
Retirement and Realignment - MikusR
http://www.charlespetzold.com/blog/2018/09/RetirementAndRealignment.html
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ryandrake
It’s hard to overstate how much of a critical resource Programming Windows was
to this C programmer straight out of university with only Unix skills, needing
to find a programming job (which, back then were ALL Windows). The spine on my
copy disintegrated and I had it spiral bound, and probably still have it on a
shelf somewhere, it having survived several apartment moves. I didn’t realize
he was still at Microsoft. Jeez! I thought he’d be kicking it in the Caribbean
living on royalties by now!

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taude
Lots of fond memories Programming Windows 95 with his book at my desk and the
Codewright (I think that's what it was called) editor on my computer (pre-
Visual Studio days).

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clarkevans
I love Charle's book, Code. Thank you for writing it.

[http://www.charlespetzold.com/books/#code](http://www.charlespetzold.com/books/#code)

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robgering
Code is just phenomenal.

For those who haven't read it, the book is essentially about how computers
work, from first principles up to integrated circuits and high-level
programming languages. What makes the book special is the excellent writing:
it has an engaging, conversational style, and is accessible to a non-technical
audience.

If he's taking more time for himself (and hopefully, to write more books, as
indicated in the post), that's awesome.

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newscracker
> I am making these decisions so that I can shift my full attention to a long-
> term project to write several books on various milestones in the historical
> foundations of computing, of which The Annotated Turing was the first and
> Computer of the Tides will (I hope) be the second.

I wasn't aware of The Annotated Turing. Can't wait to read these. Must be
awesome coming from someone who has taught and guided millions.

> And who knows? Perhaps my best and most enduring work is yet to come!

Of course, can't think of it any other way!

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lalos
Congrats to Charles and loved his last sentence: "And who knows? Perhaps my
best and most enduring work is yet to come!".

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barking
If he produces something better than either Code or The Annotated Turing he'll
be doing very well. I'm almost tempted to buy that ancient Windows book he
wrote except that I have more than enough things I ought to read already.

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baus
I suspect many careers and projects were started by copying the event loop out
of Programming Windows.

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spenrose
The Annotated Turing might be assigned in college classes 100 years from now.
It is an excellent exegesis of a landmark in mathematical history—in history,
period: [http://theannotatedturing.com](http://theannotatedturing.com)

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ww520
I still remember the first Windows programming book I read. It's Charles
Petzold's Programming Windows. It was amazing. Really showed how Windows work.

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chris_wot
Same here! The guy is amazing

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syndacks
Congratulations. I think it's commendable you are going to spend the next
phase of your life writing books for others to learn from.

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RickJWagner
34 year career, WOOT!

Good for the author. I hope retirement is fulfilling, long and well-financed.

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kwhitefoot
Thanks for all the help your books have given me. Enjoy your retirement.

