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Reading List

A very incomplete list of things I’ve found interesting to read at different points in my career. I do try to add and update from time to time.

• Programming
• Web Design
• Hardware/Embedded
• Databases
• Crypto/Security
• Smart Buildings
• Engineering Management
• Business/Startups

Programming

• The C Programming Language (Kernighan, Pike) Still my favorite book on C — no matter if you ever use it — I think knowing this stuff makes you a better developer

• The Unix Programming Environment (Kernighan, Pike) Smattering of *nix basics: shell programming, I/O streams and redirection, file system, processes, signals -- writing sh and C the “Unix” way

• Julia Evans Awesome brain dump of all things software as she learns — great way to expose and learn things outside your comfort zone

Web Design

I'd like to think things are better now-a-days, but there was a time when this knowledge was not commonplace; these two books were very influential in my understanding of semantic markup, and how it can simplify CSS (read Web Standards first, CSS second):

• Design with Web Standards (Zeldman)
• Transcending CSS (Clarke, Holzschlag)

Hardware/Embedded

• Game Engine Black Book: Wolfenstein 3D (Sanglard) Talks all about how Wolfenstein 3D was written at technical level; great discussion of the constraints and challenges of designing software for the 386, VGA, sound cards, etc; lots of anecdotes about the id team during those years.

• Floating Point Visually Explained (Sanglard) Maybe the best explanation of how floating points work ever

Databases

• Designing Data-Intensive Applications (Kleppmann) Talks about the low-level mechanics and design details for modern databases; as well as some techniques for scaling high volume applications

• Algorithms Behind Modern Storage Systems (Petrov) Different uses for read-optimized B-trees and write-optimized LSM-trees

Crypto/Security

• Crypto 101 (Van Houtven) Very approachable introduction to cryptography primitives for programmers

• Some thoughts on security after ten years of qmail 1.0 (Bernstein) Maybe somewhat commonsense arguments for how to approach writing secure software systems -- but always good to refresh your memory -- and reinforce these concepts.

Smart Buildings

• Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity (Allen, Macomber) Eye opening discussion on how humans spend 90% of their time indoors but how little focus we give these environments.

• Building Automation A-Z (Zito) Very high level overview of BAS from systems, to procurement, to maintenance. Read this cover to cover, then go deeper with another book for specific details.

Engineering Management

Long reads:

• The Phoenix Project (Kim, Behr, Spafford) Fictional story of how IT/DevOps permeates an entire organization and approaches to operational improvements.

Misc short reads:

• An Engineering Team where Everyone is a Leader
• Letter to New Managers
• Effective Product Management

Business/Startups

• The Great CEO Within (Mochary) Really good book on running a tech company. Ostensibly about growing a startup — but anyone in tech can find value at different layers. Few books resonate with me like this one has. Short, easy read that cuts straight to the point.

• Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup (Walling) Great, easy read on starting and running "micropreneur" and bootstrapped businesses (and why you might avoid the VC route). Some product suggestions are dated (2010) - but easily updated to modern alternatives.

• Crossing the Chasm (Moore) Seminal book on how [tech] businesses progress through the bell curve of adoption - and getting past the initial chasm of early adopters to mainstream customers.

• Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate (Lakoff) To quote Will Larson, “While written from a political perspective that some might find challenging, this book completely changed how I think about presenting ideas. You may be tempted to instead read his more academic writing, but I'd recommend reading this first as it's much briefer and more readable.”

• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It (Gerber) A bit of a cheese factor — but some very valuable insight for small businesses — particularly the Technician/Manager/Entrepreneur and the Franchise Model