General IT Books?

Torulf would like to start an ongoing discussion on books that anyone in the IT field would benefit in having in their library: "Here's a topic that might generate some interesting discussions. I'm a student trying to get general knowledge of the IT business. The question here is about what is regarded 'basic knowledge' and where to find it. As we all know (I hope), a lot of knowledge can really only be learned through experience. In many cases, however, a read through the theory will save you a lot of time. As books are also easier to look up than experience, below is a suggestion of a reading list that might give a decent general knowledge in the field. Please fill out the gaps with what you think is required knowledge for anyone working in the industry. Mostly this is about a general overview of the different areas of the IT industry, but if you have suggestions of good material for becoming an expert in some particular field, by all means, share your knowledge." Torulf has compiled a fairly long list of books, below, however your own suggestions are always welcome.

"To start off the discussion, here are a few suggestions as to likely candidates. The books are linked to Amazon since they can provide a fairly quick and complete description of the books online.

Programming:
Learning a few languages certainly won't hurt. Here are some suggestions:

• The C programming language
• The C++ programming language
• Programming Perl
• Programming Python
• A Book about Java
• A Book on SQL
• A Book about Functional languages (LISP, ML, etc.)

Design:
For any non-trivial task, it is suggested that you design before you code.

• Design Patterns
• UML Distilled

User Interfaces:
A lot of programmers are more than clueless in this area. These at least won't hurt:

• Designing Visual Interfaces
• Usability Engineering
• POET

Graphics:
Some general knowledge about graphics.

• Real-Time Rendering
• Computer Graphics

Business/Management:
Here's something about management and financing. I don't really know about a good reference for marketing applied to the IT industry. This is the area where the average geek is even more ignorant than concerning UI.

• High Tech Start Up
• The Mythical Man Month
• Code Complete

Security:
Alright, this list should be a lot longer.

• Security Engineering

Misc.
And last some stuff that didn't fit in any of the categories above.

• Modern Operating Systems
• Computer Networks
• A few operating systems
• A book about markup languages, ie HTML, XML, DHTML, etc
• A book about Algorithms and Data Structures in general
• At least some basic knowledge about Hardware
• Wireless systems seem to be growing. It might pay off to learn something about Symbian, J2ME etc."

Now that's a start to a comprehensive IT Library if I've ever seen one. How do you all feel about this list (if not the specific selections, then at least the material being covered)? If you were to make changes or additions, what would they be?

Comments

Excellent Telecomm Book

[nelsonal]

I wholeheartedly recommend Newton's Telecommunications Dictionary, its not exactly IT but has plenty of crossover with most IT stuff. Its a great reference that has quite a bit of info and background to almost all of the telecom industry jargon.

Steve McConnell

[WasterDave]

"Rapid Development", should have been called "preventing project management fsck ups for dummies".

Dave

Accidental Empires by Robert X. Cringely

[madmancarman]

While Cringely is a geek favorite here at Slashdot, I really got a lot out of his take on the whole computer industry, "Accidental Empires", on which the documentary "Triumph of the Nerds" is based and from which the made-for-tv-movie Pirates of Silicon Valley is loosely derived. It attemps to answer a lot of "why the hell did they do that?" questions that pop up whenever you deal with some strange aspect related to computers, and it really gives a good overview for how the industry developed to where it is today. I've made it an option for my IT students to read during the semester, and they usually get a lot out of it (and they're in high school). The only major weakness the book has is that stops right before the Internet revolution of the late 90's, so you'll have to find something else to pick up the slack. But when it comes to covering the industry from its earliest days through the early 90's, it's a great book.

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Gandhi

IT book available ONLINE

[Felipe Hoffa]

I have compiled a list of IT books available online for your reading & enjoyment.

The description that I wrote for each of them is in spanish, but they are written in english. I've read all of them and I can assure you they are among the best.

Fh

some reviews

[danny]

You might want to check out the computing, networks, computer science, and Internet sections of my collected book reviews. Some IT books that make my "best books" list include:

• The Art of Computer Programming (Knuth)
• Computer Networks: A Systems Approach (Peterson and Davie)
• Distributed Algorithms (Lynch)
• Designing Web Usability (Nielsen)

Danny.

Stay away from C++ Prog Lang

[LinuxInDallas]

If you are just starting out in C++, even if you are proficient in C, stay clear of Stroustrup's "C++ Programming Language." If you are like me, you learned a lot from K&Rs "C Programming Language" and that will make you think that the supposedly C++ equivalent will be just as helpful. Unfortunately, Stroustrup's book is mostly a refernce and goes into the concepts far too quickly for the beginner. I recommend Deitel&Deitel's book.