The Best Software Engineering Books

Software engineering is a constantly changing industry that requires constant education. While communities can help with many issues, there are the best software engineering books that can help you focus on a particular issue or philosophy.

Software engineering can be described as the process of gathering user requirements, designing, building and testing software applications that meet those requirements.

This is a list of the Best Software Engineering Books that are recommended for every Software Engineer, from beginners to experts.

READ ALSO: Application Software With Examples – All The Details

The Best Software Engineering Books

If you are looking for the best software engineering books that can help you update your knowledge, there are the best and most-read software books on the market:

1. Cracking the Coding Interview
2. Clean code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
3. Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
4. Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture
5. A Philosophy Of Software Design 
6. Don’t Make Me Think
7. The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering
8. Enterprise Integration Patterns
9. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
10. Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
11. Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual
12. User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development
13. Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams
14. The Pragmatic Programmer
15. Headfirst Design Patterns: A Brain-Friendly Guide
16. The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers
17. Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software
18. The DevOps Handbook
19. Artificial Intelligence For Dummies
20. Breaking The Code: Five Steps to a Life-Changing Software Development Job

READ ALSO: The Best Online Teaching Platforms For Everyone

 

1. Cracking the Coding Interview

Written by Gayle Laakmann McDowell, Cracking The Coding Interview ranks number one on Amazon’s bestseller list. It is also the most popular among engineers. This 6th edition includes 189 programming interview questions, walk-throughs, and hints on solving the problems. It also contains five strategies for answering algorithm questions and a guide to how companies handle hiring developers.

Biron Clark, a former tech recruiter who founded CareerSidekick.com, said that whiteboarding and algorithmic questions are quite different from what you have been doing in your daily work. This book will help you succeed in a coding interview with question examples and solutions.

Get the latest price and reviews on Amazon

2. Clean code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship

Robert wrote Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. C. Martin. The author presents Agile principles from the perspective of thousands of programmers.

This is a great book on software development. It has three parts. The first section focuses on the principles, patterns and practices for writing clean code. The second part discusses various cases of increasing complexity while the third section includes a single chapter that lists all the “smells” and heuristics gathered in the course of creating the case studies.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

3. Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

Design Patterns: Elements Of Reusable Object-Oriented Software, a book by Richard Helm, Grady Booch and Erich Gamma Ralph Johnson is one of the best software engineering books.

This book explains what patterns are and how you can use them to design object-oriented software. This book covers every pattern and explains why it is useful in particular situations. Patterns are compiled using real systems that are based upon real-world examples.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

4. Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture

Martin Fowler wrote Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, a programming book is one of the best software engineering books. The author discusses enterprise app development in this book.

He assists professionals to understand the critical and complex aspects of architecture. This is an essential aspect of any application development, and especially important for the success of an enterprise project.

This software engineering textbook is top-notch. It explains patterns and enterprise architecture. The author’s context helps the reader make informed decisions when faced with difficult design decisions in their project.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

5. A Philosophy Of Software Design 

Written by John Outsterhout, this book examines the complexity of software design, and the difficulties encountered in managing it. The book covers design principles and design philosophies, as well as how to spot problems during development.

WallStreetZen founder, Nate Tsang said, “It’s not very long, but it is a lot of information to unpack and digest.” It contains many tidbits I may have picked up over the years but the book is clearly and concisely laid out. Ousterhout’s concept of software as a fight against complexity is a great way to capture the essence of good software design. It is a must-read book for junior engineers.

Get the latest price and reviews on Amazon

6. Don’t Make Me Think

Krug’s book describes how humans use software and websites to accept the first solution presented to them. Software engineers should therefore take advantage of this fact and think about it when designing software. The book is simple, concise, and straightforward.

Mike Gilfillan (Technical Lead at Edge of the Web) said that “It is an essential text for any software engineer.” It is “the best book available to help you understand UX and change your thinking to make UX the driving force behind all your decisions.”

Check the latest price and reviews on Amazon

7. The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering

Brooks’ Anniversary Edition adds to the original advice, opinions and strategies in his book on project management in software engineering. He also shares his belief that adding manpower to a late project will only worsen the matter.

He also covers topics such as scheduling failures and the second-system effects, irreducible errors and other issues.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

8. Enterprise Integration Patterns

Bobby Woolf and Gregor Hohpe wrote Enterprise Integration Patterns. This book provides a wealth of information about various patterns and real-world solutions to help you create effective messaging solutions in your enterprise.

They also provide examples that cover multiple technologies such as JMS, MSMQ, SOAP, XSL and Microsoft BizTalk.

