There is an interesting fact about reading books. “Each eye looks at different letters when we read 50% of the time”…give it a try now to check for yourself! Now you might say, “So what? A programmer focuses on so many things at a time let alone reading two different letters”. Well, you are right and we definitely relate to this 50% attention on two different letters at a time. This is why we have brought you a list of the 5 best books for programmers and coders that you must read to enhance your understanding of coding.
We understand your urge to immediately open a search tab for your coding problems and not resort to books because they take a long time; but these books have solutions to the most fundamental problems, that will solve not one but lifelong coding problems. These books answer questions that you might have not even thought of. They make your problems ready with solutions. They help you avoid those problems and more than just solve them for you.
List of Best Programming Books for Beginners
1. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
This is one of the best books for programmers and coders for beginners because it talks about software craftsmanship. It not only talks about writing good and functional codes but also about developing an approach for software development. This book is sure to change your outlook on coding.
A lot of time is wasted because of poorly written codes. In this book, you read about patterns, practices, and principles of writing clean codes, and following agile practices. Even though all the examples in this book are in Java, the learnings from this book are applicable to all programming languages.
Written by Robert C. Martin, along with his colleagues from Object Mentor, this book will force you to access your professional values and commitment enticing you to think about what’s right and what’s wrong with a code.
2. Head First Design Patterns (A Brain-Friendly Guide)
This is the most non-technical programming book out there. With doodles on every page, this book talks about difficult programming nuances very simply and creatively. It talks about design patterns that you might need to solve in the real world while clearly pointing out the trade-offs. It shows you design patterns, when, why, and how to use them, object-oriented design principles, and much more. This programmer book gives you tried and tested software design problem solutions, that other developers have already solved, for creating functional, reusable, elegant, and flexible software.
This programmer book also has another edition “Head First Design Patterns, 2E: Building Extensible and Maintainable Object-Oriented Software”. This edition is updated for Java 8.
3. The Pragmatic Programmer
This book dives deep into the core process of programming cutting through the technicalities and increasing the specialization of software development. It is not a book about any programming language but the concepts and anecdotes work for all programming languages.
The Pragmatic Programmer focuses on developing the core programming concepts, while also throwing light on career development and responsibilities along with architectural techniques for flexible and reusable codes. It talks about avoiding duplicating knowledge, fighting the software rot, writing dynamic, flexible, and adaptable code, not relying on coding coincidences, bulletproofing codes with contracts, exceptions, assertions and so much more.
This is a gem of a book and certainly one of the best books for programmers and coders. The learnings from this book can be applied daily to your coding and work structure to witness visible results.
4. Code Complete
This is another classic and a must-read programmer book. This book is one of the best practical guides available. The best part is, that it is updated with new coding samples, to illustrate the science of coding today.
This book talks extensively about the must-know principles, most effective techniques, pragmatic guidance for writing high-quality code, etc. It gives you practical advice on code structure and formatting, variables, class naming, team management and so much more.
You find answers to safely using construction practices, debugging problems quickly and resolving critical construction issues, and maintaining quality from start to end.
Do not let the length of the book deter you from reading it. Take your time and you will be thankful for reading Code Complete. It is one of the best books for programmers and you should not miss out on reading this.
5. Introduction to Algorithms
This is one of the best books for data structures and algorithms. This book talks about algorithms in-depth and makes the analysis accessible for all readers irrespective of their levels. It provides complete guidance on data structures and algorithm sorting, and graph processing, and includes about 50 algorithms that a programmer must know.
The algorithms in this book are indispensable for not just professional programmers but for everyone with an interest in science, engineering, and maths, students of computer science, and those who use computation in liberal arts.
The best part about this book is that the algorithms are described in English and pseudocode to make it readable for anyone with even a little knowledge of programming. This is why it made it to our list of Best books for data structures and algorithms.
These are some of the best books for programmers and coders; and they certainly, make for the best books for software developers in 2022. Apart from these, there are other excellent books but they do require you to have certain work experience and are best suited for working professionals and senior- positions. Some of them are
- Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
- Working Effectively With Legacy Code
- Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams
- Importance of Soft Skills in Engineering: The Software Developer’s Life Manual
So, if you really want to ace the pace of your career as a software engineer, do not miss out on reading these books. Yes, yes! We agree it is difficult to read these days but trust us, you will not regret investing time in them.
