#Book Review
206 articles
8 Books on Computer and Network Fundamentals (CS, OS, and TCP/IP)
A reading list of 8 books for relearning computer and network fundamentals: how computers and programs work, an overview of computer science, the OS and UNIX, and TCP/IP and email. Each entry links to its full review.
4 Books on Software Engineering Careers (From the Fundamentals to Staff Engineer)
A reading list of 4 books for thinking about a software engineering career: the fundamentals of the job, how to approach your career, and the staff engineer path to technical leadership. Each entry links to its full review.
4 Books on Software Development in the Generative AI Era (Prompts, Context, and AI Coding)
A reading list of 4 books for putting generative AI to work in development: prompt engineering, context engineering, AI coding in practice, and how to create value with generative AI. Each entry links to its full review.
6 Books on SaaS and Building a Business (Launch, Architecture, Sales, and Customers)
A reading list of 6 books for engineers who want to understand SaaS and new businesses: launching a SaaS, multi-tenant architecture, how sales and customer success work, and understanding customers with Lean Startup and Jobs Theory. Each entry links to its full review.
7 Books on Monitoring, SRE, and Operations (From Monitoring Basics to SLOs and Capacity)
A reading list of 7 books on monitoring, SRE, and operations: monitoring basics, reliability targets with SLOs, logging and observability, backups, and production readiness and capacity planning. Each entry links to its full review.
8 Books for Learning System Design and the Architect Role
A reading list of 8 books on system design and the work of an architect: design patterns through interview problems, the architecture design process, the architect's role, and trade-offs and non-functional requirements. Each entry links to its full review.
4 Books for Learning Web Performance (From Fundamentals to Tuning and CDNs)
A reading list of 4 books for making web systems faster: how system performance works, server-side tuning learned from ISUCON, frontend tuning, and delivery with HTTP caching and CDNs. Each entry links to its full review.
Fundamentals of Software Engineering
A review of Fundamentals of Software Engineering by Nathaniel Schutta and Dan Vega. From reading and writing code, testing, architecture, and production to learning, careers, and working with AI, it surveys the practical basics that turn a coder into an engineer in one book.
9 Books for Learning Agile Development (Scrum, Lean, and Kaizen)
A staged reading list of 9 books for learning agile and lean development, from the basics to practice: agile fundamentals, practice and improvement, and lean validation of value. Each entry links to its full review.
5 Books for Engineers on the Basics of Business Systems
A reading list of 5 books for learning the basics of business systems from an engineer's view: accounting, finance, inventory, production, and logistics. It groups the 'Knowledge and Skills of X Systems for Engineers' series by domain, and each entry links to its full review.
9 Books for Writing Good Code (Readability and Refactoring)
A reading list of 9 books for writing readable, change-tolerant code: the basics of readability, improvement through refactoring, facing complexity, and a couple of titles to widen your view. Each entry links to its full review.
10 Books for Learning Databases (SQL, Design, and Operations)
A staged reading list of 10 books for learning databases, from SQL basics to design and operations: SQL basics, deeper SQL, design, PostgreSQL, and distributed data. Each entry links to its full review.
10 Books on Thinking and Intellectual Productivity for Engineers
A reading list of 10 books to sharpen an engineer's thinking and intellectual productivity: problem solving, logical thinking and communication, abstraction, and how to learn. Each entry links to its full review.
12 Books for Learning Engineering Management (Organization, Leadership, PdM)
A staged reading list of 12 books for learning engineering management, from building organizations to leadership and product management: organization and team design, the manager's role, technical strategy, and product. Each entry links to its full review.
9 Books for Learning Go (Beginner to Advanced)
A staged reading list of 9 books for learning Go, from beginner to advanced: language basics, a deeper understanding of the language, and web, systems, and distributed implementation. Each entry links to its full review.
7 Books for Learning Ruby and Rails (Beginner to Advanced)
A staged reading list of 7 books for learning Ruby and Ruby on Rails: getting started, deepening the language, and Rails in practice. Each entry links to its full review.
12 Books for Learning Software Architecture, from Fundamentals to Practice
A staged reading list of 12 books for learning software architecture, from fundamentals to practice: design basics, trade-offs, domain-driven design, microservices, and API design. Each entry links to its full review.
7 Books for Learning Software Testing, from Basics to TDD and Quality
A staged reading list of 7 books for learning software testing, from the basics to TDD and quality assurance: fundamentals, TDD and unit testing, practice and improvement, and the quality body of knowledge. Each entry links to its full review.
Recommended Tech Books for Engineers: An Index by Topic
An index of this blog's tech book roundups by topic: design, languages, data, quality, security, fundamentals and operations, generative AI, management, and careers. Pick by goal, and reach the individual reviews from each roundup.
8 Books for Learning Web Application Security (Auth and Secure Design)
A staged reading list of 8 books for learning web application security, from authentication and authorization to secure design: OAuth-based authorization, digital identity, and secure design and implementation. Each entry links to its full review.