Because the world of software engineering is undergoing rapid change, continuous learning is an important component of every developer’s career. If you’ve been working in software for a while and enjoy reading, you’ve definitely come across some classics like Code Complete, Refactoring, The Mythical Man-Month, and Peopleware.
Here are some books that address a variety of topics such as software design and management or “people topics”.
- Software Design X-Rays
Adam Tornhill’s new book, Following Your Code as a Crime Scene, is on the interesting issue of code analysis and “code health.” It’s one of the most comprehensive books about software engineering. The author shows how to detect hotspots, complexity trends, coupling, and refactoring possibilities using a variety of techniques, most of which are based on data from version control systems.
All of the information is well-supported by examples, references, and a few intriguing infographics. After reading the book, you may wonder how to best implement and incorporate your new knowledge into your engineering process, as well as how to persuade coworkers regarding the importance of that idea. You’ll learn how to analyse code bases, keep your code healthy, and manage teams in order to provide more long-term results. If you’re responsible for quality in your capacity as a software engineer, architect, or engineering manager, this book is a must-read.
- A Philosophy of Software Design
The book draws on John Ousterhout’s own experience working on a range of complex systems, as well as his Stanford class, in which students iteratively develop a programme using a code review process. It’s the book I’d suggest to someone who asked me how to improve their coding and design skills. You’ll discover a variety of heuristics and “red flags” for keeping your code clean and forthright.
Unit testing, test-driven development, and agile development, for example, are only briefly treated in a chapter on “Software Trends,” which reads similarly to the rest of the book: well-argued and to-the-point, but always conceding that this is far from the last word on excellent design.
The core theme of A Philosophy of Software Design is simplicity, and as a result, the book is easy to comprehend. The chapter on deep and shallow modules alone is well worth the book’s price. It also calls into question popular methods such as some of Clean Code’s tactics or some OO design patterns.
Source: Oracle Blogs
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications
Reasoning about the properties of distributed systems and data has become nearly unavoidable as a result of several developments, such as cloud-native apps, microservice architectures, and NoSQL datastores. Martin Kleppmann, a researcher and software engineer, has written a book that discusses both the theory and practise of data-driven applications in a way that gives the idea that the author has in-depth knowledge of it.
Distributed systems is a field with a lot of studies; thus, discussing the subject can rapidly turn academic. Martin Kleppmann, on the other hand, writes in a very simple and approachable manner while maintaining a high level of depth. This book, like Software Design X-Rays, strikes the perfect balance between pragmatic and scholarly.
- Developer Hegemony
This is, without a doubt, the most unusual book on the list. The politics and dynamics of corporate and startup software development are viewed with scepticism. It’s one of those beautifully written books that explains the forces driving our business structures, management styles, and career ladders. You’ve taken the red pill if you chose to read it.
It demonstrates how to play the game if you prefer working in a pyramid-like organisation structure. If you’ve worked in software engineering for a while, you’re probably familiar with many of the behaviours listed above in your coworkers, employers, and corporate politics. While the book may disillusion you, it also reveals how to change things for the better without resorting to manipulation.
- The Manager’s Path
The more experienced you get as a software engineer, the more likely you will be required to take on further management and leadership tasks. The Manager’s Path covers the whole process, from being a single-team engineering lead to managing several teams and representing a company’s technical leader. It’s a practical and genuine book about technical leadership, management, and people issues in IT firms, free of the dramatization and superficial advice seen in many other “people” books.
Despite its focus on engineering management, the book is quite helpful for software engineers who want to stay on the technical road. You’ll learn about team dysfunctions, project management, and common software development difficulties, as well as how to solve them.
There is a time for reading and a time for practising. A modest amount of theory and a vast quantity of practise are required for true mastery. Software Engineering courses and Advanced Software Engineering courses offered by Great Learning can help you explore a lot. Be patient, humble, and confident that with enough time and effort, you will become a software engineer who creates products that truly benefit others.
FAQ
- Which field is best in software engineering?
Data Scientist, Cybersecurity Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, and Full Stack Developer are some of the best fields to work in.
- What type of software is in demand?
The most popular software skills are Python, SQL, and Java.
- Does software engineering require a lot of math?
Even while math isn’t necessary for most software engineering activities, it won’t hurt to have some knowledge of the subject. Fundamentally, software engineering entails developing code and designing software systems to solve problems.
- What kind of math is used in computer science?
The math subjects most important to the computer science profession include discrete mathematics, linear algebra, number theory, and graph theory.