Why programmers work at night
Why programmers work at night
A book about programmers, by a programmer.
About the Book
What readers are saying
"My mum needs to read this book!" ~ Cubox
"Great book. Not my usual cup of tea but never the less it made me sad I don't have more time to read it every time I had to put it down. It is well written and funny remarks keep you glued to it. I literally LOL'd few times :) So if you are a programmer or live with a one be sure to read this book. It will teach you some new stuff for certain." ~ Danguba
"My girlfriend loved your book!" ~ @janhancic
"Can't wait for this book to be finished! Programmers rock, night-time rocks (although I've been shifting into the early-morning more frequently for some reason), and I'm a big fan of biographical works. :)" ~ Amarand Agassi
"Very interesting book. I never gave the idea of the "flow" much thought until now. As a programmer myself, I would love to master the flow of programming" ~ szahn
"Just bought your book and provided my github data. Nice initiative ! I'm gonna start reading it tonight... :)" ~ Remco Ross
"Just read your book and loved it. Made me feel normal again. Also, I found plenty of good advice in it." ~ Matjaž Drolc
Watch the talk
At Webcamp Zagreb in December 2012 I gave a talk about the book. Watch it here: http://2012.webcampzg.org/swizec-teller-why-programmers-code-at-night/
Subscribe to the Nightowls bi-weekly, here.
Why readers love this book
People who work at night get used to being called lazy slobs by their bosses and loved ones despite being more productive that way. The early bird does not always catch the worm, sometimes it meets a cat.
Why programmers work at night talks about the flow of programming, why it's easier to achieve at night and what programmers need to feel productive and keep their sanity. If you live with a programmer this book will teach you how to keep them happy, if you're a programmer yourself it will show you how to get your best work done at any time of the day, be it day or night. It will also help you avoid being That Guy when you're working with other programmers. Nobody wants to be That Guy.
This book has been based on personal experience, interviewing other programmers, and research of psychology, nutrition and related topics. Everything mentioned in the book has worked either for myself, somebody I trust, or shown to make sense in a trial. All three when at all possible.
You can read the book online, download the free sample pdf, or buy the ebook today. There's a no-questions-asked 100% money-back guarantee, so you can read it worry-free.
Table of Contents
- From disgruntled developer, to founder, to burnout
-
Introduction - version 0.4
- Keep in touch
- Whom Book is for
- What Book contains
- What is not in Book
- How finished is Book
- License
-
Do programmers work at night?
- It depends
- What about other creatives?
- Statistics
-
Why programmers work at night
- Culture
- The science of night owls
- Flow
-
About flow
- The autotelic personality
- Is achieving flow easier at night?
- Two types of flow and what keeps them going
- Why is day-time particularly bad for flow?
- A primer on sleep science
-
For people around programmers
- Living with programmers
- Working with programmers
-
Tips for programmers
- Mental energy
- Long hours
- Routine
- Health
- Dealing with distractions
- Creativity
- Relationships
Causes Supported

Kiberpipa
free entrance / free access / free software
http://www.kiberpipa.orgKiberpipa ('Cyberpipe') is an important catalyst for the Slovene cybernetic scene and fosters creative and critical approaches in the age of an information society.
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