This book is a great resource for software engineering professionals. It provides a consistent vocabulary as well as a visual notation framework. This book explains large-scale integration strategies across multiple technologies. It also discusses in detail the limitations and advantages of asynchronous messaging architectures.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

9. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

Steve McConnell wrote CODE COMPLETE. This classic book contains a variety of code examples to show the science and art of software development.

In addition to combining the most powerful techniques and must-know principles, the author provides clear, practical guidance. This book will stimulate your thinking and help you create the best code possible.

This book is a great resource for software engineering. It allows you to quickly and accurately resolve construction problems.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

10. Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code

Martin Fowler wrote Refactoring: Improving The Design of Existing Code. This book will improve the design of legacy code to make it easier to understand and maintain software.

This book contains JavaScript code examples as well as functional examples showing refactoring with no classes. The book will help you understand the basic principles of refactoring. This book will also help you understand how to make a program more accessible and easier to modify. Learn how to create solid tests for your Refactoring.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

11. Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual

Manual John has written Soft Skills: A Software Developer’s Life, which is a reference guide. This book is a guide for software developers to live a fulfilling and well-rounded life. Software engineers are advised by this author and developer on important topics like their career, productivity, investing and personal finances, as well as fitness and relationships.

The book is divided into 71 chapters. This book will help you become a better programmer, and improve your software engineering skills.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

12. User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development

Mike Cohn wrote a book this book called User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development. This book is a great way to gather customer requirements. It includes user stories that show how users can plan, manage and test software development jobs.

This book provides a variety of questions and exercises, as well as a detailed discussion of both successful and unsuccessful implementations. This reference book will help you to identify the most effective methods for developing software applications.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

13. Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

Tom DeMarco wrote Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams. This book examines leadership pathologies that were not previously considered to be pathological. The book offers invaluable advice to anyone who is interested in managing a software project or organization.

This book is a great reference for anyone who manages a software project team, such as a manager or team leader. This book is essential reading for anyone who manages a software project team.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

14. The Pragmatic Programmer

The Pragmatic Programmer is a book by Andrew Hun, David Thomas (Author). This book is designed to help clients create better software and reclaim the joy of programming. The book helps a new generation of software developers to examine the essence of software development without regard for any particular language, methodology or framework.

This book is a must-read for software engineers. It also highlights the major pitfalls and great approaches to lots of the aspects of software engineering.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

15. Headfirst Design Patterns: A Brain-Friendly Guide

Headfirst Design Patterns is now available for Java 8. It shows you how to use the tested patterns of software development teams to create functional, flexible and reusable software.

This book will help you learn from the best practices and experiences of people who have created various software types. This book is visually rich. The book combines the best of cognitive science and learning theory to offer a multi-sensory learning experience.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

16. The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers

Robert C. Martin wrote The Clean Coder, a Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers. This book provides practical advice on everything from programming and estimating to refactoring and even testing.

The author also discusses how to approach software development with pride, self-respect and honor. This book will help you communicate and estimate difficult decisions clearly and honestly.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

17. Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software

Nadia Eghbal wrote Working in Public, a reference book for software developers. This book provides an insider’s view of modern open-source software development. Eghbal also examines the role of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube in reducing infrastructure and distribution costs for creators.

As creators are expected to be the center of online social networks, rather than discrete communities, we should study what happened with open source to learn how they function in this case.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

18. The DevOps Handbook

Written by Gene Kim (Author), Patrick Debois(Author), John Willis(Author), John Allspaw (Foreword), and Jez Humble (Author), The DevOps Handbook is one of the best software engineering books. This book lets you understand that effective technology management is essential for business competitiveness.

This type of leader in technology has struggled with balancing reliability, security and agility. The DevOps Handbook demonstrates how leaders can achieve these amazing outcomes. It explains how to integrate Product Management with IT Operations, QA and Information Security to raise your company’s profile and compete in the market.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

19. Artificial Intelligence For Dummies

John Paul Mueller and Luca Massaron wrote Artificial Intelligence. This book is a concise introduction to AI and how it’s being used today.

This reference book will give you a comprehensive overview of technology. It also addresses common myths about technology. This book provides information about AI and computer applications. It also explains the history and scope of AI.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

20. Breaking The Code: Five Steps to a Life-Changing Software Development Job

Breaking The Code reveals the secret to building a better and marketable career. This method is something I strongly support. However, many developers believe that their technical skills will make them stand out. This book will prove that this is not true.

“I have come to understand the reasons I’m having difficulty getting interviews after reading this book.” I missed the five steps that are essential for finding your first coding job.

Get the latest price and user reviews on Amazon

 Verdict On The Best Software Engineering Books

We have highlighted the best software engineering books that every engineer needs to read. If you want to keep your software knowledge up to date, which you should, the books on this list are the best and must-read books. Isn’t it time to update?

Let me know in the comment box if you have read any book that you think deserves a place on this list.