We still read for enjoyment

By Brett McLaughlin

I read to have fun, or for enjoyment, or for entertainment, or perhaps to escape the drudgery of my day. And even if I'm reading non-fiction, or "for learning," I still have to enjoy the book. The writing has to be engaging, or anecdotal, or have some hook that pulls me forward. Otherwise, I get massively bored, and either put the book down, or push through it because I have to. But I hate the process from start to finish.

The same is true in Head First, or a good learning book (The Theory of Fun and Blink come to mind). The problem, at least in Head First in particular, is that I read the same book, for instance Head First C#, about 100 times before the book's done and off to the printer.

But even after 100 times, I still have to enjoy the read.

Lots of professional writers and actors talk about being unable to read their books, or watch their films, after they're done. I find that inconceivable, though. How can you expect someone else to enjoy your work if you don't? Sure, you've been through it a zillion times, and see all the flaws, and know the compromises made, but you have to still think it's valuable... otherwise, how could you possibly expect someone else to love the work?

And that's got to be true with your own work, right? That massive program you just finished coding, if it looks like junk to you, it probably is. If you hate your work, why would you show it to a customer?

Am I rambling? Yeah, a bit. I guess in some round about way, I'm calling for a raising of the bar in quality, in books, in learning materials, in programming... even in our own books. Let's make sure we all can smile and sometimes even laugh (and not derisively) at the work we've done. Enjoy the things you work on, and other people are more likely to as well.

Viva la Head First, huh? Seriously... do you enjoy our books the third time through? The fifth? The tenth? We want to know. And even more importantly... what projects that you've had to live with for a long time have been fun, even at the end? Why is that?

We want to hear, seriously...

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