Book Review - Weinberg on Writing

Weinberg on Writing by Gerald Weinberg

Product Details:

ISBN: 093263365X
Format: Softcover, 208 pages
Pub. Date: July 2006
Publisher:Dorset House Publishing

Jerry Weinberg is my favorite author in the Information Technology field. I'll never forget where I was when I first read "The Psychology of Computer Programming" as a senior in college. As a student just getting ready to enter the real world of programming, that book gave me about a 10 year head-start in understanding the mindset of software development. Since then, his books have always been helpful to me and have always shown keen insight to the core issues.

As a writer, I was very excited about the prospect of learning from Weinberg himself his thoughts on the writing process. I was not disappointed.

This book set me free as a writer. The fieldstone approach gave me the freedom to use many of the articles, quips, replies to e-mail questions, and other smaller writings as a basis for books.

The basis of the approach is that instead of working from an outline or trying to write something from beginning to end, you approach the project like someone building a structure from natural stones. These are not the nice, neat stones you buy at the home improvement stores or stone dealers. These are the stones of all shapes and sizes that you find in the ground. When organized in the right way by someone who knows what they are doing, the result can be a beautiful and sturdy wall, home or other structure.

A great benefit of the fieldstone approach is that writer's block is eliminated. Even when the streams of text don't come to mind, I can still write small thoughts. You don't have to search for the perfect opening line, or any line for that matter. You can write what you know and then re-write later.

I also learned much about words and the power they have. I have started using more colorful and exciting words as opposed to the "mushy" words that are very ordinary and boring.

I firmly believe that one of the best and fastest roads to success for anyone is to write well. The better you write, the more exposure and credibility you get. I recommend this book to anyone who writes, who may aspire to write and also to those that are intimidated by the thought of writing.

Readability - 5
Coverage of topics - 5
Depth of coverage - 5
Credibility - 5
Accuracy - 5
Relevance to software quality - n/a
Overall - 5

Reviewed by Randy Rice