Book Review: Masterminds of Programming

Masterminds of Programming is a collection of interviews with
"Creators of Major Programming Languages." It is edited by Federico
Biancuzzi and Shane Warden, and was published by O'Reilly and
Associates in 2009. It is organized based on the language, with each
of the 17 chapters containing an interview with the creator, or
creators in some cases. It covers a wide variety of languages,
including compiled languages like C++ and Objective C, interpreted
languages like Python and Perl, and even UML.

My review for the impatient reader:

Why I picked it up: It promised insight from a collection of
programming language inventors.

Why I finished it: Although there was less depth than I expected,
it was interesting to see how divergent the interviewees' opinions are
on some topics.

I'd give it to: A serious programmer who has been working for a
few years and is ready to grow beyond the usual "how to" books and is
looking for a more contemplative book.

Read more ...

Sample Chapter via iTunes Store

I just downloaded a copy of Chapter 1 ("Text") from The Python
Standard Library By Example straight to my iPod Touch. It is a
different chapter than is available from the Addison-Wesley page I
mentioned here previously. The 317 pages in the sample include the
table of contents and index along with the full text of chapter 1,
covering the string, textwrap, re, and difflib modules.

Check it out via the iTunes Store

"The Python Standard Library By Example" available via Safari Books Online

The full version of The Python Standard Library By Example is now available through Safari Books Online. As I announced in February, the "rough cuts" edition was posted before final editing was complete. The final edition is now available for Safari subscribers.

DRM-free eBook of "The Python Standard Library By Example" Available Now

When you order directly from Addison-Wesley, The Python Standard
Library By Example is available in EPUB and PDF format
unencumbered by DRM. There are no passwords or locked files, just
a personalized watermark. The eBook can be purchased by itself, or in
a bundle with the physical book.

the book has landed

It's going to take me a while to get used to seeing it next to some of these other names on the shelf.

Sample Chapter for "The Python Standard Library By Example"

Addison-Wesley has posted a PDF of Chapter 2, "Data Structures," from The Python Standard Library By Example. The file contains 145 pages covering the collections, array, heapq, bisect, Queue, struct, weakref, copy, and pprint modules. It also includes the table of contents and index from the complete book, for reference.