I can suggest something that was recommended on HN maybe five years ago: Code Simplicity by Kanat-Alexander. It's relatively short and doesn't commit the sin o

I can suggest something that was recommended on HN maybe five years ago: Code Simplicity by Kanat-Alexander. It's relatively short and doesn't commit the sin of providing code snippets. It only lays down general rules about software development and give generic heuristic for better software design. Nothing specific to code. It has no prescriptive rules on the way you write code, but rather, on which code to write. This makes the recommendations timeless despite the fact the book is fairly old. As someone who was just starting in development at the time, it was a HUGE help and provided insights that I can only agree with now that I'm working in the field. Maybe for someone who has a bit of experience already, it might just elicit shrugs, but I think it's a good introduction on how to think about software design.