Girl Code audiobook

So. I didn't mean to take a 12 month hiatus from Goodreads. I also didn't mean to gain about 12 pounds over Christmas break, but both already happened. So, here I go, picking up where I left off, on vegetables and on book reviews.I figured I may as well start 2018 with a memoir, and Girl Code had a pretty cute cover, which seemed a good enough reason as any to pick up the book. I don't have any particular interest in computer science, nor can I even pretend to have an inkling of knowledge about coding. As far as gaming goes, the extent of my expertise ends with growing crops and matching colored jewels on the iPhone.At first, I thought I probably wasn't the target audience for Girl Code, but I learned pretty early on that it's really more a story of girl power than one requiring any degree of technological savviness. The story is told by two college aged females who smartly and humorously detail their experience in an all-female coding program that helped them launch Tampon Run, a game addressing the unspoken shame commonly associated with menstruation. United by a strong desire to creatively share their positions on various social female social issues, the authors used their game as a platform to encourage other females to find confidence and strength in the field of technology.What I liked about Girl Code was that it was endearing and funny, giving enough information about coding and gaming to create interest without actually getting deep enough into the subject to alienated readers that may not already have experience with either coding or gaming. The authors presented an inspirational voice that will likely resonate with younger female readers and the resources at the end of the book give adequate direction to those who wish to further pursue topics introduced throughout the story.There were rare parts of the book here and there that came off as awkwardly condescending, although it may have been missed attempts at humor. While I may have rolled my eyes a time or two in these sections, it certainly wasn't enough to distract from the overall message. I think Girl Code will likely be most enjoyed by high school aged females who can relate to the struggles that the authors expressed in finding life direction and identity in young adulthood. But, I do think that any female questioning her career decisions could find inspiration in this tale of girl power and success in the most unlikely of places. Girl Code was overall a solid start to 2018, and I'm not disappointed I took a chance based solely on a cute cover.

I stumbled across this book when looking for any coding books on my library app – turns out there aren’t that many. But actually, I’m really glad I ran across it as I found it such a relateable story. Sophie and Andy were two teenage girls who found themselves at a coding camp together and through that camp, they built a game called ‘Tampon Run’ which was intended to challenge the taboo of talking about periods when people are perfectly fine with guns and violence. The game was only really intended for a few people to see, but it ended up going viral and getting international attention.Partly a story about their experiences with the reaction to such a ‘controversial’ game, the part of the story I related most to was their experience of being a female in the world of coding.I was the only girl in most of my computing classes at school, I spent 8 years at my last company and I was the only woman who was ever on the development team, and although I’m really lucky that the place I work now has a more even gender balance, there’s still such a disparity in the dev world in general and it was great to hear about the more positive experiences that Sophie and Andy had.I really appreciated that the book was written by both girls. Although they both have a huge shared interest, they’re very different people and this book celebrates that. It’s also intensely personal in parts, with both girls opening up and sharing things about their private life which impacted on their coding life too.I’d guess this book was mainly aimed at young girls looking to get into coding, but actually I’d say it’s a valuable read for a much wider range of people than that – whoever you are, you’ll probably learn something.One of my favourite quotes from the book (although completely serious, it really made me laugh):Coding is like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for someone who has never heard of either ingredient, never opened a jar, or used a knife. You can’t just tell them to put jelly and peanut butter on a piece of bread and smush it together. You need to explain how to pick up the bread and how to pull it out of the packaging and then how to open the jar and how to pick up the knife… And if your steps don’t make sense, you get a coder’s worst nightmare: a bug, the programming term for when a program fails to run the way you expect it to. The bug will either make the computer follow the steps incorrectly (like trying to spread the peanut butter on the plate instead of the bread), or the program won’t run at all. Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/03/08/andrea-...

