The legendary Bruce Eckel on language design, effects, abstraction, concurrency, and so much more

The Pragmatic Programmer is a book that centers on how to use software to solve problems effectively and how to grow as a developer pragmatically. It was first published in 1999 and a 20th Anniversary Edition was released in 2019. The book emphasizes key qualities such as being an early adopter, having fast adaptation, inquisitiveness, critical thinking, realism, and being a jack-of-all-trades. It uses analogies and short stories to present development methodologies and caveats, including concepts like DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It), and rubber duck debugging. The book covers topics such as writing clean code, estimating software delivery, instituting change, combating stagnancy, and making software processes resilient and efficient through automation and testing.

In this novel, Paolo Bacigalupi explores a grim future where genetically engineered crops and bio-engineered plagues have ravaged the world. The story centers around Anderson Lake, a 'Calorie Man' for AgriGen, and Emiko, the Windup Girl, an engineered being abandoned in Bangkok. The novel delves into themes of corporate greed, environmental disaster, and the struggle for survival in a world dominated by calorie companies and genetic manipulation. The setting is a dystopian Thailand, where tensions between different factions and the impact of bio-terrorism shape the lives of the characters.

"Thinking in Java" is a comprehensive guide to object-oriented programming and Java, suitable for both beginners and experienced programmers. Bruce Eckel emphasizes a deep understanding of the language's underlying principles. The book covers topics such as data structures, concurrency, and design patterns. It is praised for its clear explanations, practical examples, and insightful advice. "Thinking in Java" equips readers with the knowledge and skills to develop robust and maintainable Java applications.