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Apprenticeship Pattern “Read Constantly”

The apprenticeship pattern I decided to choose for this week’s blog was “Read Constantly.” It was somewhat self-explanatory, but I thought it had some good insights nonetheless.

It recommended reading books over blogs. I would imagine that this is the right course of action from researching blogs last semester. All the material was good and informative, but many times when the host was interviewing someone, it felt like a summary of what could be a very interesting book. There’s only so much that can be gained from a blog post or a podcast. The things that you learn from those can be valuable, but it is better to go deeper when possible. Even if you have a very wide base of knowledge, it will only get you so far when you only scratch the surface.

The quote at the very beginning, from Steve McConnell, says that if you read a good programming book every other month, you will distinguish yourself from your peers. This seems like a worthwhile task, and frankly it is very doable. He chalks this up to be 35 pages a week, which is less than many reading assignments for school. Those don’t take me very long and aren’t very hard. It would be helpful to read more supplemental material, especially on break and after I graduate.

I haven’t read any research papers in this field, but that sounds like something I should start thinking about doing, especially when I pursue a graduate program. It recommends reading some at least every once in a while.

It also recommends keeping a slim book to fill dead time throughout the day. I think this is a good idea, especially when something can be overwhelming. It’s like the old adage of how to eat an elephant — one bite at a time. Or in this case, one page at a time and whenever you have a moment.

This is something that I’ve been trying on my own in general as well. When I was younger, I was an incredibly avid reader, and I’ve slowly gotten out of the habit as I’ve gotten older. I would like to read more of everything. I think it is a mark of a well-rounded and intelligent person to be well read.

It was a new year’s resolution to read more. I have been trying read a few chapters everyday of something, which has mostly been non-technical so far. I’m going to to change that and start adding more material that will not just better me as a person but better me as a software engineer.
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