The Philosophical Programmer: Reflections on the Mothe in the Machine

by Daniel Kohanski

In the tradition of "The Existential Pleasures of Engineering", this meditative and enlightening work creates a new philosophical approach to programming. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312186509
• ISBN13: 9780312186500
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Helpful introduction for the novice

When TPPRMM was reissued in paperback, it was retitled "Moths in the Machine: The Power and Perils of Programming." I assume the title change was prompted by criticism of the original title, which implied an emphasis on matters "philosophical". As other reviewers have noted, there is very little philosophy in this slim volume save for the author's brief musings, at the beginning and end of the book, on the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of programming. Kohanski's observations on both scores are interesting, but not particularly deep. Far more interesting -- for the non-programmer -- are the middle chapters of TPPRMM, which present a useful overview of the programmer's craft (though not an introduction to programming per se). Kohanski also provides an excellent glossary of computer- and programming-related terminology. I doubt that experienced programmers would find much of use or interest in TPPRMM. For the rest of us, however, Kohanski has performed the valuable service of bringing a highly arcane subject matter a bit closer to our understanding. I am grateful to him for taking time away from his own programming efforts to do so.

it is not computer, it is human behind computer

After reading this book, i no longer look at any computer system or modern ultra sophisticated systems driven by computers as some brute magic of modern technology, but as a power of human thought and intellect amplified by the magnificient tool--the computer. i see the human face. thanks,Daniel Kohanski, for changing my former paradigm which was isolating me from the technology to one of embracing the technology by showing its human nature.

You need to understand a tool to use it effectively

I've always thought that, if you don't understand how a tool works, and where it came from, it is impossible to use it effectively. It doesn't matter whether the tool is a power saw, a bulldozer, or a computer. The Philosophical Programmer provides just that kind of background for computers. The book's cover calls it "a programming book for English majors," but it's considerably more than that. Even if you have absolutely no desire to know the evolution of memory chips and programming languages, you should still read the rest of this book. If you're already neck-deep in geek, read it for the insights about the computer as a tool and an extension of a person.

Read this book

I have been programming for upwards of three years, but I have never read a book such as this one. It give philosophical argument pertaining to the ins and outs of programming. Whether you are a casual computer user, a casual programmer, a philosophical person, a expert programmer, or anywhere in between, this book will defintly be worth reading. Whether it expands your skills or just opens new methods of though, it is defintly a must read on my list.

The book that fills the gaps

Other programming texts will teach you to be a code construction worker, this book will teach you to be an artist. Covers many of the forgotten or overlooked aspects of programming and explores what it means to be a coder. A unique and excellent book.