Books
Technical books, programming guides, and software development literature that provide valuable knowledge and insights for developers at all levels.
The Unicorn Project: A Novel About Digital Disruption, Redshirts, and Rebelling Against the Ancient Powerful Order
By Gene Kim
Gene Kim's developer-centered companion story to The Phoenix Project about cognitive load and platform engineering. Learn how developers can fight back against technical debt and bureaucracy.
The developer's perspective on fighting technical debt and bureaucracy. The five ideals gave me a framework for advocating for better tooling and processes. Read full review.
Working Effectively with Legacy Code
By Michael Feathers
Michael Feathers' must-read for anyone inheriting messy systems, refactoring safely, or adding tests. Learn how to work with code you didn't write and make it better without breaking it.
The book I read when inheriting a codebase with no tests. Feathers' techniques for sprouting methods and dependency breaking gave me confidence to make changes safely. Read full review.
Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software
By Nadia Eghbal
Nadia Eghbal's modern look at open-source ecosystems, developer burnout, and community economics. Understand how open source actually works, who maintains it, and why sustainability matters.
Eghbal's research into who maintains open source projects explains why critical dependencies often have one person keeping them alive. Essential reading for maintainers and heavy users of open source. Read full review.
DIY Stitch Book with Tools Set, Embroidery Stitch Book, DIY Sewing Books, Embroidery Books of Stitches, Sewing Books for Beginners and Enthusiast, 106 Unique Embroidery Patterns
By Various
Comprehensive embroidery stitch reference book with included tools set, featuring 106 unique embroidery patterns perfect for children and adults interested in sewing or crafting. Makes an excellent stocking stuffer or gift for craft enthusiasts.
Colorful embroidery stitch book with 106 unique patterns perfect for children and adults. Includes tools set for immediate start—makes a great stocking stuffer or gift for craft enthusiasts. Read full review.
The Go Programming Language
By Alan A. Donovan, Brian W. Kernighan
Comprehensive introduction to Go covering language fundamentals, concurrency, and tooling for building reliable software.
Still the clearest path to idiomatic Go—especially the goroutines and channels chapter. Read full review.
Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems
By Martin Kleppmann
Martin Kleppmann's definitive handbook on building reliable, scalable, maintainable data platforms. Covers the fundamentals of distributed systems, databases, and data processing that remain essential for modern architectures. Note: The second edition will be released on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 with updated content on streaming, CDC, compliance, and cloud patterns.
The definitive guide to distributed data systems—covering consistency, replication, partitioning, and the fundamental trade-offs that shape modern architectures. Read full review.
Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition
By Aditya Bhargava
Visual, beginner-friendly tour through search, graphs, dynamic programming, and big-O that relies on comics-style illustrations instead of dense proofs.
Illustrated walkthroughs, fresh real-world examples, and quick drills make this second edition the easiest way to get juniors comfortable with big-O and core algorithms. Read full review.
Mythical Man-Month, The: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition
By Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
Classic essays on software project management, schedules, and team dynamics that shaped modern engineering practices.
Brooks’ essays still explain why schedules slip and why communication matters—every engineering leader should revisit them. Read full review.
Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code (2nd Edition)
By Martin Fowler
Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.
Named refactoring moves, modern examples, and clear mechanics make this the go-to handbook whenever we touch legacy code. Read full review.
Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production
By Betsy Beyer, Chris Jones, Jennifer Petoff, Niall Richard Murphy
Google's SRE practices for operating reliable, scalable production services, covering SLIs/SLOs, automation, and incident response.
Still the definitive SRE playbook—SLOs, toil budgets, and blameless postmortems that every ops team should adopt. Read full review.
The Pragmatic Programmer: Your Journey To Mastery, 20th Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition)
By Andy Hunt, Dave Thomas
Practical advice for becoming an effective developer—from tooling and design to habits and career growth—in a modernized 20th anniversary edition.
Pragmatic maxims on communication, automation, and craft that I still quote to new hires years later. Read full review.
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
By Robert C. Martin
Second-edition update of Robert C. Martin’s classic handbook on writing maintainable code, with refreshed case studies, smell catalogs, and refactoring practices for modern teams.
Second edition keeps Clean Code relevant—examples age, but the refreshed refactoring walkthroughs and smell catalog remain the clearest roadmap to maintainable code. Read full review.
ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 5th Edition – Technician Class Study Guide
By ARRL
The official ARRL study guide for passing the Technician Class (entry-level) amateur radio exam, featuring the complete question pool, detailed explanations, and practical operating guidance for new hams.
Official ARRL study guide for Technician Class exam with complete question pool and detailed explanations. Balances exam prep with real understanding of ham radio fundamentals. Read full review.
ARRL General Class License Manual 10th Edition – Complete Study Guide
By ARRL
The official ARRL study guide for upgrading to General Class amateur radio license, featuring the complete question pool, detailed explanations, and advanced operating guidance for experienced hams.
Official ARRL study guide for General Class amateur radio license upgrade with complete question pool and detailed explanations. Perfect for Technicians ready to advance. Read full review.
ARRL Extra Class License Manual 13th Edition – Complete Study Guide
By ARRL
The official ARRL study guide for upgrading to Extra Class amateur radio license, the highest level granting all privileges. Features the complete question pool, detailed explanations, and advanced operating guidance.
Official ARRL study guide for Extra Class amateur radio license, the highest level granting all privileges. Complete question pool and detailed explanations for serious operators. Read full review.
Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations
By Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim
Research-backed field guide that ties lean software delivery habits to measurable business outcomes, unpacking the DORA metrics, cultural foundations, and continuous delivery capabilities that separated top performers in the Accelerate State of DevOps reports.
Still my go-to reference when aligning execs around DORA metrics and the cultural work that makes continuous delivery stick. Read full review.