As you continue in your career as software developers, leaders, and managers; there are some resources that I recommend you have access to.  I have grouped these “standard texts” into groups.  You don’t have to read them all, but at least be familiar with some of the major ideas and be able to dive deeper into them as your opportunities for professional growth expand.

You might not need to purchase all of these yourself!! Check local libraries, college libraries (many allow community members to access their collection!!), and your company’s libraries.  If your company does not have a library, suggest establishing one.

(Software) Design

Don Norman.  The Design of Everyday Things.

Marian Petre and Andre van der Hoek.  Software Design Decoded.

Software Engineering

Ian Sommerville.  Software Engineering.

Design Patterns

Russ Olsen.  Design Patterns in Ruby.

Clean Code

Many books on refactoring are tailored for specific languages.  I’ve included Fowler’s classic book, but he is also a co-author on one designed specifically for Ruby.  I would wait until you know the languages you’ll be using before you buy a language-specific version.

Martin Fowler.  Refactoring.