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Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#81

Post by lukasm »

abcd_f wrote: post #49
lukasm wrote: post #16

Code Complete has pretty good bang per page, especially if you are beginner. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Complete-Practical-Handbook-Con...

This is the most disappointing programming book I have ever had a misfortune to buy. If you ever read any UML / Rational Software books - this is right up there in terms of sucking all joy out of programming, putting a blue collar and tie on you and then strangling you to death with soul-less trivialization of the software creation process. Horrible, horrible book. If you like K&R books, stay the hell away from Code…

I must strongly disagree. If you like K&R books, you will find a lot of useful tips like

if (!b) { a();} else { b();}

change to

if(b) {b();} else { a(); }

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#82

Post by cenazoic »

I'm attempting some self-taught coding (my degree is in history), and after much dithering, have started with How to Design Programs (htdp.org). SICP is beyond me at this point, and I wanted to get a good grounding in general concepts and good design before jumping into some other more (theoretically lucrative)language.

HtDP is wonderful at what it does, and while perhaps a tad dry in writing style, it is, for me, a page turner in terms of engagement and presentation of new ideas.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#83

Post by enterx »

npsimons wrote: post #22
isuraed wrote: post #11

Refactoring by Martin Fowler. Extremely practical if you work with old and large code bases.

"Refactoring" is next on my list, but I started with "UML Distilled", and am currently working on "Design Patterns", partly in preparation for "Refactoring" (and "UML Distilled" was partly in preparation for "Design Patterns").

Suggestion : Invert the order. :)

Read Refactoring first than read Design Patterns(GoF).

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#85

Post by loumf »

enterx wrote: post #83
npsimons wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Refactoring" is next on my list, but I started with "UML Distilled", and am currently working on "Design Patterns", partly in preparation for "Refactoring" (and "UML Distilled" was partly in preparation for "Design Patterns").

Suggestion : Invert the order. :) Read Refactoring first than read Design Patterns(GoF).

There's a great book called Refactoring to Patterns which I would suggest after GoF (and just overviewing the Refactoring book)

http://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Patterns-Joshua-Kerievsky/...

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#86

Post by dkersten »

playing_colours wrote: post #48
dkersten wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read (not all of it, maybe 50% of it) "The art of multiprocessor programming" a couple of years ago and I agree, its an excellent book. I have a handful of books on the topic and I find this to be my favourite.

If you have the list of books to read on the topic I would be happy if you share it. My next book on the topic will be http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/programming-distributed-comput...

The only ones I can think of off-hand are these two. The second one isn't really about parallel/concurrent/distributed programming per se, but rather about using Intels Threading Building Blocks - good book if that's what you want to do, but not very useful if not. The first book is interesting and covers a lot of ground (covering general techniques and algorithms as well as specific implementations with OpenMP, MPI and Java's facilities), but I liked Art of multiprocessor programming more, probably because it has a more beginner friendly teach everything from the very beginning approach.

http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Parallel-Programming-Timothy-...

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Threading-Building-Blocks-Parall...

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#87

Post by kirang1989 »

Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective and NAND2Tetris: Elements of Computing Systems are the best books to learn the internals of computer hardware and solidify your understanding of how a computer works.

The Pragmatic Programmer - My all time favorite. Awesome book to learn best practices of various aspects in programming.

The Code Book: The Evolution Of Secrecy From Mary, Queen Of Scots To Quantum Cryptography, if you have a thing for cryptography.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best programming book you've read recently?

#88

Post by fredyr »

Richard Bird, Philip Wadler - Introduction to Functional Programming http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-In...

Richard Bird - Pearls of Functional Algorithm Design http://www.amazon.com/Pearls-Functional-Algorithm-Design-Ric...

Christian Queinnec - Lisp in Small Pieces http://www.amazon.com/Lisp-Small-Pieces-Christian-Queinnec/d...

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