Aaron Sumner

Everyday Rails I've blogged at Left of the Dev (formerly Everyday Rails) since 2010. It's about whatever's grabbing my attention right now as a software developer, with a healthy blend of pragmatic and fun.
Everyday Rails Testing with RSpec Get productive with test-driven development in Rails with Everyday Rails Testing with RSpec! Learn how to test with confidence through core fundamentals and simple, readable tests that pass.
Testing Rails from Scratch Learn to test Ruby on Rails apps using (mostly) what the framework provides in Testing Rails from Scratch, a practical, (mostly) out-of-the-box approach to test-driven development.
Bandageman Studios Bandageman Studios is my extremely serious video game empire. Or maybe it's just an excuse for me to learn video game development through silly little games about obscure Pacific Northwest cryptids, and/or my dog.
Sound Refound is an online gallery of promotional flyers for concerts—you know, the ones we used to see stapled to electric posts, fences, and anywhere bills could be posted. I've collected these over the years, primarily in the Lawrence, Kansas, and Seattle, Washington areas.
Low Overhead Industries Low Overhead Industries is my woodworking side project, currently focused on fun trinkets created from ordinary scrap wood. Just a lightly-populated online shop for now, hopefully more in 2026.

Biography

photo of the author

I'm Aaron Sumner: Hackity-hack woodworker, low-and-slow cooker, tiny-scale gardener, Jayhawk, run/walk/runner, and cat herder, currently residing in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. Also: A former league bowler and Olympic speed walker.

I still write a lot of code in my role as a Software Engineering Manager at O’Reilly Media. I also write about writing software as an independent technical author at Left of the Dev.

Previous stops include Astoria, Oregon; Lawrence, Kansas; Seattle, Washington; and Jersey County, Illinois.

All of the above statements are true.