Paint and Programming

Book excerpt: The software that changes the world will be human. While most software engineers focus on learning to code in languages like Python and Java, learning tools like AWS, and keeping up with trendy tech like AI, there is an overlooked fact: code must be meaningful. It must be human. Your career must fulfill you, and your products must fulfill your users. It's hard to achieve that. This book guides you through the thousands of years of history and philosophy of crafting meaning. In other words, art. We'll talk about Da Vinci, Picasso, Van Gogh, and dozens of others. By the end, you will understand how simple paint on a canvas has resonated with the hearts and minds of millions, served Gods and Kings, and sold for hundred of millions of dollars. It is a curious phenomenon, isn't it? We will understand art deeper than any other engineer or developer. Through art, we will discover unconventional, mind-bending, yet life-changing advice on writing amazing code, building valuable software, and taking advantage of the latest technology like artificial intelligence. And we will know how to be fulfilled and successful with our work in technology. Author Rohan Agarwal is a FAANG software engineer, published AI researcher, and trained artist who exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.