5 ms·

Ask HN: Which books are “must-read” for anyone trying to learn about your field?

74 points by jackallis 8y ago

Books that are easy to read and beginner friendly.

theduality 8y ago
For a general software developer, I have seen Code Complete (Steve McConnell) and Clean Code (Robert C. Martin) recommended a lot. I have copies of both on my desk at work.
- lkbm 8y ago
  The Pragmatic Programmer (Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas) is the other one that springs to mind for me.
- LandR 8y ago
  I'd add SICP.
- coldtea 8y ago
  Design Patterns (GoF), The Mythical Man-Month,
  - majewsky 8y ago
    I'm skeptical about the GoF book. To often, it's been the proverbial hammer that makes you see nails everywhere.
curiousgal 8y ago
The Elements of Statistical Learning or the more beginner friendly An Introduction to Statistical Learning: With Applications in R
jachee 8y ago
For getting into DevOps, I believe The Phoenix Project (by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford) is pretty good.
- Hates_ 8y ago
  Personally I think that's a great book for anyone who is involved in the process of delivering software, from developers to project managers.
autocorr 8y ago
Physics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium by Bruce Draine for astronomy and study of the interstellar medium.
Tade0 8y ago
For front-end development I would recommend Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke - it's available for free. Nowadays more often than not I see beginners doing mistakes that are caused by the lack of understanding of JS's syntax alone. These are usually easily aviodable problems which still do cause the ones that have them a lot of grief. EDIT: emphasis.
davidthewatson 8y ago
Neal Stephenson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Beginning..._Was_the_Command_Line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Beginning..._Was_the_Co...
- senorsmile 8y ago
  I just started Snow Crash by the same author.
mitchell_h 8y ago
how to win friends and influence people. Doesn't matter what field. I could be a bus driver or a CEO.
sarcher 8y ago
I work in residential construction. Beginner friendly, 'find out if you find this interesting' kind of books: "This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House" by Bob Vila. An older book, only the carpentry is relevant today, but a nice picture-driven exploration of sensitive home renovation. "A Place of My Own: the Architecture of Daydreams" by Michael Pollan I didn't get a lot out of this because it was a pretty simple project that was being described, but it's a good look at the challenges of design, and a good primer if you're looking to do your own small project. Plus, Michael Pollan is an enjoyable writer. "House" by Tracy Kidder Follows the construction of a home in MA with a lot of builder perspective. Explores the common issues associated with running a small carpentry company frame to finish. There is also "The Apple Corps Guide to the Well-Built House" by Jim Locke which is written by a member of the firm profiled in "House" - haven't read it yet. "Last Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville" by Witold Rybczynski Follows the evolution of a farm field into a subdivision. . A little more challenging: "The City in History" by Lewis Mumford Best described as a "Tome" - a staple in intro level planning classes. "building Construction Illustrated" by Francis Ching A good illustrated primer on basic residential construction assemblies, will help with visualization of written descriptions and vocabulary. "Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn" by Thomas Hubka The evolution of farm yard structures, of interest if you've ever wondered about the repeating patterns you see on New England farms. "A Field Guide to American Houses" by Virginia Savage McAlester This book will tell you what every type of house is. If I remember right, I believe it also has a section on vernacular houses. A similar book that I own but have not read is "A Field Guide to American Architecture" by Carole Rifkind. I also like, and have read, "American Vernacular: Buildings and Interiors, 1870-1960" by Herbert Gottfried "How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built" by Stewart Brand A great look at what happens after construction is completed, I love this book for it's treatment of a seldom-discussed reality of the construction trades. "Builders Guide: Cold Climates" Joseph W Lstiburek Lstiburek is opinionated, and usually right. Find more books of this style at: https://buildingscience.com/ https://buildingscience.com/ "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande Changed how I approach documenting and completing tasks - in a business like construction where it's hard to go in reverse, it's been a major component of my success since I first read it in 2011. Simple in concept, hard in practice.
- 8y ago
antjanus 8y ago
