To be a good programmer is difficult and noble. The hardest part of making real a collective vision of a software project is dealing with one's coworkers and customers. Writing computer programs is important and takes great intelligence and skill. But it is really child's play compared to everything else that a good programmer must do to make a software system that succeeds for both the customer and myriad colleagues for whom she is partially responsible. Learn how to be a programmer from this short, comprehensive, and personal summary by Robert L Read

Source: http://samizdat.mines.edu/howto/HowToBeAProgrammer.html