Robert Read has written a concise, pithy, and relevant guide to How to be a Programmer. I wish I could organize my thoughts like this. It’s a down-to-earth walkthrough of all sorts of different skills that make a good programmer, from the technical (how to optimize loops; how to utilize embedded languages) to the personal (how to recognize when to go home) to the inter-personal (how to deal with difficult people; how to be widely trusted). Highly recommended.