What are the best programming books published in 2008?
I was a bit disappointed by this book. For a start there are only about 50 pages of real content (I didn't find the railroad diagrams or API docs at all useful). Also, a lot of the examples seem gratuitously complex, as though the author is using the book as an opportunity to show what "clever" code he can write.
Don
2010-02-08 05:13:46
@Don " 50 pages of real content" - well it did say only the <good> parts, finding 50pages worth must have been a challenge ;-)
Martin Beckett
2010-06-22 17:46:24
meh, it's not as good as the one where he includes other peoples writings.
drozzy
2010-02-04 18:04:27
+2
A:
This is probably going to get me marked down, but how about 2008 has been kind of a blah year as far as pure programming books go. There hasn't been anything that really has crossed the line yet of better than what has been.
The really juicy stuff has more tended to be from the better blogs. Of course I have found myself reading much more into leadership, psychology, and statistics more than programming.
Dan Blair
2008-08-21 05:38:25
+2
A:
Drakiula
2008-08-26 18:22:34
none of those were published in 2008, exceptional C++ was last century!
Martin Beckett
2010-06-22 17:52:12
+11
A:
Jon Skeet's C# in Depth is quite good! I just finished reading CLR via C# thrid edition, and couldn't find more praise to give it. It is such a well written book and you can learn so much by reading it, I couldn't recommend it more.
cgreeno
2009-01-06 20:33:17
Am I allowed to vote this up myself, or woud that just be too awful? (I would hope that 2008 heralded at least one book which was better than "quite good" though :)
Jon Skeet
2009-01-06 20:43:41
A:
I liked Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell a lot.
I think it applies to coders with it's 10,000 hour theory based on how much time we spend behind the keyboard.
This theory in a lot of ways it states the obvious.
Spend a lot of time on something and you'll gradually build the experience and network to seize opportunities, and be able to see patterns that others can't.
What I liked about it is it showed that perspiration really does overcome anything and that's never a bad reminder.
Jas Panesar
2009-01-06 20:42:24
Gladwell's hustle is amazing. This idea isn't his by any stretch of the imagination, and he's getting all the credit.
Triptych
2009-01-06 20:54:26
I liked Tipping Point a lot, but Blink opened my eyes and made me think more than TP.
kenny
2009-01-07 11:26:23
read that a few weeks ago. Gladwell is good to read but I doubt that some of his suggestions would stand up to detailed examination and testing.
alexmac
2009-01-07 12:02:19
+12
A:
Easily, Real World Haskell would be the best programming book for 2008. It's not yet another "Learn how to use Spring + XML + Java to make Super Cool Websites" book. It's mind expanding, well written, and teaches you to do real world things in a way that proves that functional programming and Haskell in particular aren't just for academics.
Travis B. Hartwell
2009-01-06 20:58:56
+4
A:
Robert C. Martin's Clean Code and Neal Ford's The Productive Programmer
Frank Grimm
2009-01-06 21:02:51
+1
A:
As a person without a degree in Computer Science, I have enjoyed Algorithms in a Nutshell from O'Reilly.
David in Dakota
2009-01-06 22:23:36
+1
A:
Javascript: The Good Parts was a hell of a book for people who, well, need to use Javascript.
Triptych
2009-01-06 22:27:14
+4
A:
jQuery in Action - By Bear Bibeault, Yehuda Katz and Foreword by John Resig
Adeel Ansari
2009-01-07 08:45:39
+1
A:
this has to be Concurrent Programming in Windows which is awesome, followed by Linq in Action
pezi_pink_squirrel
2009-01-07 10:08:18
A:
Framework Design Guidelines: Conventions, Idioms, and Patterns for Reusable .NET Libraries (2nd Edition) was just released during PDC2008 and its authors, architects on the .Net framework, had a nice session that you can view online.
That book is a goldmine of best practice and real-world experience on the best practical ways to develop reusable software.
Renaud Bompuis
2009-01-07 11:44:31
+1
A:
The best programming book of 2008, IMO, is The Ruby Programming Language, published by O'Reilly. Regardless of whether you're a fan of Ruby, this book is one of the finest pieces of technical writing that I have ever laid eyes on.
splicer
2009-04-03 09:31:36
A:
I'm going to have to plump for C# in Depth by the omnipotent one, Jon Skeet. It's compact yet incredibly indepth, and you feel compelled to reread it multiple times to fully grasp the knowledge Jon's imparting.
Along with Fritz Onion's ASP.NET books I consider it an essential for .NET developers.
Derek Lawless
2009-04-03 09:39:02
A:
Regarding "More Joel on Software" book.
CRITICS
I like the way Joel ruined Microsoft by derailing their MacroMan, saying in his book that there is no way to display logic graphically. He probably didn't know (probably missed ASM and codes while beeing in army) that there IS graphical algorythmic way to display logic.
Very interesting part is about microsoft inside structure, book is good for managers. Showing patterns and antipatterns. In particular "captain in engine room", just it doesn't require to expalain it in whole chapter. Although I understand why, there will no be 350 pages in this book and his blog wouldn't be so popular if he would trying to shorten his ideas and fit them in short sentences. Interesting facts are about Hungarian Notation. Everybody got to understand that "More Joel on Software" is commercial project advertising Joels blog, especially part on where to post $350 advertisements. Joel is a clever guy we should admit it. The fact that there is no pirated "More Joel on Software" book says that books isn't really demanded by people.
Also book caused to much brain collapse for me, that is my own experience.
Very good for improving english skills though.
thank you Joel and apress.com, I've spent 17 bucks on improving my english.
MacroMan rest in peace. Maybe Microsoft would make Delphi etc stuff much earlier, and we got to say special thanks to Joel for not allowing them, by annoying.
Also Joels is proud of that nobody left his company during six years, because he is so clever and treats them like slaves (children) not giving them salary, but giving them food. That is pretty great idea. Should be copyrighted by Joel.
Patent Pending request in Global Government on how to treat coders so they don't run away and build their own company.
Nazari K. 2010, C.I.S.
nazar kuliyev
2010-07-07 22:47:11
A:
Agile Web Development with Rails, 4th Edition by Sam Ruby is a good book. Especially for someone switching/playing/working with Ruby from .NET or Java.
http://pragprog.com/titles/rails4/agile-web-development-with-rails-4th-edition
Kris Krause
2010-07-07 22:57:14