Shaun Gallagher
Author - Software Engineer - Fast Typer

Books


Experimenting With Babies

Experimenting With Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Kid is a collection of safe, easy, informative science experiments adapted from published academic research in various fields of child development. It's a great, inexpensive gift for new parents!

Experimenting With Babies has sold more than 70,000 copies and inspired the plot of an episode of "The Big Bang Theory."

Correlated

Correlated: Surprising Connections Between Seemingly Unrelated Things is a collection of mind-blowing statistics and crazy connections adapted from Correlated.org, a website I created that publishes bizarre correlations. This surprising and very funny book presents correlations based on daily polls and statistical analysis. You'll never look at poll results or scientific sound bites the same way again!

Experiments for Newlyweds

Experiments for Newlyweds: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform With Your Spouse contains fifty science projects, all adapted from real academic research in fields such as psychology, game theory, and more, designed for couples to complete together. Makes a perfect wedding gift for spouses who want to learn more about each other and discover ways to strengthen their relationship.

Experimenting With Kids

Experimenting With Kids: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Child Ages 2-5 picks up where Experimenting With Babies leaves off, presenting perfectly harmless science experiments you can do on your preschooler. The projects — all adapted from real published research — reveal insights about different areas of mental, physical, and social growth.

Writing About Software Engineering


Lower the interest rate on your technical debt

Avoid the 'balloon loan' trap by applying lessons from the consumer loan world

On compassionate code review

How to build up and encourage code authors during the review process

You can thrive in a high-paying career without being money-driven

What if making money is not one of your top goals? And what if you happen to stumble into a high-paying career nonetheless?

Instead of a 'Manager README,' consider a 'Manager WIP PR'

A README implies a one-way flow of solidified information, but a WIP PR implies a collaborative, evolving guide.

Is well-written code more like poetry or prose?

Poetry is beautiful, evocative, crisp. But straightforward prose is a better model for collaborative software development.

The tech pipeline problem misrepresents the pipe

Companies can't make excuses for lack of diversity by blaming it on lack of candidates in the pipeline.

TRU Estimates, a better alternative to story points

Story points compress information about effort in an inherently confusing way. TRU Estimates allows effort to be communicated in a way that clears up the confusion.

Tips for working from home during the coronavirus crisis

Suggestions for how to weather the storm, by a long-time remote worker.

Programming metaphors for theological concepts

Using code to represent various understandings of salvation, sacraments, etc.

Resume


Traditional resumes are fine, and if you'd like to view my work history in the standard way, I provide a link to a PDF.

However, resumes don't have to be boring and static.

I created some alternate, more interactive ways to represent my work history:

  • as a timeline with annotations
  • as a treemap
  • via SQL queries
  • in the style of a Super Mario Bros. world map

To view these, check out my Resume page.

Websites and apps


Other projects


"Mirror Messages" T-shirt designs

Strangers might do a double-take when they see the backwards writing on these designs, but when you look in the mirror, you'll see gentle reminders and affirmations: "Behave Yourself," "You've Got This," and "Lookin' Good!"

About


Shaun Gallagher, a former magazine and newspaper editor, is the author of four non-fiction books.

He's also a software engineer and lives in northern Delaware with his wife and children.

Contact Shaun