Randomness Deborah J. Bennett Harvard University Press, 1998 This book covers the subjects of randomness, probability, and statistics better than any other book for the layman I’ve ever seen. As a programmer, most of the books I’ve read on these topics are either heavily into the math and theory of the subject or focused on… Read More »
Perl for Web Site Management John Callender O’Reilly, 2002 This book may be one of the best books I’ve ever seen for getting the Perl programming language used in a place where it is sorely needed. Many people developing web-based applications are not programmers. They learned to use some HTML authoring tool and progressed from… Read More »
Modern C++ Design Andrei Alexandrescu Addison-Wesley, 2001 This book just blew me away. I’ve had access to compile-time programming in other languages and had worked pretty hard to understand templates. I felt I had a better than average grasp of how C++ templates work and are used. The techniques in this book were astounding. I… Read More »
The Logic of Failure Dietrich Döner Perseus Books, 1996 This is a spectacular book on why people make mistakes. This book gives wonderful insight into design and troubleshooting that you won’t get from any traditional book on programming. A large portion of the book describes how very intelligent people make what seem like blindingly stupid… Read More »
Mastering Regular Expressions Jeffery E. F. Friedl O’Reilly, 1997 If you use regular expressions on a regular basis, or if you’ve used them a little but want to get better, this is a book you need. I had been working with regular expressions for over ten years when I first read this book. I was… Read More »
Exceptional C++ Herb Sutter Addison-Wesley, 2000 I had been working with the C++ programming language for a number of years before I read this book and I thought I knew the language. This book provides 47 problems with included solutions. Trying to solve the problems is very important. Each one tests an area of C++… Read More »
The Design of Everyday Things Donald A. Norman Doubleday, 1988 I know this isn’t a book on programming, but it is a very good book on design. Norman shows design mistakes in everyday items like door handles and stoves, as well as nuclear power plants and trains. He also introduces design principles that you can… Read More »
Software Craftsmanship Pete McBreen Addison-Wesley, 2002 This book is clearly written by someone who gets programming. I’m not sure how well the current business climate would accept his idea of Software Craftsmen, but I’m certain programmers (good and bad) will see an idea they like. The main premise of the book is that programming is… Read More »
Questioning Extreme Programming Pete McBreen Addison-Wesley, 2003 This book starts off with the premise that XP is really not appropriate for many projects. However, far from being a bash XP session, it turns into a very hard-nosed look at many methodologies. He compares many of the strengths and weaknesses of the major development methodologies in… Read More »
Java Cookbook Ian F. Darwin O’Reilly, 2001 In spite of the fact that it is supposedly written in the style of the Perl Cookbook, this book was a real disappointment. The cookbook format is intended for showing solutions to common problems. However, the author of this book appeared to be trying to force a tutorial… Read More »