Git for Humans

A Book Apart #17

by David Demaree

"Git’s model of version control makes it indispensable for collaborating on digital projects of all stripes. Get situated with Git as David Demaree guides you through the command-line workflow, the nuances of repositories and branches, the elements of a solid commit message, and more. Pick up common version-tracking tasks, along with advice on trickier scenarios. You’ll learn how to put Git to work for you—and work better with your team." - Mandy Brown

Genres: Programming, Nonfiction, Design, Computer Science, Reference, Technology, Web

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, easy to read intro to git. I read it so I could recommend it to candidates I interview who have no git experience, and it will serve that purpose nicely.

[Sercan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of reading this book, use the page below to learn Git much better.

http://rogerdudler.github.io/git-guide/

[G. Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, easy to understand, excellent beginners book into understanding Git.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to approach an introduction to git from a fresh perspective. I read this to scout it for possible use by our team.

I liked that it uses the command line to teach and doesn't rely heavy on metaphor. I wish it spent more time using diff in the staging and commit process. Rather than suggesting `-am`, I would have liked to see an explanation of `-p`.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tries to teach how to use Git to someone who doesn't know what a versioning tool is in more or less 100 pages.
While the book succed to illustrate why a versioning tool is useful if not essential and how to use branches and tags fall short in the Git department where it shows only the basic commands, without mentioning 'blame', the most used command in every versioning tool.

[Gregthory LeBaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last I can use git.

[Alessandro Muraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to git, super recommended

[Alfredo Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es justo el libro que necesitaba leer en el momento en que lo necesitaba leer. El problema es que siento que no todos estamos en esta situación y puede parecer extraño leer este libro.
Creo que está dirigido a alguien que ya tiene problemas en un control de versiones casero o que ha tenido que enfrentarse a usar Git en el trabajo aún sin entender su verdadero funcionamiento, usando comandos ciegamente esperando que nada salga mal y que el equipo no pierda el trabajo.
En fin que es injusto decir que es un libro complejo porque es una tarea heróica explicar una abstracción del tamaño de Git, pero creo que Demaree lo hace bastante bien si uno es paciente y está dispuesto a releer algunas páginas hasta que le quede claro todo el asunto.
No creo que sea un must, pero para mí fue una lectura bastante especial y enriquecedora, pero insisto, en el momento adecuado.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got into it I ended up mostly skimming the middle parts this book, as I am far from a git beginner. Seems like a very helpful and detailed book for someone learning about git for the first time. However, the History chapter with its tips on writing good commit messages is worth a read even for the very experienced.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very beginner friendly and details the how and the why as opposed to only listing commands to run. I’ve used git for a few years now and feel like I finally grok what’s happening behind the scenes. I appreciate the focus placed on using the command line instead of relying on a GUI.

[Venkatesh-Prasad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great first book on Git. It covers the essential features of Git required to start using Git. The simple and easy exposition style combined with really short examples makes the content really accessible.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seriously made Git make sense. I had read dozens of articles, watch hours of videos, and screwwed up several projects until I found this. No other humans has explained Git as David has! Must read!

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Git을 처음 써보는 사람은 유용하게 읽을 수 있다. 터미널같은 명령행 프롬프트를 사용하는 법부터 가르쳐준다.

[Arnold Saputra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great simple book about how GIT works. It's better to look at youtube video because, reading coding in book are hard to follows.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected and below my knowledge but nevertheless a good intro to git, though a bit outdated a decade later

[Pastori · Rating 3 out of 5]

While important for designers, falls short on how to use Git in different ways.

[Amy Berish]

I think it would be useful resource to use in conjunction with the Codeacademy course. I thought the first 3 chapters were the most useful because they provide a good foundation for using Git. My idea was that I would have liked to read the first two or three chapters either before or while taking the Codeacademy course. As I was taking the Codeacademy course I was missing some context and was just following directions – this book would have given me a better sense of how Git fits into project workflows that would have aided in my overall understanding of version control.

Demaree’s writing style also gave the book major points. It’s sort of a continuous back and forth of either praising or cursing the complexity and usability of Git – which mirrored my feelings as I was learning it. :) Sometimes it’s just nice to hear that you’re struggling with something because it’s actually confusing – not just because you are new to it. Demaree also uses plain language to describe the functions of Git – this was probably one of the more understandable descriptions of version control (in general) and Git that I have come across in my own research. I also liked that he didn’t just cover the definitions of commits and branches – but explained how to use them, when to use them, and how to name them. I know when I began this process one of my main questions regarding Git was how often to commit changes. In chapters 4 and 5, Demaree gives a general, yet fulfilling, explanation of how to do this. He explains the purpose of commits/branches and the different ways they can be useful depending on the complexity of the project (i.e. using the log as a history of the project or interpreting merged branches that were all contributed by different people).

The intro was super encouraging and provides the correct mindset for jumping into something like this. Also, css was used to explain some parts of Git which was helpful so long as the reader is familiar with css

[Lindsay Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Git is a tool that everyone likes to think they understand, but it's one of those things that will throw off even some of the most experienced developers from time to time. I enjoyed David's human-first approach to explaining the topics he covers in this book, rather than filling the pages with technical jargon, he outlines everything from the perspective of real-life working scenarios. His approachable way of explaining Git will make sense to a newbie, and also serve as a great refresher and gap-filler for more experienced devs.

[Darien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to git and a very quick read. While I knew most of the topics covered, I'll definitely keep this around for junior developers that need a better grasp of git.