Ever wondered why a seasoned software engineer would transition into becoming an author? Meet our guest for today, Andrew Atkinson, a software veteran who is about to launch his book focusing on database operations for Rails developers. Andrew's rich 15-year career as a software engineer has culminated in this exciting new venture, as he peels back the layers of database operations, specifically in the Ruby on Rails landscape. 

In our lively discussion, we delve into the heart of relational databases - comparing the merits of Postgres and MongoDB, and when to use one over the other. Andrew demystifies the assumption that one necessarily needs multiple databases, discussing how Postgres could be potentially used as a catch-all solution. Not stopping there, we journey through the thorny terrain of data synchronization challenges across multiple databases and the treasures of transactional consistency. 

Finally, we discuss the importance of performance optimization in Rails applications and the role of database internals. Andrew dispenses nuggets of wisdom on how to optimize Rails performance and database queries. We also talk about the benefits of strict loading in active record - a key player in avoiding the notorious n plus one query problem. Wrapping up our discussion, Andrew guides us to the Pragmatic Bookshelf where his upcoming book awaits all keen Rails developers. So, lean in and listen, as we uncover layers of database operations that could dramatically level-up your projects.

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Honeybadger is an application health monitoring tool built by developers for developers.

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