This could be a useful book if for people who don’t have much experience working in the software industry, or those have only worked in organisations that develop software in a waterfall style. It provides a reasonable overview of how software craftsmanship should and could work on an individual and company basis, for example giving ways to constructively deal with deadline pressure and ideas for improving hiring practices. However, anybody who knows a small amount about agile development practices or software craftsmanship in general will probably find this book basic and stating the obvious.

I found the writing style rather patronising. The book is full of disaster stories about times the author had worked with people who couldn’t be helped - he lists 13 different types of skeptical people that craftsmen have to deal with in organisations (ivory tower architects are THE WORST apparently).

He also says that the majority of 9-5 programmers should be fired. I take issue with this. Some of the best programmers I know have no problem with leaving their work at their desk when they leave the office on an evening. Encouraging the idea that all developers should be frantically working on pet projects in their spare time outside of work is damaging to the industry and makes it far less inclusive.