I usually recommend a few different books: Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship http://amzn.to/2vcRcgU http://amzn.to/2vcRcgU This book really helped me focus on code organization and seeing maintainable code as an overall goal whilst building long-term applications. I'd say that one of the reasons why the work I've done 3-4 years ago can still be used, expanded, and maintained today is because of this book. Short functions, code organization, and naming conventions all stuck with me. I'd say that unlike other programming books, this one focuses on the "art" and "organization" rather than syntax and other aspects of programming. The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master http://amzn.to/2vfeUaT http://amzn.to/2vfeUaT This book tackled real-world application building and practices. I'm still reading it. I liked how it tackled not only some basics of programming (resource management practices) but also project management to a certain extent. Eg. how to use prototypes, how to use "trace bullet" programs, etc. Game Programming Patterns I think one of my favorites has been "Game Programming Patterns" http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/ http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/ which is free online or you can get an ebook/print version http://amzn.to/2veRdiO http://amzn.to/2veRdiO The book introduces several basic design patterns, it explains WHY they're used, how to implement them, etc. in the best way I've read so far. No CS book or online article has been able to explain these patterns as this book did. And I'm not even a game developer. Also, check out this post on dev.to -- https://dev.to/ben/what-are-the-most-interesting-readable-software-books https://dev.to/ben/what-are-the-most-interesting-readable-so... it has some good answers! :)
hprotagonist 8y ago
sorry, the books for my field just aren’t beginner friendly. Oppenheim, Schaffer and Nawab, “Signals and Systems” is a foundational text but it’s a total bear.
- oldsklgdfth 8y ago
  Linear Systems and Signals by B.P. Lathi is slightly more approachable and is a good foundation book in signal processing.
ThorinJacobs 8y ago
For software development - I favor books that are about good practices generally rather than books about particular languages which work well as references. I usually recommend: * Code Complete (Steve McConnell) * The Pragmatic Programmer (Andrew Hunt and Dave Thomas) * Clean Code and The Clean Coder (Robert Martin) * The Mythical Man-Month (Fred Brooks) * Test-Driven Development By Example (Kent Beck) I also recommend blogs for more bite-sized knowledge. Jeff Atwood's blog at https://blog.codinghorror.com https://blog.codinghorror.com and Joel Spolsky's at https://www.joelonsoftware.com https://www.joelonsoftware.com in particular have been helpful to me.
- roryisok 8y ago
  The TDD book only applies if you ascribe to the TDD philosophy, which not everyone does. The others are fairly universal though.
jtms 8y ago
Not sure it qualifies as an introduction to any particular field within tech, but for a general deep dive into the inner workings of computers: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software I just love this book! It was a joyous adventure of discovery the first time through. Subsequent reads always yield new insights.
hedgedoops2 8y ago
Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts)
splatzone 8y ago
As a programmer turned musical theatre composer, I recommend these books on the craft of writing musicals: Stephen Sondheim - Finishing the Hat / Look, I Made a Hat Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, Company etc) breaks down his own lyrics and explains how they work and why. He has a very analytical mind and thinks so lucidly and mathematically about his work, a true engineer and artist. Highly recommended. http://amzn.eu/8p4E1LC http://amzn.eu/8p4E1LC http://amzn.eu/jhRmjFA http://amzn.eu/jhRmjFA Aaron Frankel - Writing the Broadway Musical A great overview of the process of writing for musical theatre, how musicals work and pitfalls to avoid http://amzn.eu/8SAea4c http://amzn.eu/8SAea4c Jack Viertel - The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows are Built I haven't read this book fully, but I'm looking forward to finishing it. A great breakdown of musicals and how they are put together. http://amzn.eu/enr9dHe http://amzn.eu/enr9dHe
- roryisok 8y ago
  > As a programmer turned musical theatre composer Wow, that's a fascinating career path! How did you end up making that transition?
davidivadavid 8y ago
Ogilvy on Advertising still the best intro to not just advertising, but marketing and communications.
jacobedawson 8y ago
For JavaScript / Front-End, "Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja" by John Resig (jQuery creator) is fantastic. The Second edition includes clarifications and explorations of ES6 & ES7 features.
cm2012 8y ago
For direct marketing, "Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay"
atsaloli 8y ago
For software development, I recommend "Understanding Software" by Max Kanat-Alexander https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V9S57B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V9S57B
roryisok 8y ago
My field (programming) has been well covered so I'll share books about my side-field, writing. - On Writing - Stephen King - Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott - Story - Robert McKee (screenwriting) - Do the work - Stephen Pressfield (he's more famous for The War of Art but I haven't actually read that one yet) Also there are some great blogs out there - Terrible Minds by Chuck Wendig - The Creative Penn - Joanna Penn - Mary Robinette Kowal's blog - John August (screenwriting)

74 points by jackallis 8y ago

Books that are easy to read and beginner friendly.

