Coding isn't easy all the time and if you're anything like me, sometimes you like to get out and about while still trying to learn to code. This is a challenge for me because the very nature of writing code means that most of productive learning time is actually spent writing out and testing new code. However when I was in my coding bootcamp, I also had to work a full time job and keep a healthy home life with my family. Needless to say, I couldn't write code as much as I felt like I needed to at times. However, I found a good way to bridge that gap and keep myself improving was to search for audiobook and podcast sources. What follows is my personal tried and true recommendations for keeping your mind on code even though you're not at your desk.
This list includes recommendations for books that I have found useful to help with study and learning in general, and there are some as well that are specific to coding and software development. All of the audiobooks listed below can currently be found on audible.com.
AudioBooks
Atomic Habits by James Clear
This is one of the more useful of the books I came across as a general tool to analyze some of my learning strategies, and help me
On Writing by Stephen King
This book is written and also narrated by one of the monoliths of fiction, Stephen King. This book details out the process that King uses to constantly produce some of the most thrilling and voluminous literary works to have ever been written.
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
Of all the books on this list, I've probably listened to this one the most, and it is amongst the top 3 books I'd recommend to anyone regardless of whether they were a coder or artist or just a human trying to learn or improve in any aspect of their life.
Pragmatic Programmer: 20th Anniversary Edition - by David Thomas, Andrew Hunt
Now this book is about code, written for software developers by software developers. Pragmatic Programmer is one of those books you always see recommended, so I picked it up and can pass along that recommendation. The format and narration of the book makes it easy to digest and re-listenable. The authors deliver clear concepts in a language agnostic way.
Coders by Clive Thompson
This book is a general study of the culture that surrounds software and code. I recommend this book to the people who are around coders but not necessarily are coders themselves. It helps understand some of the psychology that goes into the obsessive pursuit of excellent and beautiful code.
The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick
Written by the hacker Kevin Mitnick this book goes into detail some of the dark corners of the internet and what is involved in knowing how to maintain your personal privacy in an age of digital fingerprints. Mitnick explains some of the extreme cases where the privacy leaks and what can be done to prevent it.
The Complete Software Developers Career Guide by John Sonmez
This is an absolutely amazing book. It's all the wisdom you'd expect from a seasoned coder and entrepreneur . The Software Developers Career Guide is a non nonsense personable look at what is involved at the building of a successful career in software and tech in general. Of all the books on the list, for aspiring coders, this one is a must read.
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
The last book on this list is one for fun. Superintelligence takes a deep dive into the theory behind artificial intelligence and some of the dark outcomes of its unanticipated consequences. This book can be pretty dense subject wise, but if you want a thorough understanding and perhaps a respectful fear of the benefits and dangers of AI, this is the pinnacle of the genre.
Comments
Post a Comment