And now for something completely different

Posted June 3rd, 2009

We’re launching a new title that isn’t like anything the Pragmatic Bookshelf has ever published. The Seed of Hope is filled with magical creatures, pirates, and adventure. It’s a fun story that is well told by Quinton Wall. But is it a Prag book?

We’re already getting email asking us if we’re crazy. The first email said that it’s probably a great book but it’s not a Prag Book. The person writing the email told us that it’s not even a Pragmatic Life book.

It made me think back to my days in radio.

During my twenties and thirties I worked on and off as a radio DJ. I worked in everything from Smooth Jazz to Progressive Rock. I worked in Urban Contemporary, Oldies, and Soft Rock. Every time I looked for a new job I would hear the same thing. “You sound good, but we’re <insert what ever kind of station they were> and you sound really <insert the type of station I was currently working at>.”

My last gig was at a Smooth Jazz station and my previous station had been an Adult Contemporary station. The program director listened to my demo tape (I think they were still tapes then) and said I sounded too upbeat. “We have a more laid back style here.”

“Cool,” I said. “When I work for you, I’ll have a more laid back style too.”

For some reason he hired me.

In a way I’m in the same position with the Pragmatic Life series. We began with small changes. Chad Fowler’s book The Passionate Programmer could have been a standard title in our bookshelf series. So could have Andy Lester’s book Land the Tech Job you Love. These were small steps. They are great books and they fit our goal of improving programmer’s lives when they aren’t working.

Our third title is a head scratcher. It is so different that either it doesn’t belong in Pragmatic Life or Pragmatic Life is a lot broader than you originally thought. I hope you find it to be the latter. We have books coming up on Photography and other more traditional topics that will enrich your life outside of work but I wanted to draw the line in the sand way over there. My life is enriched when I enter different worlds and take the time to read a book for pleasure.

Is this a Prag Life book? Yes. Well, more accurately, it will be once people read it.

My first radio gig was in Progressive Radio in southern Rhode Island. I had to move back to Cleveland to teach high school and so I applied at radio stations all over town. I got nothing. My roommate worked for an Urban Contemporary station and his program director told me I just didn’t sound right.

One night there was a huge snow storm. The roads were closed all over town. We lived somewhere close to the radio station and so the program director called me up and asked if I wanted a chance.

Of course I did.

I went out and filled in for the overnight DJ who couldn’t make it in to work and eventually moved up to the morning drive slot. I wasn’t right for the station until they actually listened to me.

That’s what I want for our three titles. We have three books that are different than the programming books we traditionally publish. Some will be way different than others. Give them a try and let me know what you think. Email me at daniel at prag prog dot com.

This post originally appeared in the Pragmatic Life blog