The Tolerant Programmer

About the Book

Writing software is a team sport, and if you aren’t prepared, you could let your big ego get in the way and cause conflict! With over 20 years in computer programming, I have been responsible for my own share of discord and drama. Have you run into that fellow programmer yet who thinks they know it all? Have you encountered a coworker yet who is very highly opinionated, judgmental, or difficult to get along with? What about within the extended community of directors, testers, product owners, solution architects, etc.? Ever encounter any ugly office politics when working with any of these players? There was a time when I ran into a toxic situation at a certain company, and I learned a great deal from it. In this book, I author a set of twenty-five aphorisms that are merely reminders of what to do and what not do, to promote harmony and prevent conflict in the information technology workplace. I have been inspired by Lao Tzu’s philosophical classic the Tao Te Ching. This work espouses moderation and modesty in behavior. I have also been informed by the Hindu concept of Karma Yoga--the yoga of action or work. This is about giving up the efforts of your work to the universe rather than expecting recognition or keeping the rewards for yourself. I offer up these aphorisms to you, as nuggets of wisdom, to help you to learn, or to help you to remember rules of behavior that you already know, yet so often forget to follow. This book is for computer programmers in challenging work environments. If you never knew how to address difficult office politics or that pushy teammate who wants to change your code, then I invite you to purchase this book to find the answers that you seek!

About the Author

Bryan Prendergast has over 20 years’ experience as an application developer and software engineer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Centre College of Kentucky. He started as a Lotus Notes developer in 1999 before moving into C# .NET and SQL Server development in 2005, and most recently has been working with React, Angular, JavaScript and RabbitMQ too. Having worked in different companies both large and small, such as JPMorgan Chase, Andersen Consulting, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, and Paylocity, Bryan has run into his share of opinionated peers and challenging office pressures. This book serves as the net sum of his years of experience in a single text of philosophical advice.