I was going to add this book to my list of one-pagers but then I decided against it. (a) because much of the planning stage of the book is outdated. (b) in the last 12 years Silicon Valley has played a much more influential role in defining the interview process. (c) as I previously wrote of resumes, github, and social scoring. (d) it fails to include modern languages or at least a discussion on the pros/cons of the different languages. It might actually be time for version 2. (e) there was focus on fermi-type problems. (f) some of the text seemed contemptuous in tone and diction.

What I did like was the inclusion of detailed questions and answers. In many ways I felt like a dungeon master preparing for battle with the players.

The book was intended for the job seeker, however, I wish there were a book for the hiring manager. While smart and get’s things done is an interesting book it fails to be a true guide book. If you owned a business would you defer your hiring selection or veto process to the most junior contributors?

“programming pearls” is probably a better book for “problems”.