuable, though they might cause some interesting discussions if read aloud. For example, Joel says, "What I'd like to claim is that Java is not, generally, a hard enough programming language that it can be used to discriminate between great programmers and mediocre programmers." Articles about project management, starting and maintaining a software business, design of good software interfaces and social networks, and how to manage software releases are well thought out and, while sometimes controversial, a good start on making you think seriously about what you're doing.
The articles are generally short and to the point as you would expect from blog entries. There are a few longer articles, but you can generally read an entry or two while you are waiting for a compile to finish or brewing a new pot of coffee.
Reading this book is like sitting down with a software guru, yet he also sounds like someone who started where you did and built his career into a successful software company. As you read through this book you'll hear him chat about what this profession is really like.
I highly recommend this book if you are a new developer (to give you a taste of what's to come), or a seasoned pro (to give your decisions credibility or give you serious alternates to think about). Even if you don't agree with all that he writes, you will certainly hear his side of the story in good detail. And if something really rankles you, head over to his blog and continue your discussion there.