My blog. Personal thoughts, anecdotes, and musings.
Back in February, I released my latest book, tmux: Productive Mouse-Free Development with help from the wonderful folks at the Pragmatic Bookshelf. If you don’t know what tmux is all about, watch this video:
I’m proud to announce that my latest book, Web Development Recipes{.popup}, is available in print directly from the publisher. Modern web development takes more than just HTML and CSS with a little JavaScript mixed in. Clients want more responsive sites with faster interfaces that work on multiple devices, and you need the latest tools and techniques to make that happen. This book gives you more than 40 concise, tried-and-true solutions to todays web development problems, and introduces new workflows that will expand your skillset.
Today marks the start of PragProWriMo, where the fine folks over at the Pragmatic Bookshelf{.popup} are encouraging aspiring writers to write a technical book over the course of the month. Over at the forums{.popup}, I shared my writing workflow, which I’m reposting here. My process may not be a good fit for everyone, but it’s served me quite well. I usually map out my idea using either OmniOutliner{.popup} or the free online CheckVist{.
For those that don’t know, I am a Development Editor for PragProg and have written a couple of books, but I’ve kept this list pretty objective. These are the books I think every developer should own. Land The Tech Job You Love This is honestly one of my favorite books, and I’ve bought many copies of this for people I know looking for jobs. If you’re a college student or just starting out in your career, this is a great guide for getting a great job instead of just a job.
For those that don’t know, I’m back to writing again. This time, I’m working with four others, and we’re almost done. Look for an announcement shortly. Very exciting times.
Well, here we are with just two days to go before the end of the 2011 RPM Challenge and I’m basically done. It’s been a really difficult month for me with the stuff going on in Wisconsin, and honestly this contest was a great way to escape. When I couldn’t sleep, I worked on music. When I was frustrated with a governor who’s so hell-bent on the bottom line that he’ll take away heath insurance from limited term employees, I’d work on music.
I’m participating in the RPM Challenge{.popup} in February. I’ll be working hard to complete an album’s worth of material in just 28 days. I haven’t had much time over the last few years to work on my music, so this is my chance to “put up or shut up.” in regards to my music. I don’t have to write the material during the contest, but I am not allowed to record anything.
It occurred to me that since I tend to do a lot of stuff on Twitter (and occasionally on Facebook), I don’t use this blog for much. So here’s a quick recap of the last few months. I’ve spent the fall continuing to work at the University on some relatively unimpressive stuff while my student interns get to have all the fun. I also wrapped up the HTML5 and CSS3 book which is now shipping to homes, offices, and bookstores worldwide.
This week I start my new part-time job as a Development Editor at the Pragmatic Bookshelf{.popup}, the publisher I’ve worked with on my last two books. They’re wonderful people, and I’m honored to have the chance to work with them to help authors bring their books to completion. For those unfamiliar, a Development Editor works with an author to help guide the book’s progress. It’s part content editor, and part project manager.
My current book HTML5 and CSS3: Develop With Tomorrow’s Standards Today{.popup} is now available as a “beta book” download from the Pragmatic Bookshelf. Beta books are a great way to read a book before it’s finished and participate in shaping the book before it reaches production. Buyers get to read the book early, participate in forums and submit errata, and in exchange they get updates about every two weeks and a final copy of the book once it’s done.