For a general software developer, I have seen Code Complete (Steve McConnell) and Clean Code (Robert C. Martin) recommended a lot. I have copies of both on my desk at work.

lkbm 8y ago
The Pragmatic Programmer (Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas) is the other one that springs to mind for me.
LandR 8y ago
I'd add SICP.
coldtea 8y ago
Design Patterns (GoF), The Mythical Man-Month,
- majewsky 8y ago
  I'm skeptical about the GoF book. To often, it's been the proverbial hammer that makes you see nails everywhere.

curiousgal 8y ago

The Elements of Statistical Learning or the more beginner friendly An Introduction to Statistical Learning: With Applications in R

jachee 8y ago

For getting into DevOps, I believe The Phoenix Project (by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford) is pretty good.

Hates_ 8y ago
Personally I think that's a great book for anyone who is involved in the process of delivering software, from developers to project managers.

autocorr 8y ago

Physics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium by Bruce Draine for astronomy and study of the interstellar medium.

Tade0 8y ago

For front-end development I would recommend Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke - it's available for free. Nowadays more often than not I see beginners doing mistakes that are caused by the lack of understanding of JS's syntax alone. These are usually easily aviodable problems which still do cause the ones that have them a lot of grief. EDIT: emphasis.

davidthewatson 8y ago

Neal Stephenson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Beginning..._Was_the_Command_Line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Beginning..._Was_the_Co...

senorsmile 8y ago
I just started Snow Crash by the same author.

mitchell_h 8y ago

how to win friends and influence people. Doesn't matter what field. I could be a bus driver or a CEO.

sarcher 8y ago

I work in residential construction. Beginner friendly, 'find out if you find this interesting' kind of books: "This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House" by Bob Vila. An older book, only the carpentry is relevant today, but a nice picture-driven exploration of sensitive home renovation. "A Place of My Own: the Architecture of Daydreams" by Michael Pollan I didn't get a lot out of this because it was a pretty simple project that was being described, but it's a good look at the challenges of design, and a good primer if you're looking to do your own small project. Plus, Michael Pollan is an enjoyable writer. "House" by Tracy Kidder Follows the construction of a home in MA with a lot of builder perspective. Explores the common issues associated with running a small carpentry company frame to finish. There is also "The Apple Corps Guide to the Well-Built House" by Jim Locke which is written by a member of the firm profiled in "House" - haven't read it yet. "Last Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville" by Witold Rybczynski Follows the evolution of a farm field into a subdivision. . A little more challenging: "The City in History" by Lewis Mumford Best described as a "Tome" - a staple in intro level planning classes. "building Construction Illustrated" by Francis Ching A good illustrated primer on basic residential construction assemblies, will help with visualization of written descriptions and vocabulary. "Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn" by Thomas Hubka The evolution of farm yard structures, of interest if you've ever wondered about the repeating patterns you see on New England farms. "A Field Guide to American Houses" by Virginia Savage McAlester This book will tell you what every type of house is. If I remember right, I believe it also has a section on vernacular houses. A similar book that I own but have not read is "A Field Guide to American Architecture" by Carole Rifkind. I also like, and have read, "American Vernacular: Buildings and Interiors, 1870-1960" by Herbert Gottfried "How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built" by Stewart Brand A great look at what happens after construction is completed, I love this book for it's treatment of a seldom-discussed reality of the construction trades. "Builders Guide: Cold Climates" Joseph W Lstiburek Lstiburek is opinionated, and usually right. Find more books of this style at: https://buildingscience.com/ https://buildingscience.com/ "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande Changed how I approach documenting and completing tasks - in a business like construction where it's hard to go in reverse, it's been a major component of my success since I first read it in 2011. Simple in concept, hard in practice.

