Book Review: Think Like a Programmer

Author: V Anton Spraul
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Publisher: No Starch Press (August 8, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1593274246
ISBN-13: 978-1593274245

I'll give No Starch and Amazon the benefit of the doubt and say that any understanding about the intent, purpose, and function of the book are mine. Spraul's Think Like a Programmer really wasn't quite what I thought it would be.

Let me explain.

One of the issues with learning how to program, as the author rightly states, "isn't learning a language's syntax—it's learning to creatively solve problems so you can build something great." More to the point for me, it's learning the thought process that's used by the programmer. What makes it easy for one person to pick up a book on a language such as JavaScript or, for the sake of this book, C++ and start useful programming in a relatively short period of time, while another person who seems equally intelligent always gets stuck at a particular point in the learning process?

Besides the willingness to practice and sometimes be virtually obsessed with programming, it's the ability to conceptualize the idea of programming, and probably the world in general, in a very specific way. I think this is what makes some people great artists while others can barely doodle. Your brain is just "wired" to program (or draw or doodle). However, that doesn't mean people who don't consider the process of programming (as opposed to the process of learning and using a specific language) intuitive can't learn to program, at least to a degree. It just means that the non-intuitive "programmer" needs to learn to think in a particular way by training and practice rather than just "getting it" naturally.

I mentioned before that some people are just intuitively artistic, but I also learned many years ago from Dan O'Neill and The Big Yellow Drawing Book, that anyone can be taught to draw. It doesn't mean anyone can be turned into a Picasso, but they can learn to be reasonably competent, as long as they follow a certain order of steps and practice regularly. That's how I imagined Spraul's book would present learning to think like a programmer.

O'Neill's book doesn't assume anything except that the person using it can see six inches in front of them and hold a pencil. Alas, Spraul's book is based on the assumption that the reader has some programming experience and specifically with C++. Since Spraul is advertised as having "taught introductory programming and computer science for more than 15 years," it seemed reasonable to assume that the book was a very beginning programming book or better yet, a "pre-programming" book where the reader is taught to think like a programmer and to learn introductory programming simultaneously.

That's my fault, I suppose. In order to even use the book to its fullest extent, you have to have some basic knowledge in compiled programming languages in general and C++ in specific (I know just enough JavaScript and Python to get my face slapped, as the saying goes..I don't know from C++ from jack). Before that, you have to know set up a compiler so you can even run your code (assuming you know how to code anything in C++). So if (like me) you thought Spraul's book would be a beginner's book on coding and thinking like a coder...oops.

Now for the good news. The book will probably hone your programming problem solving skills or even help you hone your puzzle solving skills...but again, if you are a C++ newbie, you will probably be out of luck. OK, I know that writing a book that is language agnostic or without referencing a programming language at all is probably impossible. You can't teach the thought process behind programming in isolation from doing actual programming. But (and I'm sure Spraul would disagree with me on this, but I'm the newbie here) there were two errors (in my humble opinion as the reviewer) made before the writing of this book ever started. The first was the choice of programming language and the second was requiring that the reader have prior knowledge of that language. Something like JavaScript or Python would have been a better choice (for all I know, Spraul is more comfortable teaching C++ but who knows?). They require virtually no set up on a computer and are considered more "beginning" programming languages. Also (again, in my opinion), it wouldn't be quite so challenging for a total newbie who also isn't an "intuitive programmer" to pick up either language for the sake of learning problem solving.

Beyond that, teaching problem solving isn't exactly the same as teaching a thought process. How do programmers think differently than non-programmers? Can the difference be taught to non-programmers who want to learn to program (if not for money, then for fun)? With all due respect to Spraul, who I'm sure is a cracker jack teacher, programmer, and a wonderful human being, I don't think this book teaches that to the non-programmer audience. The "disconnect" may be between the process of teaching programming in the classroom, where the student has plenty of support, including any introductory technical set up required for the language being used, and picking up a book and teaching yourself not only programming, but "how to think like a programmer."

The "dream book" for non-programmer newbies to learn to successfully program has yet to be written.