I accept that there are some people who are unusually great at coding, who are also able and willing to explain how they do what they do. What I'm skeptical about is how many of them are writing these things ... vs how many of the authors are more like me (aspirational, more or less mean well, and like to hear myself talk).
As for people who conscientiously study "great programmers" without being one of them ... I'm tempted to say (a) This kind of study can obviously be extremely interesting and worthwhile (e.g., Dava Sobel, Tracy Kidder, James Gleick, or John McPhee on scientists and engineers). But (b) It's still obviously going to mostly miss the real point for practitioners, as it isn't actual professional literature. Mostly.
Where did I read this approximate quote? "Earthlings will tell you that they are a race of inspired tool builders. Anyone else can plainly see they are really a race of passionate after-dinner speakers."
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I accept that there are some people who are unusually great at coding, who are also able and willing to explain how they do what they do. What I'm skeptical about is how many of them are writing these things ... vs how many of the authors are more like me (aspirational, more or less mean well, and like to hear myself talk).
As for people who conscientiously study "great programmers" without being one of them ... I'm tempted to say (a) This kind of study can obviously be extremely interesting and worthwhile (e.g., Dava Sobel, Tracy Kidder, James Gleick, or John McPhee on scientists and engineers). But (b) It's still obviously going to mostly miss the real point for practitioners, as it isn't actual professional literature. Mostly.
Where did I read this approximate quote? "Earthlings will tell you that they are a race of inspired tool builders. Anyone else can plainly see they are really a race of passionate after-dinner speakers."