Not to mention the fact that in many offices, even high-end ones, there just aren't any comfortable places to sit or just be for eight hours, including you're own "ergonomic" chair. It's hard to overstate how fatiguing this can be. Home is everyone's most comfortable place, and if you can leave the computer for a few minutes to ruminate on the sofa, or do the dishes, or walk around the block, it can substantially extend your hours of effectiveness and alertness.
I don't think this guy's message is all that complicated. He simply advises a little self-awareness and to not go around acting like your shit has no odor.
Agreed. I'm currently half-way through the latest edition. It is extremely interesting, well-written, thoughtful, and intelligent. What a fascinating era that was.
Ha, I was exactly in the same boat you're in. First, since you specifically mentioned the word 'engineer', you'll want to think like one and train yourself like one. If you haven't done so already, build up your math skills to at least a solid understanding of undergraduate calculus. This will pay massive dividends, and may very well expand your programming horizons, but that is another matter. Also important is a good grasp of the first semester or two of college physics if you don't possess this already. Physics, like math, not only blows your mind but provides the intellectual foundation you'll need to press on into the depths of EE. Use the MIT OpenCourseWare curriculum for structure and perspective. The book for the 'Circuits and Electronics' course: 'Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits' is one of the finest textbooks I have ever read in any topic. But in addition to all this theory you'll need hands-on activities. If you're just starting out in electronics, humble yourself and read 'Make:Electronics' by O'Reilly publishing. A great practical introduction to electronics. Good luck.
What alarms me is the kinds of people who have co-opted the term 'engineer' to describe themselves. For example, the guy in my company who's job is to verify that anchor tags inside web pages point to the correct URLs, confirm that a site's layout adheres to a .psd, and to make sure that jQuery-powered divs appear and hide as they should. His title?... 'Senior QA Engineer'.