Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot Asks: What Are Some Programming Books You Wish You Had Read Earlier?
A blog post from developer turned writer Marty Jacobs caught my attention earlier this morning. In the post, Jacobs has listed some of the programming books he says he had discovered and read much sooner. He writes, "There are so many programming books out there, sometimes it's hard to know what books are best. Programming itself is so broad and there are so many concepts to learn." You can check out his list here. I was curious what books would you include if you were to make a similar list?
Nineteen Eighty-Four. Hey, you didn't specify computer programming....
Do all the exercises.
https://www.amazon.com/Compute...
The Mythical Man Month is a MUST READ for anybody who is or manages any kind of software development staff (Really, any kind of engineering staff). Fredrick Brooks remains spot on in his observations of how software development processes and teams actually work in real life. This book was written back in the 60's, revised in the 70's but remains applicable to modern projects. Brooks is exceedingly insightful and his observations which boil down the real issues of software development still apply decades later. He may have worked on what's now considered antiques using languages which have fallen out of fashion long ago, but his focus on the practicalities of software development makes this book timeless.
Yea, it's not a "programming" book per say, but if you develop software using a team, or do any kind of engineering work with others, the insights in this book are invaluable to you and your management. I read this book every few years and share it with my management when appropriate.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101