Engineering Reading Recommendations
This is a list of books that I recommend to engineers at different levels of their career. I've read all of these books and found them to be helpful. I hope you find them helpful too! This is based on a rather simple model of career progression, but should be a good starting point for most people. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
I will be adding new references to this list as I read more books.
Software Engineer
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Cal Newport
It is all in the title, really. Software engineering is hard deep work. This book makes the case for setting aside time to do deep work and how to do it. It is a great read for anyone who wants to be more productive and get more done. Especially if you are working in a place that is drowning in meetings and distractions.
Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
Jeff Sutherland, J.J. Sutherland
Contrary to popular belief, going faster doesn't necessarily means that the quality has to go down. This book is about the scrum methodology which helps to drive value faster by reducing the amount of work necessary to deliver value and deliver it as soon as possible.
Principal Software Engineer
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
The book is a novel happening in the workplace. The main character is Bill Palmer, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited. The company is in trouble and Bill is given the task of turning around the IT department. The book follows Bill as he learns about Streamlining Engineering Operations and how to apply it to his company. This book is really well written, it is full of twists and turns and the angles at which the story is told are really enlightenening in regards to the current state of engineering best practices and pitfalls not to get into.
Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You
Frances Frei, Anne Morriss
Frances Frei is a great leader, workat Uber and Harvard. This book is about how to empower people around you. Great teams and great companies are not built by people that just follow orders, they are built by great people who are empowered to do great things.
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters
Richard Rumelt
Strategy matters, it is not only about the things you will do but also about the things you will not do. This book is a great read for anyone who wants to understand what strategy is and how to apply it. It is full of examples and case studies that will help you understand the concepts and apply them to your own situation.