There are a lot of "irons in the fire" in "Girl Code": Coding culture, the story of two young women, & the taboo of menstruation as a conversational topic. Though I think it could have been easy to get lost a bit in those themes, authors Gonzales & Houser (also the subjects of the book) do a very good job of fleshing them all out and not letting their message get muddled.Basically, "Girl Code" tells the real-life story of how Sophie & Andy met at a special Girls Who Code camp. Though coming from totally different backgrounds, the female pairing formed a connection by collaborating on the final project of the camp, that being creating a game called "Tampon Run". The success of their small project "went viral", thrusting them into the spotlight of normalizing menstruation as well as being "ambassadors for coding females", of sorts.What I really like about "Girl Code" is the overwhelmingly positive message. Sure, Sophie & Andy endure trials throughout their journey (taking about menstruation in front of strangers was initially quite difficult, as was getting a handle on different coding styles/languages), but the overall message of the book is that girls can (and should) pursue a field that hasn't always been open or approving of them in the past.I also appreciate the message of normalizing menstruation (at least as much as is physically possible for my Y chromosome to comprehend :) ). This topic will likely discourage many boys/males from reading "Girl Code" at all, and that would be a shame, as I didn't find any of the material here to be overtly objectionable. In fact, I even found some of the anecdotes interesting, such as how a school in Texas allowed guns but not tampons onto school grounds, citing "potential for harm". Did I have the "initial cringe" upon hearing the subject matter of Tampon Run? Sure. But that is kind of the point here, as the authors then go on to explain why that occurs and what can be done to prevent that overwhelming negative or sexist response.Overall, I very much enjoyed Sophie & Andy's story in "Girl Code". In a world that seems to be beating down or trivializing young people/millenials at this time, it is great to see this pair of young women striving towards their goals and meeting them. As the duo would be the first say it isn't always easy, but through hard work and perseverance they have achieved a great deal of personal and professional success. An uplifting story, to be sure.

This is an adorable peek into the story behind Tampon Run, that computer game that went viral due to its creators willingness to use code to confront taboos surrounding menstruation. In their memoir, Andy and Sophie bravely describe what are probably typical mental hangups of teenage girls facing fears and limitations in what they are defined as being capable of. (I'm a generation older, and I recognized so many of those fears and imagined limitations.) They also describe their experiences at a Girls Who Code camp, and the opportunities following the worldwide exposure of Tampon Run. The book also includes a coding appendix to try some code for yourself. One of the most valuable lessons that Andy and Sophie learn, is that now more than ever, those limitations are fading into mist - and coding is the weapon doing the work. Why not seize it?

I hadn't heard of this book until my husband brought it up when I said I needed a young adult non-fiction. I can't believe I hadn't heard of it! This book is a gem. I wish I had read something like this when I was in high school. Not only are these two girls smart, but they are super relatable. I loved their attitudes throughout the book and how they reacted to different situations. I made me want to go code again! I highly recommend this book, especially to middle and high school girls. I hope this book will push more girls into STEM.

This was an inspiring read. I enjoyed reading about Andy and Sophie, their friendship, challenges and experiences. It was nice to read about two people who are human and living their life.If you are looking for a non-fiction book to read, pick this one up. Not only is it YA, it's a memoir and is about 2 girks who made a game that tackles a taboo topic (menstruation) and are thrown into a busy life of fame.

What a fun read! I appreciated the honesty the girls had with the hard work and lack of confidence they felt at times, and how they were able to overcome their insecurities. Bonus points for having step-by-step coding instructions in the back—that was a fantastic touch.

The true story of two girl (now women) coders and how they got into the field. They also address the difficulties women face in the tech field (including GamerGate) and in everyday life. Inspiring.

Wow what amazing girls. But I have to admit, I discovered, I am seriously "Coding Challenged"PopSugar Challenge 2020 - a book about or by a woman in STEM

OMG!!!!! I just might have to use this in my classroom! Squeeze over, Shakespeare! Andrea and Sophie are hopping on to my syllabus!!!