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Summary: A really good and unique book
Review: ...It's actually quite a depressing read in many ways as it quickly disposes of all the illusions many of us have about our chosen field of work, but it always does so in an amusing and well writen way. And more importantly it gives solid advise about what to do about it. How to make the company work more for you rather than against you. But always in a professional way, and still in the interests of the company. It's particularly good as an antidote against all those methodologies which sound great on paper but don't stand a chance of being implemented in most companies. I've seen plenty of books about how to succeed in management, and sales, and marketing, but never one about how to succeed as a programmer - in the sense of making your life better and more productive, rather than just the technical aspects. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Great no nonsense look at the reality of corporate life
Review: ...I really liked the book. I have to disagree with some of the negative reviewers. If they don't think that a coders life in the majority of corporate America is just as this book details, then they haven't worked where I've worked. The author's writing style is humorous, and the book is an easy read. The author comes across like that guy some of us have met, who knows how things REALLY work. You know - the one that helps you avoid failure, and can give you pragmatic advice. What some people find cynical, I call realism. This book should be required reading for any new developer right out of college, especially if they're going to work in a Fortune 1000 company. Make that any company with more than 50 people. Dilbert IS reality. I can see that people looking for a typical programming book might be disappointed. It's certainly not that. It's certainly not an ivory tower software development process book. If you're looking for something that might have come from Grady Booch, you'll be disappointed. What it is, IMHO, is a guide to dealing with the Dilbertisms that a LOT of us face in the corporate world. If you don't face those, and think your management has a clue, then this might not be the book for you. If your company is ISO 9K certified, you probably don't need it. If however, you find yourself continually frustrated about trying to work effectively with people who just don't understand the software development process, and don't want to, then there's some good practical advice in this book for you.
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Summary: A Must Have accessory for every developer
Review: ...This book has helped me to re-evaluate my attitude and desires for my career and has given me the encouragement and ammunition needed to survive the battlefield of development. If you develop or analyze commercial or even in-house solutions and struggle to get to grips with all the corporate red tape and downright insanity this book is for you. This book is a MUST BUY for anyone who wants to be the best at what they do in the world of IT. No BS here just good wholesome truthful survival tacticts from someone who knows what the hell they are talking about.
Rating: 
Summary: Quarter Great, Quarter Good, Half Tolerable
Review: About one-quarter of this book is great, another one-quarter is good, but the remaining half is only tolerable. Having been in this field for 18 years (many languages and platforms), I expected a lot from this book. Maybe too much. The first part, where the author tells about story after story of misery, is easily shared by anyone in the field long enough. I expected a follow-up showing how to fix it. It looked promising in the discussion about looking at things from other points-of-view. However, it never got in any depth. Instead, it jumped off into simple project management that might be handy for a first-time project or technical lead -- not going in-depth like I expected. I guess I would still buy it again, but maybe not. Hence, four stars.
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Summary: Even more reality than Dilbert...
Review: After 15 years in IT, I can honestly say that this book hits the nail on the head. While I laughed my head off (with maniacal laughter), the author really helped me gain a better perspective at a time when my cynicism had me ready to become a pig farmer or join a band of Hari Chrishnas.
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Summary: Good political advice, but dated software methodology
Review: Any programmer working in a shop larger than 3 is going to have to deal with office politics in one of three ways: By taking responsibility and ownership, by complaining about being victimized, or by doing nothing (while probably being victimized). Christopher Duncan does an excellent job describing the very real part-time political job that all such programmers must face if they are to not only survive but thrive in today's corporate programming world. His no nonsense, from-the-trenches style cuts to the chase and is good advice for those just starting out their programming career.
The situations he describes apply most poignantly to those shops wherein programming is merely tolerated by those in charge as a means to their ends. If you work for a CMMI-rated company, or one in which you participate in pair programming, your management likely has more experience delivering quality software than the inspirations for Dilbert that Christopher describes. Having personally worked for educational institutions that lacked any concept of software process, however, I can tell you from experience that the tactics employed in the book will be most helpful in such situations.
That said, the waterfall life cycle described by the author throughout the book has a dated feel in light of the prevalence of today's agile software methods. In lieu of iterative development, the author states, "Design must not proceed without final and detailed requirements" and "Implementation must not proceed without complete design", concepts that I'm sure the Airlie Council would espouse if we're talking about the methodology to be used in developing flight software, but which seem cumbersome in a world of user stories, agile modeling, and rapid iterations. But, I accept that in the absense of any and all process, the Waterfall is certainly better than the Abyss, and these are, after all, guerilla tactics - they're not always pretty, they just work.
Overall, the book is a useful introduction to the sometimes harsh realities of the corporate software milieu. Read it not so much for the software process, but for the introduction to political survival and for the advice to own your programming experience and make it great, even in the face of pointy-haired suit-clad forces conspiring against you.
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Summary: Dilbert with suggestions for improvements!
Review: As developers, we often go with the corporate flow and take for granted all the sensible techniques we learnt as students. This book will make you rethink and remember all the crazy comments made by our managers. Similar to the way the Dilbert books mocked corporate culture and behavior, this book provides the useful tips to improve our surrounding environment. The first few chapters give scenarios for popular misconceptions such as why a programmer will not code all day, illogical decisions made by executives, vague requirements and seeing yourself as an enemy. After you read about the story about the networking solution using floppy disks, we are sure you will be able to relate it to your own experiences. Many of the answers are based on playing corporate politics and soft non-technical skills. The book covers the author's personal experiences as he talks through the various issues. This book is compulsory reading for any new programmer and a necessary wake up call for professional developers.
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Summary: eye-opener book !
Review: Being a software dev myself , it came as a shock to read all the issues higlighted in the book. Shocking because this is so prevalent in corporate America - doesnt matter if its a big conglomerate or a small start-up. There is something for everyone in this. My advice - buy it , read it and follow it . You won't regret it .
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Summary: Wish I read this before my last project
Review: Being the sheltered geek that I am as I started my first project as project manager thinking that I was about to create the greatest masterpiece of my career, I was totally blind-sided by the agendas of management. I was heads-down creating and oblivious to the politics going on around me. This book is a heads-up. There are some techniques here, but mostly tells of situations and people to watch out for. Forewarned is forearmed.
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Summary: Primer for the Uninitiated
Review: From the very first chapter, I found myself nodding my head in agreement and chuckling about the inane situations Chris has encountered in Corporate America. Although he and I come from different worlds (Chris from software development and me from marketing/sales) his commentaries on the pitfalls, obstacles, and twisted logic of how Corporate America works is insightful and offers valuable tips on how to navigate potentially damaging confrontations.
This is a humorous, down-to-earth, practical guide that can be used by anyone (technical or non-technical) in coping with some truly wierd situations that arise. "The Career Programmer" is a quick read and definately deserves a second reading. If the truth be told, I sped through my first sitting with the book because I wanted to find out what happened to the chihuahua. Well done.
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