My first experiences with programming must have been very different than his, with respect to the first section in particular. I always knew that programming was supposed to be hard - I grew up knowing no programmers, teaching myself the esoteric art of C++ from a copy of "Sams Teach Yourself Visual C++ 6 in 21 Days". So when I understood it reasonably well, I felt I must be above average. Indeed, I've never felt the feelings of "frustration and discomfort" he references. Instead, I have always had to battle with my hubris in thinking that I'm that much better than the programmers around me.