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Software Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [books]

Questions on books related to programming, software development, computer science, etc. Do not ask for book recommendations, they are off-topic for this site! Review the existing questions, as many popular books already have questions about them.

Questions about books are only relevant if they are books on software development. This includes programming, project managements, design patterns, etc.

Do not ask for book recommendations, they are off-topic for this site! Such questions will be usually be downvoted, closed and deleted by the community quickly.

If you really have trouble to find a list of interesting books, start with this old Stackoverflow question:

What is the single most influential book every programmer should read?

125 questions
152
votes
5 answers

What are the key points of Working Effectively with Legacy Code?

I've seen the book Working Effectively with Legacy Code recommended a few times. What are the key points of this book? Is there much more to dealing with legacy code than adding unit/integration tests and then refactoring?
Armand
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94
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27 answers

Why do people use programming books?

I find that when someone asks what is the best way to learn how to program, people usually provide them with references to a bunch texts written by various authors. However I don't believe many people at all learn to program from books. I find that…
Alex Hope O'Connor
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88
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6 answers

Where are all the functional programming design patterns?

OO programming literature is full of design patterns. Most books on object oriented programming dedicate a chapter or two to design patterns like factories and decorators. So what are the equivalent patterns in functional languages and why hasn't…
user7146
71
votes
15 answers

The Art of Computer Programming - To read or not to read?

There are lots of books about programming out there, and it seems Code Complete is pretty much at the top of most people's list of "must-read programming books", but what about The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth? I'm a busy person,…
Zann Anderson
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57
votes
26 answers

If you could only have one programming related book on your bookshelf what would it be and why?

One per answer please. I'll add my favourite as an answer.
Paddyslacker
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56
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34 answers

What non-programming books should a programmer read to help develop programming/thinking skills?

There are a lot of questions about what programming books should be on the programmer's bookshelf. How about non-programming related books that can help you become a better programmer or developer? It would also be interesting to know why they would…
FeatureCreep
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55
votes
5 answers

Audiobooks for programmers?

I'm a programmer with a two-hour round trip commute to work each day. I'd like to fill some of that time with audiobooks about software development. Any audiobooks that would help me become a better programmer would be appreciated. I'm thinking…
Zoot
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52
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8 answers

I'm a CS student, and honestly, I don't understand Knuth's books

I stumbled upon this quote from Bill Gates: "You should definitely send me a resume if you can read the whole thing." He was talking about The Art of Programming books. So I was pretty curious and want to read it all. But honestly, I don't…
Rho
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52
votes
11 answers

Is there a canonical book on design patterns?

I am interested in learning design patterns and would like to know what are considered top tier books in learning this subject. Is there a book out there that's the de-facto standard for describing best practices, design methodologies, and other…
mW00t
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50
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18 answers

Is there an expiration date for well regarded, but old books on programming?

After reading a question about books every programmer should read, I wonder if the following should be considered obsolete: Code complete: 1st edition in 1993; 2nd edition in May, 2004 Introduction to algorithms (Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, Stein):…
Olivier Pons
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45
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1 answer

Is there a canonical book on Agile?

As a solo developer, I think I'm using an Agile-like process, but I'd like to compare what I'm doing to real Agile and see if I can improve my own process. Is there a book out there that's the de-facto standard for describing best practices,…
DavRob60
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42
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9 answers

Could spending time on Programmers.SE or Stack Overflow be substitute of good programming books for a non-beginner?

Could spending time (and actively participating) on Programmers.SE and Stack Overflow help me improve my programming skills any close to what spending time on reading a book like Code Complete 2 (which would otherwise be next in my reading list)…
Atul Goyal
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37
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7 answers

What is the correct order to read these books?

I'm a junior C# developer, I learned at home and now I got my first job :) I want to buy these books. But what is the correct order to read these books? Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile…
Tarek Saied
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34
votes
28 answers

What's the worst programming book you've ever read?

What's the worst programming-related or technical book you've ever read? This can be any book which one way or another can be connected to programming, as long as it's not fiction.
gablin
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32
votes
20 answers

Best books on the theory and practice of software architecture?

I have a couple of developers at my company who wish to move from programming into architecture. What are the best books out there on the theory and practice of software architecture? Include a cover picture if you can. Feel free to include general…
Craig Schwarze
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