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The Creative Programmer /img/works/thecreativeprogrammer.jpg A practical book to help programmers unleash their creative potential. writing 2022-09-30

Like composing music, starting a business, or designing a marketing campaign, programming is a creative activity. And just like technical skills, creativity can be learned and improved with practice! This thought-provoking book details practical methods to turn creativity into more effective problem solving, higher productivity, and better software. In other words, programming is a creative act. The techniques unveiled in this book will help you maximize the power of creativity to improve your software and your satisfaction in creating it.

Book Contents

Inside The Creative Programmer you'll discover:

  • The seven dimensions of creativity in software engineering
  • The scientific understanding of creativity and how it translates to programming
  • Actionable advice and thinking exercises that will make you a better programmer
  • Innovative communication skills for working more efficiently on a team
  • Creative problem-solving techniques for tackling complex challenges

In The Creative Programmer you'll learn the processes and habits of highly creative individuals and discover how you can build creativity into your programming practice. This fascinating new book introduces the seven domains of creative problem solving and teaches practical techniques that apply those principles to software development.

Hand-drawn illustrations, reflective thought experiments, and brain-tickling example problems help you get your creative juices flowing—you’ll even be able to track your progress against a scientifically validated Creative Programming Problem Solving Test. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking up new and novel ways to tackle the big challenges of your projects.

The book contains 9 chapters that can be previewed via the Manning product page:

  1. The Creative Road Ahead (available for free at the Manning Free Content Center)
  2. Technical Knowledge
  3. Communication
  4. Constraints
  5. Critical Thinking
  6. Curiosity
  7. Creative state of Mind
  8. Creative Techniques
  9. Final Thoughts on Creativity

The chapters are based on scientific research. See What is Creativity in Software Engineering? or a more in-depth analysis. If you are interested in reading the papers behind these systems, take a look at my academic publications page.

Yeah, I don't know...

Don't take my word for it. This is what authorities have to say about The Creative Programmer:

From the Foreword by Dr. Felienne Hermans, Professor of Computer Science Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, author of The Programmer's Brain:

The Creative Programmer is a fantastic mix of engaging historical anecdotes, practical exercises, and extensive references to papers, books, and essays both in and outside of programming.... My own copy has now been filled with pages of scribbles and notes on which I could immediately apply Wouter's lessons, a sign that his exercises are truly engaging and encouraging!

From Daniel Terhorst-North, Dan North & Associates:

Beautifully written and utterly compelling. I love the research, the insight, and the sheer joy Wouter conveys in his writing.

Still not convinced? More reviews are available via the GoodReads book page and the Amazon product page.

Great, I want to buy it!

Thanks for your support! The book is available via:

  • Manning, the publisher. In that case, don't forget to apply discount code au35gro that'll give you 35% off! Manning also has frequent sales so be sure to check out their deals of the day.
  • Amazon.com
  • Your local book store that can order it for you: ISBN-13 978-1633439054

As an author, I earn only about 10% of the selling price. If you somehow want to toss a few extra coins my way, you can buy me a coffee me via via PayPal or via Ko-Fi---if you don't mind I'll use it to drink a cup of tea instead. Thanks again!

Please also consider leaving an honest review to improve the visibility of the book.

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