Pragmatic Thinking and Learning : Refactor Your 'Wetware'

by Hunt, Andy

• ISBN13: 9781934356050
• ISBN10: 1934356050
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

Software development happens in your head. Not in an editor, IDE, or design tool. You're well educated on how to work with software and hardware, but what aboutwetware--our own brains? Learning new skills and new technology is critical to your career, and it's all in your head. In this book by Andy Hunt, you'll learn how our brains are wired, and how to take advantage of your brain's architecture. You'll learn new tricks and tips to learn more, faster, and retain more of what you learn. You need a pragmatic approach to thinking and learning. You need toRefactor Your Wetware. Programmers have to learn constantly; not just the stereotypical new technologies, but also the problem domain of the application, the whims of the user community, the quirks of your teammates, the shifting sands of the industry, and the evolving characteristics of the project itself as it is built. We'll journey together through bits of cognitive and neuroscience, learning and behavioral theory. You'll see some surprising aspects of how our brains work, and how you can take advantage of the system to improve your own learning and thinking skills.In this book you'll learn how to: Use the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to become more expert Leverage the architecture of the brain to strengthen different thinking modes Avoid common "known bugs" in your mind Learn more deliberately and more effectively Manage knowledge more efficiently

Author Biography

Andy Hunt is a programmer turned consultant, author and publisher. He co-authored the best-selling book "The Pragmatic Programmer," was one of the 17 founders of the Agile Alliance, and co-founded the Pragmatic Bookshelf, publishing award-winning and critically acclaimed books for software developers.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Again with the "Pragmatic"?	p. 4
Consider the Context	p. 5
Everyone Is Talking About This Stuff	p. 6
Where We're Going	p. 7
Grateful Acknowledgments	p. 11
Journey from Novice to Expert	p. 13
Novices vs. Experts	p. 15
The Five Dreyfus Model Stages	p. 17
Dreyfus at Work: Herding Racehorses and Racing Sheep	p. 25
Using the Dreyfus Model Effectively	p. 31
Beware the Tool Trap	p. 38
Consider the Context, Again	p. 41
Day-to-Day Dreyfus	p. 43
This Is Your Brain	p. 45
Your Dual-CPU Modes	p. 46
Capture Insight 24x7	p. 51
Linear and Rich Characteristics	p. 55
Rise of the R-mode	p. 63
R-mode Sees Forest; L-mode Sees Trees	p. 68
DIY Brain Surgery and Neuroplasticity	p. 70
How Do You Get There?	p. 71
Get in Your Right Mind	p. 73
Turn Up the Sensory Input	p. 73
Draw on the Right Side	p. 75
Engage an R-mode to L-mode Flow	p. 80
Harvest R-mode Cues	p. 92
Harvesting Patterns	p. 102
Get It Right	p. 110
Debug Your Mind	p. 113
Meet Your Cognitive Biases	p. 115
Recognize Your Generational Affinity	p. 123
Codifying Your Personality Tendencies	p. 133
Exposing Hardware Bugs	p. 136
Now I Don't Know What to Think	p. 140
Learn Deliberately	p. 145
What Learning Is...and Isn't	p. 145
Target SMART Objectives	p. 149
Create a Pragmatic Investment Plan	p. 154
Use Your Primary Learning Mode	p. 158
Work Together, Study Together	p. 164
Use Enhanced Learning Techniques	p. 166
Read Deliberately with SQ3R	p. 167
Visualize Insight with Mind Maps	p. 171
Harness the Real Power of Documenting	p. 178
Learn by Teaching	p. 180
Take It to the Streets	p. 182
Gain Experience	p. 183
Play in Order to Learn	p. 183
Leverage Existing Knowledge	p. 187
Embed Failing in Practice	p. 189
Learn About the Inner Game	p. 193
Pressure Kills Cognition	p. 198
Imagination Overrides Senses	p. 202
Learn It like an Expert	p. 206
Manage Focus	p. 209
Increase Focus and Attention	p. 210
Defocus to Focus	p. 216
Manage Your Knowledge	p. 219
Optimize Your Current Context	p. 226
Manage Interruptions Deliberately	p. 232
Keep a Big Enough Context	p. 239
How to Stay Sharp	p. 243
Beyond Expertise	p. 245
Effective Change	p. 245
What to Do Tomorrow Morning	p. 247
Beyond Expertise	p. 248
Photo Credits	p. 253
Bibliography	p. 255
Index	p. 265
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