From the original The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master [HT00] to our Pragmatic Bookshelf publishing imprint, you will notice that we have a certain preoccupation with the word pragmatic. The essence of pragmatism is to do what works—for you.
So before we begin, please bear in mind that every individual is different. Although many of the studies that I’ll reference have been conducted on large populations, some have not. I’m going to draw on a large variety of material ranging from hard scientific fact proven with functional MRI scans of the brain to conceptual theories, as well as material ranging from old wives’ tales to “Hey, Fred tried it, and it worked for him.”
In many cases—especially when discussing the brain—the underlying scientific reasons are unknown or unknowable. But do not let that worry you: if it works, then it’s pragmatic, and I will offer it here for your consideration. I hope many of these ideas will work for you.
But some folks are just plain wired differently; you may be one of them. And that’s OK; you shouldn’t follow any advice blindly. Even mine. Instead, read with an open mind. Try the suggestions, and decide what works for you.
Only dead fish go with the flow.
As you grow and adapt, you may need to modify your habits and approaches as well. Nothing in life is ever static; only dead fish go with the flow. So, please take this book as just the beginning.
I’ll share the pragmatic ideas and techniques I’ve found in my journey; the rest is up to you.