"Propelled" by Andreas Elpidorou

Review by Borodutch

"Propelled" is another book that could have been an article. The author's main idea is that boredom, frustration, and anticipation are essential for progress and creativity. When we are bored, our mind tries to find something more useful to do. When we are frustrated, we learn and grow (especially when we're children). When we are anticipating something, it energizes us for action.

Even though I agree with the book's points, I'm reluctant to recommend the title to others. However, I did find it fascinating that I've been telling all developers I've ever worked with that programming is an art of dealing with frustration. If you don't feel frustrated, you aren't growing — and for coders, this isn't good. I got way more justification and references from Andreas now.

On the other hand, "Propelled" is short enough to consume in a day or so — which is always a plus. But I'm sure you won't miss much if you read a summary of the book!