Hey there!
Though New Year’s resolutions have never played an important role in my life, I am now taking this occasion of a new year to purposely resolve to read more books. I already love reading, but the goal for 2018 is to read a new book every week. As I am interested in too many disciplines to focus on one specific area, I need a wild mix of recommendations.
That's why I'd like to hear from you
what are your must-read books about the tech industry (in general), computer science, programming, web dev, software engineering, digital culture and so forth?
Feel free to post anything that is in any way related to tech, computer, software, and algorithms ..... Technical and non-technical.
I'll publish a curated list afterwards, if you'd like. I too browsed through the different book related posts here on dev.to (like programming books, software books and technology related books), which I will include in my miscellany of recommended books.
So far the list includes the following top-2018-books that were recommended by twitter fellows and techie-friends (if any of you is interested):
Software & Web Dev
Progressive Web Apps
by Dean Alan HumeCamel in Action
by by Claus Ibsen & Jonathan AnsteyProgramming Pearls
by Jon BentleyCracking the Coding Interview: 150 Programming Questions and Solutions
by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Math
- A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley
Tech Industry und The Digital & Information Age in General
Chaos Monkeys: Inside the Silicon Valley money machine
by Antonio García Martínez (previously Facebook and Twitter advisor)Weapons of Math Destruction
by Cathy O'NeilPax Technica
by Philip N. HowardThe Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created The Digital Revolution
by Walter IsaacsonThis Machine Kills Secrets
by Andy GreenbergThe Open Organisation
by Jim Whitehurst (Red Hat CEO)Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
by Nick BostromThe Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
by Nicholas CarrThe Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires
by Tim Wu
Data
We Are Data: Algorithms and The Making of Our Digital Selves
by John Cheney-LippoldBeing Digital Citizens
by Engin Isin & Evelyn Ruppert
Management and Leadership
Brave Leadership
by Kimberly DavisThe Greatest Gift
by Victor AntonioHigh Performance Habits
by Brendon BurchardPeopleware: Productive Projects and Teams
by by Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister
Other
Event Driven: How to Run Memorable Tech Conferences
by Leah SilberRobot-Proof - Higher Education in the age of Artificial Intelligence
by Joseph Aoun
Reading a book every week is a lot easier than you think. This is a very cool write-up, in case you're interested.😊
Top comments (90)
I really like The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim. It's been on a few reading lists but I think it belongs on all of them 🙃
Jess, this book really should be on everyone's list. It's common sense but is rarely followed by most companies. I had a fun time reading this book, and even lol'd a few times. Definitely a captivating and insightful read.
So, The Phoenix Project now def got a number one place on my list.
The phoenix project should be a must read for all techies.
I do think that it should come with a trigger warning for anyone who has spent time as a sysadmin in a large company! The first third of the book was REALLY hard for me to read, as I’ve literally lead that life.
After you’ve read The Phoenix Project, you should really read The Goal. The audio book is great - it’s like a radio play.
The Phoenix Project is such a great book. I can't remember how many times I have read it but every time I pick it up I can't stop reading it.
I loved this book so much so that I purchased two copies
They liked the book and waiting to see if I can slowly introduce changes :)
Just finished reading this. It's so spot on about managing the workflow and basically everything!
When I googled that book I immediately had the urge to put on top of my reading list. Thanks.
Hello Rebecca,
This is my list:
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design
The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction, Second Edition
Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software
This is a great list, and goes along with mine! Just add these:
Also, you or any other fellow coder can add me on GoodReads.com, as I try to keep it up to date: goodreads.com/user/show/25825857-a...
I've recently bought the first 2 on this list and have to say there are so many comments which crack me up. It's refreshing when the authors give a bit of "let's get real" and explain the theory vs the reality.
YAY! Thanks for your list - aaaand the links. I put them on my wish list immediately; just in case Amazon decides to give me a Christmas present or something! 😄
Glad that my list got on your wish list.
Happy reading.
definetely +=1 for Design patterns.
Thanks for the titles you spotted, I'll totally check some of them. I would take a look at Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld which is a book by Jeffrey Carr (O'Reilly) about the modern tech context in politics around the world aaand Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age by Pekka Himanen, with prologue written by Linus Torvalds. It describes a new "ethic" or value system from the hackers' point of view.
