Coding

The 21st Century's Most Valuable skill

Coding is a 202 page book by Dr Simon Monk, published in 2023 by Monk Makes Press.

2023, Monk Makes Press
Dr Simon Monk
ISBN: 978-1-7394874-0-9

Book Reviews

Simon is a well known author of many books on electronics and programming. This book is a great introduction to the world of coding and programming. It’s aimed at beginners and covers the basics of coding, including how to write your first program, how to use variables, and how to create loops. It also includes a chapter on how to use the Raspberry Pi to learn coding.

Simon is a good friend of mine, and sent me this book for review, as its a topic I’m passionate about and am sure my audience will be interested in too. I’ve previously bought a number of Simons books including 30 Arduino projects for the evil genius.

Overview of Content

Coding covers the following topics:

  • Part I - Programming Bookcamp
    • Getting Started
    • Data Structures
    • Functions
    • Modules and Object Orientation
    • More Python
    • Databases
    • Web Applications
    • Other Languages
  • Part II - Working in Software
    • Software Engineering
    • Careers in Software
  • A Glossary
  • B Exercise Solutions

The book introduces each topic in a light hearted and easy to understand way. There are fun cartoon strips throughout the book, which help to illustrate the concepts being discussed. The book also includes a number of exercises at the end of each chapter, which are designed to help you practice what you’ve learned.

Analysis and Critique

The books strenghts are that it is written with authority, by someone who has a long history in software design and development. Simon has a PhD in Cybernetics and Computer Science from the University of Reading, and has a doctorate in Software Engineering.

The book lays out how to learn coding as well as why you should learn coding. It’s a great introduction to the world of coding and programming, and is suitable for beginners and experts alike.

My only critique of the book is the second section of the book on “Working in Software” is a little short. I would have liked to have seen more information on how to get started in the software industry, and what to expect when you start working in software. I’d also have loved to hear more anecdotes from Simon’s career in software.

The books approach is very practical, and it’s clear that Simon has a lot of experience in the field. New topics are introduced in an order that makes sense to a beginner, and the subjects are backed up with examples and exercises that help solidify the concepts being discussed.

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