Growing Pains of a Programmer

Foreword

First of all, I should state that this book was published in 2011, so it is not real-time. If you are looking to borrow experience from a path others have already taken, then this book is not suitable for you, because the paths given in the book are almost all out of date.

If you already have a clear goal but just don't know how to get closer to it faster, then take a quick look. The predecessors in the book stopped at nothing on their way forward to achieve success.

If you are also into computers, an IT professional, but are currently a bit confused and don't know what to do next, then hurry up and read it all in one sitting.

Thoughts After Reading

The book "Growing Pains of a Programmer" tells the story of those who are still lingering outside the IT industry, still struggling on the road of programming. You are not alone on the road to pursuing your dreams. The four grassroots programmers in the book share the same past as you: Wu Liang, who taught himself programming on a 486 computer as a child and transitioned from technology to management; Zhou Jinqiao, who became a welding technician in an oil field after graduation but could never let go of programming and studied hard on his own; Li Chunlei, who worked as a fitter and a foreign trade merchandiser and became a "halfway" programmer for his dreams; and Zhou Li, who faced repeated setbacks in his work and hopped jobs frequently, being a professional certificate collector but unable to "collect" a marriage certificate.

The above is an introduction from Baidu Baike. I'm sorry, it's been a long time, and I'm a bit unfamiliar with the plot, but in the past six months, I have deeply felt the benefits this book has brought me.

The book tells the stories of four predecessors. Except for Wu Liang, the other three are all true "grassroots." That's right, among them are oil field workers, fitters who were mocked by colleagues for their lack of strength, and programmers struggling hard in big cities alone.

Wu Liang had a relatively high starting point compared to the others. He came into contact with programming as a child, became a star in high school, and even single-handedly started a Microsoft student club in college. Later, he interviewed with Microsoft and worked for various first-class companies, moving from technology to management, which is quite legendary. This path is impossible for most of us to replicate because not everyone has such a good start, but Senior Wu Liang was not always smooth sailing. From a tech geek to a club leader, and from technology to management, it was not easy along the way. And since it is a true story, not a wish-fulfillment novel, we can always learn from the experiences of our predecessors. As mentioned in Dark Time:

Wise people learn from the mistakes they have made, and even wiser people can also learn from the mistakes of others.

Zhou Jinqiao was a complete layman. Both your starting point and mine are much higher than his. Upon graduation, he was assigned to an oil field and was supposed to be an honest oil worker, but his strong interest in programming would not allow him to be mediocre. He slowly learned from unofficial books and tinkered with code according to the books. He waited until the first small project in the oil field, which became a turning point and changed his life trajectory. Life always looks after those who are prepared; who would have thought that an oil worker learning programming could be so successful.

Li Chunlei's story is a bit funny. On a whim, he applied for a patent—a men's bicycle seat. Who knew that he wouldn't get the patent, but he ended up finding a wife? Struggling alone in a big city, being hospitalized after being mobbed for standing up for justice... a story that makes you laugh and cry, but it feels a bit poignant to read. Life is only a hundred years; if you have a dream, go for it bravely. Senior Li Chunlei let go and pursued his dream, and didn't he also succeed?

Spoilers end here, but fortunately, no matter how much I spoil, it won't affect the value of this book to you.

Book Review

This book is especially suitable for techies who are either confused || arrogant. If you think your starting point is high enough and you are strong enough in all aspects, you might as well go and admire Senior Wu Liang. If you are currently very confused and want to move forward but have no direction, then take a close look at the stories of Zhou Jinqiao, Li Chunlei, and Zhou Li. They can all succeed, so what reason do you have for not being able to do it?