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Questions tagged [books]

Questions on books related to programming, software development, computer science, etc. Do not ask for book recommendations, they are off-topic for this site! Review the existing questions, as many popular books already have questions about them.

Questions about books are only relevant if they are books on software development. This includes programming, project managements, design patterns, etc.

Do not ask for book recommendations, they are off-topic for this site! Such questions will be usually be downvoted, closed and deleted by the community quickly.

125 questions
71
votes
15 answers

The Art of Computer Programming - To read or not to read?

There are lots of books about programming out there, and it seems Code Complete is pretty much at the top of most people's list of "must-read programming books", but what about The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth? I'm a busy person,…
Zann Anderson
  • 433
55
votes
5 answers

Audiobooks for programmers?

I'm a programmer with a two-hour round trip commute to work each day. I'd like to fill some of that time with audiobooks about software development. Any audiobooks that would help me become a better programmer would be appreciated. I'm thinking…
Zoot
  • 970
34
votes
28 answers

What's the worst programming book you've ever read?

What's the worst programming-related or technical book you've ever read? This can be any book which one way or another can be connected to programming, as long as it's not fiction.
gablin
  • 17,407
29
votes
3 answers

Is Safari Books Online still the best game in town?

I'm a Safari Books subscriber and have been for years. I like having all the books available immediately. I was wondering if there was a better competing service. Does anyone know if there's another comparable service that maybe has a better…
Tim Coker
  • 401
21
votes
16 answers

Are programmers who read programming-related books still rare?

Both in Code Complete by Steve McConnell and The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas, they allege that most programmers don't read programming-related books as a habit, or at least not often enough. Does this still hold? Are…
gablin
  • 17,407
20
votes
11 answers

How are head first books?

I have never read any of them but I find their style interesting and unique. I am not sure if they are worth giving money/time?
Vaibhav Bajpai
  • 646
18
votes
10 answers

Career guidance books for programmers

I am currently reading the recently published Being Geek by Michael "Rands" Lopp and I can't get enough of it. Is there any other career guidance books aimed directly or indirectly at programmers that are worth reading?
Gordon
  • 4,124
13
votes
10 answers

What are some really tough programming books?

I was wondering what are some really tough books on programming that would make me think. I'm talking about low level languages such as c etc and algorithms, points, functions etc. Thanks ALot.
Brandon_R
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8
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6 answers

How do you manage your reading list?

How do you manage your reading list? Like me, you probably have 12 technical books on the go at once, and that's not including the non-technical books :) Any tips? Regard TDG
TeaDrinkingGeek
  • 1,519
6
votes
10 answers

How much does your company spends on books?

It seems to me that buying and reading books is one of the most important investments a developer can make, and one of the most important investment a company can spend on a developer. There were a lot of times when I was confronted with a tricky…
Graviton
  • 4,005
3
votes
3 answers

Are 'The Pragmatic Programmer' and 'The Mythical Man Month' good books for people with limited practical experience programming

I was once told to read the books titled 'The Pragmatic Programmer' and 'The Mythical Man Month'. I have very little experience programming (basic HTML, CSS and JS). If I were to purchase these books, read through them, would it be beneficial to me…
JoshuaPP
  • 53
0
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1 answer

"Dedication of the Harvard Mark I computer, 1944 August 7"- Which text is Brooks referring to and where can I find it?

I am reading the epilogue of the Anniversary Edition of the Mythical Man Month. The author, Frederic Brooks, says Still vivid in my mind is the wonder and delight with which I - then 13 years old - read the account of the August 7, 1944, dedication…
JW01
  • 3,569