dynam0k

Read… read, read, read, then read some more. There’s always an area that you’ve “been meaning to check out” or “could brush up on”.

I’ve actually just earned my MCSD, so I’ve pushed a lot of Exam Cram 2 books lately. I’m glad that I’m done, because I’d honestly be reading about something that I don’t feel pressured to memorize. I actually remember the stuff more easily if I’m trying not to memorize it. Sometimes it’s good to pick up a good “theory” book that doesn’t necessarily focus on the mechanics. It may sound kind of strange, but the fullness of an engineer’s bookshelf is usually a good yardstick for how talented they are.

If you’re looking for a good book, check out www.nerdbooks.com. If you’re in the DFW, TX area, you should check out their warehouse in Richardson. Now, I don’t work for this company and I’m not getting anything for saying this, but you can usually get savings on average of around 60% off the sticker price and their selection is insane.

At the risk of sound cliche, “Knowledge is power.”

I am a Software Engineer, so the vast majority of my knowledge is limited to computers, but I try to keep a keen knowledge of other matters also… particulary art and history. I’m not a very good artist (unless you count stick figures), but I appreciate art very much; I specifically enjoy the works of Diego Rivera, M.C. Escher, Jackson Pollock and Marc Rothko.

If anything, it’s a simple satisfaction in life to be able to participate in conversations about such random things as impressionism, politics and WW2 History. Of course, most of us need to focus our knowledge on topics that directly affect our respective professions, but it’s always advantageous to have a solid, well-rounded knowledge in other areas.

I had been wanting to do this for a long time and when I finally got on board with a company that supported this goal, I decided to jump on it.

It’s definitely one of the more difficult things I’ve done, but also one of the most rewarding. I earned a bonus w/ my current company. I also earned some nice job security… if your employer is a Microsoft Certified Partner, they earn points for the number of MCPs they have on staff.

Overall, I’m glad I did it. It was definintely a challenge, but I was able to get it completely done in six months. For those of you getting ready to start this challenge, I absolutely reccomend the Exam Cram 2 series.

P.S. —If you have not yet heard, check out www.nerdbooks.com. I don’t work for www.nerdbooks.com and they’re not paying me to say this, but I would never buy another technical book anywhere else. You can usually get, on average, 60% off the sticker price, along with a massive selection.