> reading about coding does nothing

> Its like reading about math without doing the exercises

But you do learn math from reading and then you practice it to improve your understanding with exercises. It's not an either or. It's both. You should be reading about software development as well as actively improving your code in practice. I don't think you'd get even half as far if you only did one of the two things.

This is such a bizarre point of view that I'm seeing increasingly. "Reading does nothing". Since when?

Yeah I had a boss who, when I mentioned that I was reading about startups and recommended the books, dismissed them saying that it didn’t seem like one could learn from books. Which seemed like a weird dichotomy because nobody’s saying you can learn how to run a startup entirely from a book? We’re just saying you can learn some useful elements or perspectives from books. Which is really all that you can ask for from instructional material.

Obviously if you land in a perfect environment, then you won't need outside resources.

I am self taught in how to write good code by reading books, watching videos, and reading recommended open source code. I was never in an environment with other great coders who reviewed my code. HN was my guide in how to learn to write better code.

It is possible to be self taught at writing good code.

Good coding culture is a living and constantly evolving thing.

Code reviews will get you through the start of your career. But as an intermediate software developer, you should be reading and considering new paradigms and practices in relation to your own organizations' practices, and be willing and able to discuss and, if necessary, champion new ideas. And as a senior software developer, or development manager, you should be thinking about how to cultivate a healthy coding culture where those kinds of discussions can and do take place.

The way we code has changed dramatically since the dawn of the PC era, as has the way we manage software development. And it will continue to do so. Even as a junior programmer, you should be cultivating the habit of continuous professional development, seeking reliable sources of professional coding culture on the internet, and reading important new books as they become available.

It's like inventing new math instead of just doing it.

I don’t know why this is phrased as a dichotomy. You can work on a good codebase with good people and read books. You can also be in a less than ideal situation and at least read books. Unless these books are actively hurting you, which is pretty unlikely imo, it’s not a bad idea to read them.

My guess is it varies per person. Reading still helps spark some ideas for me, though without exercising what I've read it the learning doesn't stick.

Even better is learning from people better than me. Video tutorials can help too, especially where seeing output is important.

I think doing any one of those things will lead to being a weak dev, if you only read, only work on big code bases, only work on small projects, only work alone, only work with people, etc. you have room to grow.

How do you do the math exercises without reading a book first? There's a back and forth process between theory and practice/exercise going on here.

In that vein, I would love a recommendation on coding books that come with good exercises.