Summer Tech Must-Reads for Software Engineers

Summer’s finally here. It’s time to go to the beach — or grab a coveted spot by the pool — and catch up on some reading. While we usually associate beach reads with lighter material, here at Flatiron School we think summer’s the perfect time to learn about code.

Our Summer Tech Must-Reads for Software Engineers includes books that help you grow as a developer and as a person. These books were recommended by our engineers to help you on your coding journey. Some explore a specific programming language, while other books helped our engineers think about the greater impact of their work. These books are so good you may find yourself skipping the beach to finish another chapter.

Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby by Sandi Metz 

This comes highly recommended by our instructors and engineers. 

“Metz teaches complex concepts in the simplest terms she can,” Avidor T., an engineer at Flatiron School says. “Both beginners and advanced programmers will be able to find something new and useful in this book.”

Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham

While less technical, “Hackers and Painters” is a valuable addition to any software engineer’s library. 

“Hackers & Painters was a great read for thinking broader about my work as a software engineer,” Tracy, one of our engineers, says. “Graham provides a lot of historical context about the rise of technology and the internet and startup culture, which helped me understand the type of impact I could make with my work.”

Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems Edited by Betsy Beyer, Chris Jones, Jennifer Petoff and Niall Richard Murphy

If you want to know what it’s like to work at one of the biggest tech companies in the world, look no further. “Site Reliability Engineering” explores key challenges and solutions across the engineering lifecycle.

Confident Ruby by Avdi Grimm

As Grimm states, “Confident Ruby” is as much about the programming language as it is about joy. The book provides techniques and methods to make your code “confident.” You can download the sample PDF containing the introduction and three patterns.

Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World by Clive Thompson

We tend to use the word “coder” as a label that applies to everyone remotely connected to programming languages. “Coders” explores the different cultures of computer programmers around the world. The book also examines the philosophy and morality of code. 

As lifelong learners, we encourage everyone to find a moment every day to learn something new. You’ll gain a new perspective, learn a new skill, grow as a person, and make the most of your summer.

Disclaimer: The information in this blog is current as of July 9, 2019. Current policies, offerings, procedures, and programs may differ.