Introduction

Having read quite a few books on software development here are my top 4.

One of the things I try to avoid is specialised technical books as I find that they get dated quickly. That is not to say they are useless. In fact they can be good for providing an introduction to a new topic, only the world of computing moves fast. Whereas people will never change any time soon.

The Pragmatic Programmer

This book understands that the code itself does not really matter, rather the focus should be on developing software as a craft. No matter what language or project, it gives practical advice on how to approach different aspects and what to look out for. From team sizes and estimation down to abstractions.

The Mythical Man-Month

An old book with some slightly dated text, but probably one of the most important books for Developers. I would go further and says this should be mandatory ready for everyone regardless of field, as we all need to work in a teams and handle project deadlines.

Clean Code

Probably the most controversial book on this list, however rather then taking it face value, I urge the readers to use this books as a question provider. As in why should functions be short, why not use boolean arguments and why not comment everything. Trying out each idea in out in a test project and see how the code changes.

Code Complete 2

For those wanting a full overall of everything there is in software development this is the one for you. You can come back to this book at different stages of your career and pick up different things from it every time.