Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success

This book was great fun. As a random pickup at the library, I didn't expect much but it actually spoke to me on several levels. Firstly, the writing was fun and quick to read : the book does not bury the reader under dense text. Secondly, I truly felt a kindred spirit in the author's story. While I did not drop out of school, I very much understood and related to much of his thoughts and feelings (and methodologies) regarding learning and education. What is most interesting is that I didn't even realize that he was involved in software testing when I picked up the book, I just thought a book about well educated pirates would be interesting :-)

Quite a good read, but the format irked me a bit. The self-learning tips were scattered amongst his personal remembrances - previous jobs, tellings off by school teachers etc - which diminished their impact. The author sounds like a very interesting guy, but I'd prefer that element to be separate.

Aside from that, some really useful tips on self-propelled learning. The constant buccaneer/pirate lingo became increasingly tiresome though as it went on: frequently thought, "I know there's a point hidden away in this 'set sail for XYZ Cove & gather your booty' nonsense."

This is the most inspiring book on education and self-advancement I have ever read. Buy it. It read it. Now!