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Today we are sharing insights and recommendations for IT pros from our current Head of Development Andrii Bohatyr, who introduces his personal list of the best books for programmers and other IT pros.
Andrii has been working in development for over a decade. During this time he received multiple certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect and SAFe. Although, when asked, he calls himself a ‘regular software engineer aspiring to become an Evil Galactic Emperor’.
The ability to see the best in any situation and a fantastic sense of humor are highly valued Andrii’s qualities. And so is his focus on teamwork and helping junior developers to grow and realize their potential. It’s not a surprise that he managed to boost the productivity of the company’s development department by 30%.
Andrii always strives to get better at what he does. And today he is sharing some of his favorite sources that can help all developers, QAs, and other IT professionals to reach new heights in their professions.
Best Books for Programmers as Recommended by Andrii Bohatyr
Now’s the moment. You’re standing amidst the dusty bookshelves trying to pick out something robust and relevant. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Developer, young and eager to learn, a Project Manager with your eyes shining, or a QA Engineer with a never-ending itch to explore new horizons. Here you go! Below is a comprehensive compilation for any IT-related professional. I wish I could call it ultimate, but it is rather streamlined in the chaos of modern development hype and trends.
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship – Robert C. Martin
This one may help you to differentiate “good” and “evil”. It helps you transform an ugly and smelly pile of code into shimmering gold. Naming conventions, formatting, proper commenting, exception handling, unit testing – it’s all there!
Amazon link
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction – Steve McConnell
This book emphasizes the construction of software, which is a large part of software development, fostering programmer’s productivity enormously. It covers major aspects of detailed design, coding, and debugging, as well as unit and integration testing. It’s one of the timeless pieces in the art of software development.
Clean Architecture: A Craftsman’s Guide to Software Structure and Design – Robert C. Martin
Uncle Bob writes simply, cleanly, and with enough examples. Also, he’s writing without delving into excessively complicated details. It is a cornerstone to understanding the architecture and building applications as a solid entity. It also explains what the good and bad patterns are. Martin describes some of the software projects from his personal experience and what he learned from them.
Test-Driven Development: By Example – Kent Beck
The book focuses on TDD practices, showcases, and the implementation of numerous programming tasks. It delivers the mindset and approach when applying test-driven development. The author highlights the Patterns for Test-Driven Development and helps to master TDD as a whole.
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master – Andrew Hunt, David Thomas
This book is designed to make you think and challenge yourself and the way you currently do things. Andrew Hunt and David Thomas were kind enough to transform their years of experience and knowledge into a book with practical advice you can apply instantly. This is rather a conversation than a book, it’s easy and fun to read. Each chapter gives tips on multiple topics, such as estimating, testing, debugging, prototyping, effective communication, and much more.
The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering – Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
The Mythical Man-Month is essentially a collection of old-school articles. But those can still be considered one of the fundamental sources for software engineering. While reading this book it’s hard to deny that software architecture and the personality of an architect can influence the implementation. Some chapters stress that an architect should have their own idea of implementing things while accepting alternative approaches. It’s a must-read as an introduction to project management and leadership.
Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams – Tom DeMarco
It’s one of the best books for programmers about the pitfalls and practices in software development. Its content revolves around managing human resources, having a decent work and office environment, and the “right” people and atmosphere in place. It fosters understanding and introducing a better alignment between team members and a culture of quality. Remember: people are not just resources. That’s what you’ll learn here.
More posts from the Devtorium crew members:
- Artificial Intelligence Software Development: First Exposure to Computer Vision by Oleksii Makarov.
- Role of a Business Analyst in Outsourced Software Product Development by Daryna Volynets.