8y ago

antjanus 8y ago

I usually recommend a few different books: Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship http://amzn.to/2vcRcgU http://amzn.to/2vcRcgU This book really helped me focus on code organization and seeing maintainable code as an overall goal whilst building long-term applications. I'd say that one of the reasons why the work I've done 3-4 years ago can still be used, expanded, and maintained today is because of this book. Short functions, code organization, and naming conventions all stuck with me. I'd say that unlike other programming books, this one focuses on the "art" and "organization" rather than syntax and other aspects of programming. The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master http://amzn.to/2vfeUaT http://amzn.to/2vfeUaT This book tackled real-world application building and practices. I'm still reading it. I liked how it tackled not only some basics of programming (resource management practices) but also project management to a certain extent. Eg. how to use prototypes, how to use "trace bullet" programs, etc. Game Programming Patterns I think one of my favorites has been "Game Programming Patterns" http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/ http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/ which is free online or you can get an ebook/print version http://amzn.to/2veRdiO http://amzn.to/2veRdiO The book introduces several basic design patterns, it explains WHY they're used, how to implement them, etc. in the best way I've read so far. No CS book or online article has been able to explain these patterns as this book did. And I'm not even a game developer. Also, check out this post on dev.to -- https://dev.to/ben/what-are-the-most-interesting-readable-software-books https://dev.to/ben/what-are-the-most-interesting-readable-so... it has some good answers! :)

hprotagonist 8y ago

sorry, the books for my field just aren’t beginner friendly. Oppenheim, Schaffer and Nawab, “Signals and Systems” is a foundational text but it’s a total bear.

oldsklgdfth 8y ago
Linear Systems and Signals by B.P. Lathi is slightly more approachable and is a good foundation book in signal processing.

ThorinJacobs 8y ago

For software development - I favor books that are about good practices generally rather than books about particular languages which work well as references. I usually recommend: * Code Complete (Steve McConnell) * The Pragmatic Programmer (Andrew Hunt and Dave Thomas) * Clean Code and The Clean Coder (Robert Martin) * The Mythical Man-Month (Fred Brooks) * Test-Driven Development By Example (Kent Beck) I also recommend blogs for more bite-sized knowledge. Jeff Atwood's blog at https://blog.codinghorror.com https://blog.codinghorror.com and Joel Spolsky's at https://www.joelonsoftware.com https://www.joelonsoftware.com in particular have been helpful to me.

roryisok 8y ago
The TDD book only applies if you ascribe to the TDD philosophy, which not everyone does. The others are fairly universal though.

jtms 8y ago

Not sure it qualifies as an introduction to any particular field within tech, but for a general deep dive into the inner workings of computers: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software I just love this book! It was a joyous adventure of discovery the first time through. Subsequent reads always yield new insights.

hedgedoops2 8y ago

Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts)

splatzone 8y ago

As a programmer turned musical theatre composer, I recommend these books on the craft of writing musicals: Stephen Sondheim - Finishing the Hat / Look, I Made a Hat Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, Company etc) breaks down his own lyrics and explains how they work and why. He has a very analytical mind and thinks so lucidly and mathematically about his work, a true engineer and artist. Highly recommended. http://amzn.eu/8p4E1LC http://amzn.eu/8p4E1LC http://amzn.eu/jhRmjFA http://amzn.eu/jhRmjFA Aaron Frankel - Writing the Broadway Musical A great overview of the process of writing for musical theatre, how musicals work and pitfalls to avoid http://amzn.eu/8SAea4c http://amzn.eu/8SAea4c Jack Viertel - The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows are Built I haven't read this book fully, but I'm looking forward to finishing it. A great breakdown of musicals and how they are put together. http://amzn.eu/enr9dHe http://amzn.eu/enr9dHe

roryisok 8y ago
> As a programmer turned musical theatre composer Wow, that's a fascinating career path! How did you end up making that transition?

davidivadavid 8y ago

Ogilvy on Advertising still the best intro to not just advertising, but marketing and communications.

jacobedawson 8y ago

For JavaScript / Front-End, "Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja" by John Resig (jQuery creator) is fantastic. The Second edition includes clarifications and explorations of ES6 & ES7 features.

cm2012 8y ago

For direct marketing, "Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay"

atsaloli 8y ago

For software development, I recommend "Understanding Software" by Max Kanat-Alexander https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V9S57B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V9S57B

roryisok 8y ago

My field (programming) has been well covered so I'll share books about my side-field, writing. - On Writing - Stephen King - Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott - Story - Robert McKee (screenwriting) - Do the work - Stephen Pressfield (he's more famous for The War of Art but I haven't actually read that one yet) Also there are some great blogs out there - Terrible Minds by Chuck Wendig - The Creative Penn - Joanna Penn - Mary Robinette Kowal's blog - John August (screenwriting)