“Wow” Books
April 8th, 2008 Posted in essays, programming, reading
Here is a short list of books that led me to a breakthrough in one way or another in my understanding of programming.
I’ve read a lot of other good books on programming – many of them more technical than what I list here, and some eye-opening in their own right. The books on this list were different though. These books were beyond educational; they provided some transcendental insight or stimulated a leap in my thinking. They are listed in no particular order, with an exception at the very end of this post.
- Refactoring
- Extreme Programming Explained
- The Pragmatic Programmer
- Code Complete
- Programming Pearls
- Software Tools
- Programming Perl
Finally, the most valuable “book” on programming I ever read is actually only 1 page long. It is Brian Kernighan’s Programming Style Tips. I found this early in my career and put a copy up on my office wall. More than any other text or person, this simple list shaped me as a programmer. Proof that in a wired world you don’t always have to know your mentors personally to benefit from their knowledge and generosity.
2 Responses to ““Wow” Books”
By Rob Walling on May 5, 2008
Thanks for the tip on Brian Kernighan’s list. I’ve printed out a copy of my own.
I’ve read nearly all of the books on your list, and I’ve also been impacted by Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering, Programmers at Work, and Beautiful Code.
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