New Book: Data-Oriented Programming

All of the topics in the TOC look... interesting? I guess. But here's some blunt feedback: why would I want to learn this? Your language is all about changing the way you think - but that sounds like a LOT of work. Why would I want to do that? There's a lot of description of steak here, very little sizzle.

I may be overindexing, but it feels like you're falling into a hype trap. When I'm learning something new, I don't want to "disrupt" my mental models! That is very painful, and has all kinds of knock-on consequences. Will I have to throw away things I'm working on now? Will I still be able to communicate with people doing things the old way? Etc.

My point isn't to get specific answers, it's to express my emotional reaction to your leading copy. Also, it hits my ego a bit because it implies how I've been thinking about things is totally wrong.

The tone also implies some very strong claims. Even if I accept that your way is clearly superior, that assumes I can learn your models as well as I know my own. Realistically, I maybe absorb 80% of a concept, even after deep study.

If I take 80% of a new mental model that requires me to throw away old ones, I would be very confused. That makes me reluctant to try this, especially since it's not clear yet that your models are even workable. (Whereas my old ways of thinking, even if not "modern", have yielded a pretty good career.)

My suggestion: focus on attaching new concepts to existing scaffolding, rather than asking users to throw away what they knew before. That's bold marketing copy, but sets up your content for failure. Let's build something off what I know, and eventually pull a Theseus' ship of knowledge, rather than burning my ships as soon as I reach your shores.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness. Happy to chat more (after this week) if you want me to reach out.

Let me know what you think about a the book TOC and first chapters.