Name: The psychology of computer programming
ISBN: 9780932633422

The psychology of computer programming

This landmark 1971 classic is reprinted with a new preface, chapter-by-chapter commentary, and straight-from-the-heart observations on topics that affect the professional life of programmers. Long regarded as one of the first books to pioneer a people-oriented approach to computing, The Psychology of Computer Programming endures as a penetrating analysis of the intelligence, skill, teamwork, and problem-solving power of the computer programmer. Finding the chapters strikingly relevant to today's issues in programming, Gerald M. Weinberg adds new insights and highlights the similarities and differences between now and then. Using a conversational style that invites the reader to join him, Weinberg reunites with some of his most insightful writings on the human side of software engineering. Topics include egoless programming, intelligence, psychological measurement, personality factors, motivation, training, social problems on large projects, problem-solving ability, programming language design, team formation, the programming environment, and much more. The author says, "On an inspired eight-week vacation in Italy, I wrote the first draft of The Psychology of Computer Programming.... the book quickly became a best-seller among technical titles, running through more than twenty printings and staying in print for twenty-five years....

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JachAug 2026

This is my objection as well. His talk last year on OOP was heavily focused purely on the style of OOP that led to C++'s version. It completely ignored everything else going on outside that historical thread. As history it was interesting but doesn't inform much outside of a C++ view of the world and it missed so much relevant history about OOP more generally.

While I suspect he could do research, he also just isn't personally experienced in large tracts of SWE culture as others. Others have worked a far larger variety of jobs in the software industry and thus tend to have a broader idea of the cultures and how they've evolved. In a recent clip I saw of him and others discussing how BS are various phrases engineers say (the root of all evil phrase being one of them), he hadn't heard of the YAGNI acronym/idea before. That's no fault on him, programmers live in different worlds. But regardless of one's feelings about such ideas, or whether they've heard of them or not, a history of SWE would have to cover them and the schools of thought that originated them. And this is just one minor thing in living memory and recent careers, there is so much from before he was born that has to be researched and if possible also talked about with the older practitioners who are still around and remember things. If you don't already have some awareness of things that should be covered in a history, whether from personal experience or just general curiosity about history that has led you to see such things before somewhere, the only hope is further research uncovering them, and I don't trust his researching that much.

Reading The Psychology of Computer Programming from the 70s was such an interesting read for me from a historical perspective as well as being able to see how some ideas they were thinking about back then came to fruition in some way or another. (e.g. Stack Overflow.) It's just one small part of history. A "complete" history as the top comment suggests would be better as a multi-author endeavor, would probably need many books, and that's if it could be done at all. In the meantime at least one can always go read primary sources and develop an idea of the history on one's own.

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datadrivenangelJul 2026

One of the best pieces of work in this genre is Gerald Weinberg's the psychology of computer programming.

https://geraldmweinberg.com/Site/Programming_Psychology.html

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pjmorrisJul 2026

And if that book doesn't appeal, Dr.Weinberg (he'd prefer 'Jerry' though) has an entire sub-genre of really useful books on humans doing software development. Three other favorites: 'How to Become a Technical Leader', the four-volume 'Quality Software Management', and the click-bait-titled but terrific 'The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving & Getting Advice Successfully'.

He joined IBM in the 50's, led the design of the telemetry system for NASA's Mercury project in the 60's, aimed to put humans at the center of software development with 'The Psychology of Computer Programming', and spent the rest of his life working on helping people do software development well together. IMO, any time you spend digging in to his large catalog will be well repaid.

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btillyNov 2025

Code Complete is my favorite, hands down. The Psychology of Computer Programming was also very much worth the read.

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JtsummersMay 2025

Somehow it didn't surprise me when I saw Gerald Weinberg's name on the list of producers. His book The Psychology of Computer Programming touches on this and related topics, especially how to study what works and doesn't in programming or programming in teams.

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JtsummersJan 2025

Donella Meadows' "Leverage Points" (also a chapter in her book Thinking in Systems: A Primer), particularly the #1 one (transcending paradigms), addresses some aspects of this. To relate to this essay, freeing yourself from the idea that structurelessness is what you need, or a strict hierarchy at the other extreme, or anything in between. After that, you're free to actually develop and select good ideas and trial ideas without being constrained by your initial paradigm and the magical thinking associated with locking yourself into a paradigm.

In the software world, check out Weinberg's The Psychology of Computer Programming which touches on these ideas (more about how to look at and examine systems, not prescriptive). The book was more of a starting point (or intended as such) so it's hardly comprehensive, but he looks at various organizational approaches within software teams and where they work and fail.

https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-t...

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