Latest software development read

Just finished a great book - My Job Went to India

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Job-Went-India-Pragmatic-Programmers/dp/0976694018/sr=8-1/qid=1171371870/ref=sr_1_1/203-6148889-5229536?ie=UTF8&s=books

Not as xenophobic as it sounds, in fact not at all. Another excellent book by the pragmatic programmers.

Basically its a discussion of software development in the current climate. The main focus is on the current outsourcing fashion, what that means for western developers and how to compete with someone with a similar skill set on paper who costs 1/10 of what you cost.

My favorite bit was early on:
Imagine you set up a new company to build a single product. The whole companies future depends on the success of this product, if it fails the company goes bust.
What would you do in that situation?
Would you do some market research to make sure there was a viable market for the product?
Would you check out the competition?
Would you invest pretty carefully to make sure you got the product right?

As a developer your skill set is your only product.
Are you giving it the focus it deserves?

I have always had a very strong focus on skills, but this analogy really seemed to drive the point home.

Another very valid point he raises is learning a totally new language, not necessarily to use it, but more for the additional insight it will give you in applying you usual toolset.

This is like top class sports performers, who often train their opposite side (eg orthodox boxers training southpaw). Not because they expect to use it, but for the insight.

[This doesn't always work - I broke my right arm in a motorbike crash, so had to learn to write left handed, my right handed hand writing is still rubbish]

I’m thinking of having another look at Smalltalk or maybe ruby, what about you (and dont be trying to pass off looking at VB.net from VBA as some kind of mind expanding leap)?

Cheers

Simon