Self Help, or No Help At All

08/19/2004

I recently read an anonymous review of our first book, The Pragmatic Programmer, where the reviewer complained that it wasn’t very technical and “teeters dangerously on the edge of a self-help guide.” It doesn’t teeter, it is a self-help guide.

What the reviewer doesn’t yet grasp is that if it weren’t for self-help, you wouldn’t get any help at all.

If you haven’t noticed, for the most part your company is not incented to help your career at all (in fact, they are the ones most likely trying to outsource your job to someone/somewhere cheaper).

The government isn’t going to step in and save your job or your career. They’ve got enough problems as it is (including barring Ted Kennedy from flying, as it appears he’s an imminent terrorist threat. I will resist all manner of comments on THAT one…)

Vendors just want to sell you the latest, over-stuffed, buggy version of their product. So who does that leave?

You.

And frankly, given the track record of all those other interested parties, I think you’re far better off that way.