Comment by muzani
Thanks for the references. I remember there was a Show HN that actually combed through these threads and made book recommendations based on how good someone is at making book recommendations. But many of those links no longer work.
Thanks for the references. I remember there was a Show HN that actually combed through these threads and made book recommendations based on how good someone is at making book recommendations. But many of those links no longer work.
This sounds like a hallucination tbh. If you look from the other lists, something like Clean Code is hardly recommended and gets criticized quite a bit. It's not something that stands to the test of time.
It's not a bad book, but it's the type of book a good list in 2025 should filter for.
I tend to agree -- it's hard to say without looking at the data more closely but the list is a little outside the scope and intent of my question. It's also possible I could've asked my "ask" more clearly!
I specifically was curious what the best books the people on HN read and was trying to get at the impact of a book on the person more so than just wanting a list of 10 frequently recommended books on programming according to Perplexity's summary of HN. Experimenting with AI is great, but in this case was looking for a more human and individualistic perspective.
I assume the "Perplexity" refers to the LLM that generated the list? As far as I can tell, none of the listed books are hallucinated though.
But I completey agree with your take on Martins Clean Code book.
Perplexity:
Based on the discussions from the provided Hacker News threads, here is a list of ten notable books recommended by users, particularly in the context of software engineering and programming:
## Top Ten Recommended Books
- *The Pragmatic Programmer* by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas A classic in software development, this book offers practical advice and principles for programmers.
- *Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship* by Robert C. Martin This book emphasizes writing clean, maintainable code and has become a staple in programming literature.
- *A Philosophy of Software Design* by John Ousterhout This book provides insights into software design principles and the importance of simplicity in design.
- *Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software* by Eric Evans A foundational text for understanding complex software systems and how to manage them effectively.
- *Designing Data-Intensive Applications* by Martin Kleppmann This book covers the principles of designing applications that handle large volumes of data efficiently.
- *Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code* by Martin Fowler Focuses on the process of refactoring code to improve its structure without changing its functionality.
- *Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction* by Steve McConnell This comprehensive guide covers best practices in software construction and coding techniques.
- *Effective Java* by Joshua Bloch A must-read for Java developers, this book provides best practices for writing robust Java code.
- *The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering* by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. A classic work discussing the complexities and challenges of managing software projects.
- *Programming Pearls* by Jon Bentley This book presents programming problems and solutions that enhance problem-solving skills and algorithmic thinking.
These books are highly regarded within the programming community and cover a range of topics from coding practices to software design philosophies, making them valuable resources for both new and experienced developers.
Citations: [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41387062 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35929112 [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32130578 [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41387062 [5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35929112 [6] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32130578 [7] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29498220 [8] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29306651