I just googled them. And oh yep, both of them seem to be a pretty good read about the complex domain of cyberspace, and the players and strategies involved.
Makes me even more excited about all the books I'm gonna read. 😁
Rebecca, I'm always looking for great books too, and while searching I came across this site:
dev-books.com/
It compiles the mentions of said book on stack overflow and lists them as most mentioned to least. I've bought most of the top 10 and read the following:
-Head First Design Patterns
-Design Patterns
-Code Complete 2
I've also go these in the queue:
-Working Effectively with Legacy Code
-Clean Code
Now, this doesn't mean these are must-reads, but so far I haven't been disappointed.
I've never heard of dev-books.com/, but just browsed through it. It's brilliant! I will def have a second look at it. 🙌
True, must-reads are always ... ehm, how you say it, impartial?! .... depending on ones personal liking, though there are some classics that everybody should've read, I think! 😊
Similarly I recently came across Reddit favorites, which collects mentions within Reddit.
Computer Science Distilled - Learn the art of solving computational problems by Wladston Ferreira Filho.
ngBook2 - fullstack.io
react native - fullstack.io
I am really curious about Computer Science Distilled as it is described as a "walkthrough of computer science concepts you must know. Designed for readers who don't care for academic formalities, it's a fast and easy computer science guide." ✌️
The books I had to read in university were .... ehm, I don't know, partly outmoded?! 😅
I'm really enjoying it so far, but I'm still in the early parts of it. Perhaps I'll post a review of the book once I'm nearly through with it.
For the price and length, there isn't a lot of risk to getting it and keeping it in your travel bag or work desk.
Writing a review is a great idea. 👌 I always read reviews before buying a book, since most of them are pretty expensive.
But you're right; for this price and length, there isn't a lot of risk to getting it. Agreed! 😄
One thing to note is that even though it's free shipping at the moment, I had to pay an customs tax when it came in from the US. It wasn't a lot, probably the rate of local shipping.
Hey! My first post on dev.to. That's my book :) I'm so honored you mentioned it! Please, let me know how you liked it after you're done reading. Rebecca, it was designed primarily for people who are having their first contact with computer science. Still, more advanced coders have read it and enjoyed, because it provides a nice overview of important topics. If you read it, please send me your feedback as well :)
No way? Wow, that's stunning. 😍 Yes, as soon as I'm through with it, I'll send you my feedback for sure.
I've started my "resolution" in August 2014, to read more books. Since then I've had amazing experience with books. '15-'17 I've read 100+ books each year.
But I'm ashamed to say none tech related!
Reading more tech related books has been a plan of mine but never found the idea more compelling than reading non technical books.
Thanks for the list. This might be just the list to get me reading more!
WOW! 100+ books each year? Stunning! 👏
I once read that it doesn't matter what kind of books you read, as longs as you read.
But anyway, you're welcome! 😊
Oh yes, if anyone reads this and is thinking about getting into reading, I highly recommend reading books that aren't related to the tech field. Fiction and non-fiction, even if you love tech books.
But since I already read, it be cool if 1 out of 5 was a tech book :)
Though, the best advice on how to get more reading done is to read just what you like reading and sooner or later you'll get around reading the "must reads" (if there are such books)
Personally I'd love reading more on this topic, keep it up :)
You didn't read the tech books because we kind of read them more thoroughly? I feel that I need to dive deeper if the book is technical. It's like reading 100 fiction books and 100 technical books are two different challenges and reading 100 books is more challenging. At least that's how I feel.
Maybe, but honestly not. I read non-technical non-fiction. I read few classic philosophy books, like Plato's republic and so on. The truth is I found them to be very interesting and personally useful that spending time reading tech books when I could read these other books always felt like a waist of time. Not saying it is a waist of time but honestly that's how I'd explain the rational behind my decision.
Technical books might be more challenging but I haven't even tried to read them !
We are talking about non coding books, right? We aren't talking about books like eloquent javascript, they are "a must", they are just long form tutorials (like, if anyone knows if there's a book on Elm, please let me know)
It's like, if you love coffee, the idea that you could be drinking something else that would have the same effect doesn't even interest you.
