Review By: Mary Ann Overbaugh
11/30/2010

You'll nod your head in agreement with what author Sam Lightstone writes in his book on the career and personal knowledge Lightstone’s gained over the years. Lightstone looks at all stages of a career in software development, from getting the best education, landing the job, working within an organization and team, attaining prominence in your field, to sharing and mentoring others. All is not the land of milk and honey, but in IT there is always something new to learn, a problem to solve, and a sense of satisfaction from completing the challenge.

The author's insights come from knowledge, inspiration, learning, and a lot of work experiences toughed-out during the daily grind. His insight definitely contains flashes of brilliance.

Lightstone's insights provide a glimpse into the mindset and outlook that should be taken when planning a career in software development. He describes what it takes to get to the highest rungs of the software development business as an entrepreneur, engineer, or software designer. He brings his acumen to the reader recommending the right skills, how to have the proper work ethics, how to set strategic goals for yourself to complete projects, and lastly how to build a solid base of learning and document your experience in a great resume.

Lightstone comes across as a great boss or a dad who sits down with a younger person to converse about picking the right career path. He culls stories from others who've made the journey, talking hard knowledge and interspersing interviews with the successful between chapters. Over the twenty-two chapters included in this book, he gives a unique and personal look at the software development business. He explains the need for people skills, how to navigate the business aspects of software development, as well as learning and adding the hardcore developer skillsets. He further discusses how to negotiate a salary and navigate the company culture to develop proper networks.

Many of us go to college, land a job, and then sometimes find the job is nothing like our academic learning environment. Chapter 21 has a section called "Fatherly Thinking" in which Lightstone gives advice about choosing your first company and looking down the road to see how the industry and skills will carry you over the lifetime of your career. It is important to get a solid work experience, form good habits, and work for a company that allows you to explore your talent.