Reading Recommendations

I don't think there has been any other book that has had as much of an impact on my mindset and approach to software engineering than Code Complete, by Steve McConnell. I consider there to be two time periods in my career to date: before Code Complete and after Code Complete.

The book itself is rich with content, covering things like detailed design, coding, debugging, integration, developer testing, and performance tuning, then zooms out and covers software craftsmanship topics and some of the "soft" skills needed for a successful career in this space. Each chapter usually contains helpful metaphors to drive its point across or a fun and memorable anecdote, so the content itself is enjoyable to read and isn't too dry. If this isn't on your bookshelf yet, definitely consider picking it up!