Additional Resources

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Following are additional resources on the human aspects of software development:

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Dijkstra, Edsger. "The Humble Programmer." Turing Award Lecture. Communications of the ACM 15, no. 10 (October 1972): 859 66. This classic paper helped begin the inquiry into how much computer programming depends on the programmer's mental abilities. Dijkstra has persistently stressed the message that the essential task of programming is mastering the enormous complexity of computer science. He argues that programming is the only activity in which humans have to master nine orders of magnitude of difference between the lowest level of detail and the highest. This paper would be interesting reading solely for its historical value, but many of its themes sound fresh decades later. It also conveys a good sense of what it was like to be a programmer in the early days of computer science.

Weinberg, Gerald M. The Psychology of Computer Programming: Silver Anniversary Edition. New York, NY: Dorset House, 1998. This classic book contains a detailed exposition of the idea of egoless programming and of many other aspects of the human side of computer programming. It contains many entertaining anecdotes and is one of the most readable books yet written about software development.

Pirsig, Robert M. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. William Morrow, 1974. Pirsig provides an extended discussion of "quality," ostensibly as it relates to motorcycle maintenance. Pirsig was working as a software technical writer when he wrote ZAMM, and his insightful comments apply as much to the psychology of software projects as to motorcycle maintenance.

Curtis, Bill, ed. Tutorial: Human Factors in Software Development. Los Angeles, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press, 1985. This is an excellent collection of papers that address the human aspects of creating computer programs. The 45 papers are divided into sections on mental models of programming knowledge, learning to program, problem solving and design, effects of design representations, language characteristics, error diagnosis, and methodology. If programming is one of the most difficult intellectual challenges that humankind has ever faced, learning more about human mental capacities is critical to the success of the endeavor. These papers about psychological factors also help you to turn your mind inward and learn about how you individually can program more effectively.

McConnell, Steve. Professional Software Development. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley, 2004. Chapter 7, "Orphans Preferred," provides more details on programmer personalities and the role of personal character.