I am a self-taught programmer. After a year of self-study, I learned to program well enough to land a job as a software engineer II at eBay. Once I got there, I realized I was severely under-prepared. I was overwhelmed by the amount of things I needed to know but hadn't learned yet. My journey learning to program, and my experience at my first job as a software engineer were the inspiration for this book.
This book is not just about learning to program; although you will learn to code. If you want to program professionally, it is not enough to learn to code; that is why, in addition to helping you learn to program, I also cover the rest of the things you need to know to program professionally that classes and books don't teach you. "The Self-taught Programmer" is a roadmap, a guide to take you from writing your first Python program, to passing your first technical interview. I divided the book into six sections:
1. Start to program in Python 3 and build your first program.
2. Learn Object-oriented programming and create a powerful Python program to get you hooked.
3. Learn to use tools like Git, Bash, regular expressions and databases. Then use your new coding skills to build a web scraper.
4. Study Computer Science fundamentals including computer architecture, data structures, algorithms and network programming.
5. Learn to program for production: I cover the software development process, testing, and best coding practices.
6. Finish with tips for working with a team and landing a programming job.
You CAN learn to program professionally. The path is there. Will you take it?
Paperback: 299 pages
Publisher: Independently published (January 24, 2017)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Reviews
"I always keep a few copies of The Self-Taught Programmer around to give to anyone that comes to me for career advice."
- Robin Abrams, Board Member, HCL Technologies, FactSet Research, Lattice Semiconductor and Sierra Wireless
"I am incredibly impressed with this book."
- JoAnn Buchanan, Senior Research Associate, Allen Institute for Brain Science
"Learning to program is increasingly important in finance. Althoff's book taught me the skills I need to stay competitive."
- Derek Schaefer, Senior Finance Manager, Charles Schwab
"The Self-Taught Programmer was a pleasure to read something I never thought I would say about a technical book."
- Melinda Sacks, Former Writer, Editor, San Jose Mercury News
"I started reading this book without any prior experience with programming. I finished with a solid, overview level understanding of the various skills and technologies necessary to work as an entry-level software developer. To get the most out of the book, I recommend:
1) Read the book quickly cover-to-cover, glossing over any confusing parts.
2) Read it again, more slowly, doing every exercise and typing/compiling every line of example code."
- A. C.
About The Author
Cory Althoff is a self-taught programmer and writer. He has worked as a software engineer at eBay, as well as several startups in Silicon Valley, despite majoring in Political Science at Clemson University. When taking a break from programming, you can find him reading and traveling the idea for "The Self-Taught Programmer" originated in the back seat of a taxi in Bali. Currently, he lives in Portland, OR.
No comments:
Post a Comment