Programmers at Work
 Front cover Tempus Books reprint (1989) | |
| Author | Susan Lammers |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Computer Programming |
| Publisher | Microsoft Press (1986 edition), 8080 Books/Simon & Schuster (2026 edition) |
| Publication date | 1986 (first edition) 1989 (Tempus Books reprint) 2026 (40th anniversary edition) |
| ISBN | 978-1556152115 (first edition) ISBN 979-8993755304 (40th anniversary edition) |
Programmers at Work is a collection of technical interviews with nineteen prominent software developers from the early personal computer era. The interviews, published by Microsoft Press in 1986, were designed to capture the personalities and driving forces behind the development of innovative algorithms, computer systems, application software, and video games, while also exploring larger topics such as ethics and the future of computing. The book focuses primarily on the achievements software developers were able to accomplish within the limits of 16-bit computing architectures, including the IBM Personal Computer and Apple Macintosh.
The in-person interviews were conducted by the book’s author and editor, Susan Lammers. Lammers was an early Microsoft employee who became Editor-in-Chief of Microsoft Press in the mid-1980s.
The original collection of interviews was published on June 26, 1986. In 2026, a 40th anniversary edition of the book was released by 8080 Books and Simon & Schuster with a new preface by Lammers. The 2026 edition seeks to demonstrate how the lessons learned from early programmers are still relevant today, especially in topics related to software design, computer architecture, and creativity.