There are a couple books on ELM, I'm writing a post about ELM where I want to share my recent discoveries. It will be ready tomorrow or maybe a little bit later. I found a couple of books and a couple of great video courses about elm.
That's cool, I'll definitely check that post out.
Since you seem to know about this: I found a video series on Elm on youtube, does the fact that it's a year old (I think) matter? Even the books must be based on earlier versions of elm, would I still benefit from them?
Thanks
I made a post. There are a couple of video courses that are fresh you can check them out, as for books I think you can start reading Elm in action. It's not even finished yet, so it's fresh.
P.S. No, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm beginner. But I feel like I'm moving in the right direction that I'm learning Elm.
If I could only recommend one book whenever anyone asks, that book would be The Anatomy of Peace. It changed my mindset and made somethings that maybe should be obvious but aren't really clear very practical and apparent. I highly recommend it. I can change your life.
Along those same lines, I'd also recommend Crucial Conversations, The Power of Habit, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, and The Happiness Advantage.
I haven't read very many technical books, to be honest. Clean Code is really good, but between school and work, I don't really want to spend more time reading technical things than I already do. That should change when I graduate, though. Even still, I'm hoping to dive into Clean Architecture this year.
Wow, that are some fascinating and refreshing books. Thank you! ✌️
Clean Code & Clean Architecture seem to be some classics, since they are recommended a lot. Gotta give it go then! 😊
I've read all "Clean" series by Uncle Bob.
Clean Architecturehas been mostly challenging due to having so many acronyms thrown here and there.CodingBlocks guys has covered the almost entired book in their series of podcast episodes.
CodingBlocks Clean Archiectecture tag
It's easier to understand those eps if you had skimmed through the book
I would recommend Deep Work by Cal Newport "Rules for focused success in a distracted world". Just in general good for getting into better productivity habits.
The Leprechauns of Software Engineering by Laurent Bossavit. Dispels some myths about the software industry, and teaches his own methods to do the same.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz and Kevin Kenerly
American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton and Will Damron
Blood Sweat Pixel by Jason Schreier
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by David Thomas, Andrew Hunt
Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual by John Z. Sonmez
Wow, Justin, thanks for this list. They do sound interesting, and I'm especially curious about the Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual.
I heard a lot about The pragmatic programmer, so I think I have to have a closer look at this classic one. 😏
I went through the list to see if anyone recommended "The pragmatic programmer" or not :) I am almost done with it and its really enlightening. It forces you to revisit those basic fundamental topics with a very different perspective.
I read Cathy O'Neil's Weapons of Math Destruction last year and endorse it.
I have Becoming Functional, React: Up and Running, Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and Git for Groups on my desk right now. Just need to throw time at it.
Yay! So I'm really curious about Weapons of Math Destruction. Seven languages in Seven Weeks?! Woah, that does sound interesting .... curious about the promised hands-on tour through each language. 😲
I think you should read these two wonderful books from o'reilly in 2018.
First one discusses machine learning from scratch. Second one has knowledge of bitcoin & blockchain in depth. For all developers looking to improve their future skills, these are good
For the coming year, here's what I have so far:
Apart from these, I have plans to learn more on design patterns, and probably a couple more languages, so I'll keep having more books to read :)
I've heart a lot about these books as well! So yeah, we should probably read aaall of them. 😊
A friend of mine got 'The Pragmatic Programmer' as a christmas present, I already asked him if I could borrow it for my upcoming 2018-book-project. YAY! 😊
Might be a bit heavy but I really liked:
I know the last two are about subject being taught at a CS degree but those books covered it in a higher level
I like challenging books! 😏 Will def give it a try.
Thank you!
Some I've started reading, some I've only bought. But these are definitely on my to-read list.
Leadership/management:
The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change
Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager
Algorithms:
Algorithms To Live By
Introduction to Algorithms
Other:
Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech
Yay! Thanks a lot.
I already bought Algorithms to Live By, but eh haven't read it yet. 😅 I'm really excited about the other ones you recommended, especially Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech.
Hey Rebecca!
These are the two books I'm looking forward to the most:
Yay Tara! This sounds good. 😊 I'm bound to read both of them .... particularly 'Serious Cryptography'. I haven't been exposed to it as well, but it's like all the cool kids are doing it, so yeah, I'll check it out. 😄