OK, I know I'm talking about the prep for the interview after I already posted about the interview, but you don't usually get this much activity on my website so don't complain. :)

Before I went to the first Microsoft interview at Waterloo, I borrowed several books from IBM’s library about data structures and algorithms as part of my preparation. The IBM library is a sight to behold. There are shelves upon shelves of books that are shelved by the Dewey decimal system (as you would expect). However, most of the books have the exact same number because almost all the books are about programming. It’s almost the perfect library. If you threw in some books about quantum mechanics, and Roman history it would be flawless (it already has books about chaos theory!).

The first interview wasn’t especially technical, but I expected that the second one would be, so I brushed up on my material again. I really liked this book called, "Fundamentals of Computer Algorithms". It was a good reference. The book looks really old, but it’s not a big deal since fundamental computer algorithms haven’t changed too much. When I finished reading it, I noticed an actual library card at the back of the book. How archaic. :) I don’t think I’ve signed out a book with a library card since elementary school. The entry on this card was made in 1979! That was before I was born! I wonder what the people who signed out the book back then do now. They're almost certainly not writing much code anymore. You know, I'm not really that young anymore, but thinking about what my life will be like in 25 years is almost unimaginable. What do you think you'll be doing in 25 years?