5 Books Every Software Engineer Should Read (at least once)

During my Software Engineering career, I have come across and read many coding and software engineering books, but there are a few that I keep coming back to and try to re-read them every year.

In this article, I will share 5 of the best Software Engineering books I’ve read. These book are not tied to any specific library, tool or framework; instead, they focus on fundamental principles that can be applied to any tech stack.

They cover multiple aspects of building software, from coding and design patterns to distributed systems, microservices, and designing good APIs. I also found most of them very helpful when preparing for System Design Interviews.

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1. Clean Code

Clean Code is all about writing high-quality, maintainable code. The author, Robert C. Martin (also known as Uncle Bob), provides guidelines and best practices for structuring your code, naming variables, handling errors, and more.

What you will learn:

You’ll learn how to make your code more readable and easier to understand, not just for yourself but for any developer who might read it later. It also covers principles like the Single Responsibility Principle, DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself), and how to effectively refactor your code when it starts to get messy.

How it can help your career:

Writing clean code is one of the most important skills for a Software Engineer. By applying the principles in this book, you’ll be able to deliver features faster, avoid technical debt, and stand out as someone who values code quality. This can open up opportunities for leadership roles and help you perform better in coding interviews.

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2. Head First Design Patterns

Head First Design Patterns uses a fun, engaging style to teach you the core design patterns you’ll encounter in everyday software development. The book breaks down each pattern in a visually-rich format, making it easier to understand why and when to use them.

What you will learn:

You’ll learn how to recognize common problems in code and how to solve them using design patterns like the Strategy Pattern, Observer Pattern, Singleton Pattern, and more. This book makes heavy use of code examples and diagrams, so it’s great for visual learners.

How it can help your career:

Design patterns are frequently asked about in technical interviews, and they also come up a lot when you’re collaborating with other engineers. Having a solid understanding of design patterns will help you write flexible, scalable solutions and communicate better with your peers about how to structure your code.

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3. Designing Data Intensive Applications

This book focuses on how to build systems that handle large amounts of data reliably, efficiently, and securely. It covers topics like data modeling, database internals, distributed systems, transactions, and scalability.

What you will learn:

You’ll gain a deep understanding of how different storage systems work (SQL, NoSQL, etc.) and how to handle big data challenges. Martin Kleppmann explains concepts like replication, partitioning, and consistency in a way that is easy to grasp, even if you’re new to distributed systems.

How it can help your career:

As data volumes grow in almost every company, understanding how to design data-intensive systems is a crucial skill. This knowledge is also extremely valuable in System Design Interviews, where you’re often asked about scalability, reliability, and performance.

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4. Building Microservices

Building Microservices gives a detailed look at how to design and implement microservice-based systems. Sam Newman walks through the fundamentals of what microservices are, why they’re useful, and how to manage the challenges that come with them.

What you will learn:

You’ll learn about service boundaries, communication patterns (like synchronous vs. asynchronous), testing strategies for microservices, and how to deploy and monitor distributed systems. The book also covers organizational aspects—such as team structures—that can support a microservices architecture.

How it can help your career:

Microservices are widely adopted in modern tech companies, and many architectural interviews will delve into your understanding of them. Knowing how to break a monolith into microservices and handle issues like service discovery, API gateways, and observability can make you a stronger candidate for senior engineering roles.

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5. Designing Web APIs

Designing Web APIs focuses on the practical aspects of creating robust, well-documented, and user-friendly APIs. It covers the entire process—from planning and design to documentation and versioning. It includes expert advice, worksheets, checklists, and case studies from companies including Slack, Stripe, Facebook, and GitHub.

What you will learn:

You’ll discover how to define API requirements, choose the right data formats (like JSON, XML), and handle authentication and rate-limiting. The book also addresses collaboration between teams and how to involve stakeholders in the API design process.

How it can help your career:

APIs are at the heart of modern software systems. Whether you’re building internal services or public APIs, understanding how to design them effectively makes you more valuable to your team. It also comes up in interviews if you’re applying for roles where you need to talk about RESTful or GraphQL APIs, integration points, and best practices for scaling APIs, handling security and managing changes.

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There are other great books that I haven’t mentioned in this article.

Do let me know your favorite Software Engineering books in the comments. I’m always looking to add new ones to my reading list!

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I hope you have a lovely day!

See you soon,

Ashish