Designing Web navigation / James Kalbach. O’Reilly, 2007.
A book about design for web sites. Finishing with a section on navigation for web applications. Years ago, before the web, we would have called this GUI design. We have come a long way!
Tag: 5-stars
Programming collective intelligence
Programming collective intelligence : building smart Web 2.0 applications / Toby Segaran, O’Reilly, c2007.
Most programmers will find this book fascinating. What algorithm does Amazon use to predict what books are likely to interest you? Netflix with DVD’s? Google with search results? Example algorithms are in Python. With a foreword from Tim O’Reilly and a recommendation from Dan Russell, Google’s ‘Uber Tech Lead’.
Thinking inside the box
Thinking inside the box : the 12 timeless rules for managing a successful business / Kirk Cheyfitz. Free Press, 2003
This timeless book should be read by everyone wanting to run a business profitably. Or choose a business to invest in, or work for. It is quite readable, and the 12 chapters are independent so you can put it down at the end of a chapter without losing context.
Smart and gets things done
Smart and gets things done : Joel Spolsky’s concise guide to finding the best technical talent / Joel Spolsky. Apress, 2007.
This is for the HR person charged with hiring programmers, and the software manager. It is also obliquely for the programmer who is unsure why he does not like his current job, and needs to know what questions to ask of a prospective employer.
Spolsky writes in a lucid and flowing manner, as you will know if you have been reading his previous books on software design and his blog.
Professional C++
Professional C++ / Nicholas A. Solter, Scott J. Kleper. Wiley, c2005.
Here is everything a programmer needs to get going in C++. It’s a thick book, but it does not cover everything because there are so many details in C++. Job seekers will value the appendix, which lists likely interview questions. Managers who interview programmers will find this useful too.
Ajax in action
Ajax in action / Dave Crane, Eric Pascarello; Manning, c2006.
This is the best book on AJAX programming that I have seen. It used to be that Javascript was for small and crufty hacks, but now full apps run in the browser environment. The code needs to be structured to be maintainable. This well written and engaging book looks at web app design from all angles.
Founders at work
Founders at work : stories of startups’ early days / Jessica Livingston. Apress, c2007.
Fascinating interviews with founders of technology startups including Paul Graham, Joshua Schachter, Mike Lazaridis, and Joel Spolsky.
Thinking in Java
Thinking in Java / Bruce Eckel. Prentice Hall, 2006
The most readable book on Java that I know of, and at 1482 pages it is a weighty tome. Read it all to improve your design skills, or use it as a reference.
C++ coding standards
C++ coding standards : 101 rules, guidelines, and best practices / Herb Sutter, Andrei Alexandrescu. Addison-Wesley, 2005
Such a simple yet invaluable book to anyone coding in C++, because code readability is so important. Lend it to co-workers and hope they read it.
The recommended standards are practical, and after you have read this book you will see them as common-sense. Each is supported by references to well known authorities.
Security Engineering
Security engineering : a guide to building dependable distributed systems / Ross J. Anderson. Wiley 2008, hard cover
1000 very readable pages of straight talk on security. This affects almost everyone. The first edition was published in 2001, and the book appears to have been rewritten. I wish there was a new edition yearly.
According to B. Schneier, “It’s beautiful. This is the best book on the topic there is”.