Should I Read Books as a Software Developer?

Developers always ask me if they should be reading books, and if so, which books they should be reading. While the developer can learn a lot from different kinds of tutorials or examples, nothing can replace a good book. A book, and especially a good one, will give you an overview of a certain field, and guide you through the author's angle from the start to the end of a topic. This will help you develop as a software engineer. If the book includes examples, as it is very often, then you have it all in one place.

I tend to read about 20-30 books per year (when possible), and many of them are tech books.

Here are my recommendations:

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Fundamentals

• Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction, Second Edition.
• Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship.
• Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs.
• Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software.
• Head First Design Patterns.
• Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code.
• Working Effectively With Legacy Code.
• The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms.

Professional Development

• The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master.
• The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers.
• The Passionate Programmer: Creating a Remarkable Career in Software Development.
• The Mythical Man Month.

Cloud

• Designing Distributed Systems.
• Azure for Architects.
• Building Cloud Apps with Microsoft Azure.
• Amazon Web Services in Action. 

Architecture

• Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software.
• Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture.
• Enterprise Integration Patterns: Designing, Building, and Deploying Messaging Solutions.
• Refactoring to Patterns.
• Software Architecture in Practice.
• Building Evolutionary Architectures: Support Constant Change.
• 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the Experts.
• Building Microservices.
• Microsoft .NET - Architecting Applications for the Enterprise (2nd Edition).
• Microservices in .NET Core.
• .NET Microservices: Architecture for Containerized .NET Applications.
• Software Architecture for Developers.

Agile

• Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns and Practices.
• Agile Estimating and Planning.
• User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development.
• Extreme Programming Explained.
• Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art.
• Management 3.0: Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders.
• The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win.
• Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C#.

Algorithms

• Programming Pearls.
• Cracking the Coding Interview: 150 Programming Questions and Solutions.
• Introduction to Algorithms.
• Algorithms.

Programming Languages

• JavaScript the Good Parts.
• Thinking in Java.
• Effective Modern C++: 42 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of C++11 and C++14.
• Effective Java.
• C# In Depth.
• Seven Languages in Seven Weeks: A Pragmatic Guide to Learning Programming Languages (Pragmatic Programmers).
• Core Java Volume I.
• Core Java Volume II.
• Mastering C# and .NET Framework.
• CLR via C#.
• Essential C# 6.0 (5th Edition).
• Code-First Development with Entity Framework.
• Modern Compiler Design.
• Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming.
• Learning JavaScript Design Patterns. 

OOA/D

• Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Iterative Development.
• UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language.
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications.

Testing

• The Art of Unit Testing.
• Testing Computer Software.
• Ship it! A Practical Guide to Successful Software Projects.
• Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation.
• Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams.
• Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests.
• The RSpec Book.
• xUnit Test Patterns: Refactoring Test Code.
• Test Driven Development: By Example.
• Testing Angular Applications.

Machine Learning

• Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning.
• The Elements of Statistical Learning.
• Understanding Machine Learning: From Theory to Algorithms.
• Deep Learning.
• Foundations of Data Science.

Databases

• Refactoring Databases: Evolutionary Database Design.
• Seven Databases in Seven Weeks: A Guide to Modern Databases and the NoSQL Movement.
• NoSQL Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Emerging World of Polyglot Persistence.
• Fundamentals of Database Systems.

Other

• REST in Practice.
• Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People.
• Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software.
• Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.
• The War of Art.
• Stakeholder Theory: The State of the Art.
• The Lean Startup.
• Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell.
• The Leprechauns of Software Engineering.
• Strive: How Doing The Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success.
• How to Build a Billion Dollar App.
• Impact Mapping.
• The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager.
• It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work.
• Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams.
• Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams.
• Modern Web Development: Understanding domains, technologies, and user experience.
• Framework Design Guidelines: Conventions, Idioms, and Patterns for Reusable .NET Libraries.
• . 

What books helped you become a better developer? Which books did I forget? Comment below and let me know!

Further Reading

10 Books Java Developers Should Read in 2019