Apprenticeship Patterns. Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye has been lying on my bookshelf for quite a while. I expected a largely repetitive, buzz-driven soft read. It turned out to be quite a surprise.

Yes, Apprenticeship Patterns is a book about software craftsmanship. However, it’s very far from what wannabe-craftsmen say: “We’re all artists, why don’t people admire us like we deserve it.” Actually, it’s the exact opposite.

Learning is a very long road. Accept your ignorance as you begin, seek sources to learn from, kindred spirits or mentors. Get your hands dirty and learn by practice. Work with people, code breakable toys, read constantly, and practice, practice, practice. It’s only your responsibility to learn and improve your skills, diversify, and deepen your knowledge. Don’t repeat the buzz, but get your hands dirty and get to work. Finally, share what you learned with those behind you on the path and create communities where people can motivate each other and learn together. And don’t lose your motivation and goals along the road.

Now, the previous paragraph does look pretty fluffy. That’s just a birds-eye view, and those tend out to lack detail. The book itself is very down-to-earth, “dirty” and concrete. It’s an inspiring collection of thoughts, ideas and tricks on self-improvement.

I’ve seen quite a few talks and read a few articles on craftsmanship, and none of them was anywhere near as concrete and complete as this book. It doesn’t only apply to software. In fact, I believe it largely applies to any other area that involves learning in our life.

Highly recommended.