- Introduction to Algorithms (MIT Press). This is the only one of my computer science textbooks that I consistently refer back to. It's elegant and timeless an

- Introduction to Algorithms (MIT Press). This is the only one of my computer science textbooks that I consistently refer back to. It's elegant and timeless and covers a lot of ground. - Design Patterns. Dry, boring, useful. You can skim it and get most of the ideas. The best part about it is building up a vocabulary for discussing common patterns with other software engineers. - Programming Perl. Ah, the camel book. It's possibly the only written-by-the-language-designer reference that's fun to read. Regardless of what your favorite scripting language is, you have to love Larry Wall. - The Mythical Man Month. Another classic. Easy to read. Stuff people should know, but don't. - The Design of Everyday Things. Not really a programming book strictly, but a nice introduction to the principles of usability. If you can get over the slight smugness, it can shake up the way you think a bit.