Books and Videos for Self-taught Programmers

Don't have a degree and feel like you should? Hey me too! Then again I love teaching myself things and sharing with people and I wouldn't have it any other way. That's what I do here. You've taken yourself this far, now the fun starts.
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Best Selling Books

I enjoy writing a lot, and I really enjoy pushing the boundaries of "the modern coding book". I hate dry walls of text with meaningless "foo bar" demos. I prefer having fun, focusing on real scenarios.

I spent years teaching myself the subjects that go into a Computer Science degree: Computation, Complexity Theory, Encryption, Blockchain, Algorithms and Data Structures, Lambda Calculus and more. I wrote down what I learned and decided to share.

Get Up To Speed

Learn PostgreSQL the way the pros do: on the job and under pressure. You'll assume the role of interim DBA at aerospace startup Red:4, exploring real data from the Cassini mission to Saturn! We start slowly with the basics but soon enough you'll be awash in the most amazing data of our lifetime.

Let's Learn SQL

Premium Courses

I've been making online courses since 2009, when I cofounded Tekpub.com with James Avery.

The Imposter's Frontend Accelerator

JavaScript client frameworks are powerful and help you create an amazing experience for your end user. Unfortunately, learning how to use them sucks.

Computer Science Fundamentals

I like making videos so I decided it might be fun to create a set of videos based on the subjects I learned about writing The Imposter's Handbook.

Take Off With Elixir

Learn the high-powered, scalable, functional language that is taking the programming world by storm. Elixir will change the way you write code!

Coding Interview Bootcamp

Trying to get in at one of the top tech companies in the world? If so, I have 5 hours of video for you, spread over 18 lessons. You'll learn the strategies and techniques your peers use to get in and get paid a lot of money.

PostgreSQL Fundamentals

Many data science pros will tell you: learning SQL was one of the best investments in their career, even though the language is basic and obtuse. See why so many developers become data pros in this 2-hour video tutorial featuring data from the Cassini mission.

Mini Courses

Some of these are free, some are paid. They are all short (60 minutes or so), focused and to the point.

Test-driven Development In Action

TDD is one of those things that people talk about, argue about, and think is interesting. I'm one of those people, so I asked Brad Wilson to clear it all up for me.

Meet Playwright

Curious about Playwright, the frontend testing framework? Well hang out for the next hour and I'll show it to you!

🤖 Does Functional Programming Matter To You?

Learning Elixir changed me as a programmer, and learning functional concepts changed the way I think about writing software. How about you? Is functional proogramming a useful thing to learn?

Surviving the Structured Interview

The tech industry is slowly changing over to structured interviews, but most people don't know what they are and that they have a formula!

Data Structures and Algorithms

Many people are interviewing these days and you really, really should know the basics if you expect to do well. You'll find that here with common data structures and algorithms.

Hello PostgreSQL

In this production, a SQL Server DBA (Rob Sullivan) and a developer (Rob Conery) take a deep dive into PostGreSQL (v9.1) and are surprised by just how capable, intelligent and *fast* PostGreSQL is.

Get Involved!

In this feature-length production, Scott Hanselman and Rob Conery offer suggestions and advice on how you can get out there, and get involved. Blogging, Twitter, Github, StackOverflow, User Groups and Conferences: get out there!

How To Go Out On Your Own as a Solo Developer

Always wanted to go out on your own as a solo programmer but don't know where to start? I can't help you with the psychological aspects, but I can give you a blueprint and a plan.