As a development manager, I’ve been looking at the updated edition of Gerald M. Weinberg’s classic book Psychology of Computer Programming.  Despite having been in the IT industry for  the better part of twenty years, this book has still managed to provoke some thought. Particularly with regards to how informal processes can affect organisations.

In addition to the social aspects of software development, the book addresses team dynamics. What makes good programming – for example code readability vs clever solutions. All of which is very important for anyone managing or leading developers, as this will help move a project in the right direction and draw the best out of your team.

The other  aspect of the book that has been of interest is the work in trying to understand what to look for in a developer as I have now been long involved in the interviewing and recruitment process.

I have tried to capture some of the points from this book in mind map which can be found in here.

Tags: Programming software psychology book mindmap recruitment