For one book, it's The Mythical Man-Month. Widely read, far beyond programming. Quoted everywhere. The inspiration for agile development. Beautifully, incisive

For one book, it's The Mythical Man-Month. Widely read, far beyond programming. Quoted everywhere. The inspiration for agile development. Beautifully, incisively written. Nails everything. The author not only was a programmer, but headed up the largest commercial project ever taken of any kind, that bet the company (the most influential computer company, IBM).