The Pragmatic Programmer
by Andy Hunt
★ Top 10 book of 1999 · #10 on Best Books of 1999
First written in 1999 by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt, this influential guide looks at the essence of software development regardless of language or framework. The updated edition covers personal responsibility, career growth and flexible code architecture, helping programmers build habits for lasting success.
Best for: New coders, experienced programmers and managers responsible for software projects
The Pragmatic Programmer is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Pragmatic Programmer is about
Written by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas and first published in 1999, this guide gathers practical advice for working programmers who want to get better at their craft. Rather than building a formal theory, it offers a collection of tips, often illustrated with short stories and analogies such as broken windows, stone soup and the boiling frog. It helped popularize ideas like DRY, or don't repeat yourself.
The topics range from personal responsibility and career growth to techniques for writing flexible, reusable code. Its lessons do not depend on any one language, framework or method, so they stay useful as tools change. The authors wrote it to help people build better software and rediscover the joy of coding. A second edition appeared in 2019. It suits newer developers aiming to level up and experienced ones who want a refresher.
The Pragmatic Programmer on the Best Books of 1999
The Pragmatic Programmer came out in 1999. Of the 52 books first published in 1999 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #10 on our Best Books of 1999 list.
Why it made the list: 470 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (53 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Reader favorite.
Nearby on the 1999 list
- Speak Laurie Halse Anderson, #8
- Nonviolent Communication Marshall B. Rosenberg, #9
- A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks, #11
- Stardust Neil Gaiman, #12
See all Best Books of 1999 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1998 Best Books of 2000.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 381 want to read it, 14 are reading it now and 75 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 from 53 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 75 | 55% |
| Reader love | 94 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 60 | 20% |
Questions about The Pragmatic Programmer
When was The Pragmatic Programmer published?
The Pragmatic Programmer by Andy Hunt was first published in 1999.
Was The Pragmatic Programmer one of the best books of 1999?
The Pragmatic Programmer is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar. 470 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (53 ratings).
Why is The Pragmatic Programmer on the Best Books of 1999 list?
470 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (53 ratings).
More of the best books of 1999
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling, #1
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, #2
- Wings of Fire A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, #3
- On Writing Stephen King, #4
- The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket, #5
- The Coldest Winter Ever Sister Souljah, #6
See the full Best Books of 1999, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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