Book Review: Apprenticeship Patterns

I finally finished reading the book “Apprenticeship Patterns – Guidance for the aspiring Software Craftsman”. It took me about 2 months to finish it, because I don’t have enough time to read it, usually I read it at waiting time for the Go train.

This book changes my strategy of my career path. If you want to become a master of software craftsman, then you should focus on improving your craft, not on promotion, not on money. This is a long road.

“sustainable motivations”
You need to keep motivate yourself, nurture your passion, beware don’t let yourself trapped into Golden Lock:" I'd like to learn something new ,but what I already know pays too well."

You need to find a better company, better job, team and co-worker. Love your job, do what your love, then money will follow. Money itself is not the goal, it is just the byproduct along the road to master. It gives me an insight that you should focus on finding the job that you truly love and passionate, even if it is low pay, because once you have the passion, you will generate creativity and energy, then it will generate the money for you. Another great example is Steve Jobs, in his commencement address to Standford’s class of 2005, he said: “You've got to find what you love “..., “Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

This book helps me reinforce the understanding of the patterns, the author draws quite a few maps, connecting different patterns, then I realize the importance of the map, because it reveals the connections and relationship of each pattern. It inspire me that pattern itself is important, but also the connections. We should not only focus on each pattern itself, but also their relationship to other patterns.
Those patterns seems simple, it give ms an insight that yourself can find your own pattern if you think deliberately.

My favorite patterns in the book are:

• Be the worst
• The white belt
• Nurture your passion

My personal goal is finding the Tao of programming, which is the right way of software developing, so go from apprentice to master is a must path for me.

I have another blog about this book: My personal practice map.