Just wondering, why is TAOCP or SICP (as mentioned in a child) essential? I've always considered reading them since I hear about them all of the time but I coul

Just wondering, why is TAOCP or SICP (as mentioned in a child) essential? I've always considered reading them since I hear about them all of the time but I could never really relate it to the work that I do (around distributed systems and storage). I'm sure the material in the books is useful, but are these books must-reads? In databases, there is Readings in Database Systems (http://www.redbook.io/ http://www.redbook.io/). I wouldn't recommend it as an essential to all engineers and researchers, because one would be better off spending their time learning practical skills that apply to their job (relevant tools, protocols, etc.), gaining a broader understanding of CS, and exploring general topics (work/career, teamwork, enjoying life, etc.). In the same vein, it feels like SCIP and TAOCP go too far in-depth into topics that aren't that important to everyone. I rarely see the topics in these books pop up in the research papers that I read (though I mainly read systems ones). I definitely don't see them when I'm building REST services or Javascript frontends. When I check on the Table of Contents in these books, I never feel like reading a chapter in the book would have saved me a ton of time in the past. As a result, I've concluded that they a good intro/intermediate CS reference for people who'd be interested in the research/theory side of things. Still, I've seen them recommended so much that it bothers me. Have you all seen anything in these books that truly makes them required readings?