The Best Software Writing

I just finished reading The Best Software Writing, selected and introduced by Joel Spolsky. Many of you may have already finished this book, as it has been out for a couple of months, but if you haven’t, and you would like to consider yourself current with what people have to say about software, you should buy this book and read it today.

The essays in the book are taken from blogs or speeches that Joel found to be provocative, interesting, or just plain fun. They are all well written, and give the reader something to think about. It was a quick read, and kept my interest. One can easily tell when I am enjoying a book as it ends up being filled with post-it flags on the pages where something is said that resonates with me, and this book was no exception. I started the book while camping last weekend, and when we got home I was told that no one wanted to hear any more of the ‘geek jokes’. Oh well, it’s their loss.

I come away from The Best Software Writing with a laundry list of things to think about:

• ’Best Practices’ in software development


• The contrast between ‘developers’ and ‘programmers’


• Social software in the context of the modern internet


• Ideas for what makes good team leadership and product development


• What makes for engaging, informative, and entertaining writing on software