Thirty-nine years old, laid off from a bookstore, and working in the backroom of a grocery, Sean Rogers thought the time was right to start his career as a software developer. The only problem: he knew nothing about technology. Just the opposite, he held on to CD players and flip phones long past the point of prudence.

Enter Tech Elevator, an in-person coding boot camp boasting a 92% job placement. Welcome to 14 weeks of intensive education, larger-than-life characters, and a bumbling yet inspiring attempt at becoming a programmer.

As more people than ever begin looking for new careers, interest in coding boot camps has surged as a replacement for the traditional four-year degree. Refactored: My Attempt at Breaking into Tech During the Rise of the Coding Boot Camp is a wild, funny, stressful insider’s look on a movement that is changing the face of education the world over.