Non-fiction Books

These are some of my favourite general non-fiction books that I think are especially useful for software developers.

A Mind For Numbers

By Barbara Oakley

A Mind For Numbers is a book I wish I read when I was in university. The tagline “How to excel at math and science” describes the target audience for the book: math and science students. However, I still found the techniques and concepts useful in a professional learning setting. All professional careers require constant learning to expand your skills, and software is a particular field that requires us to constantly learn new skills. A Mind For Numbers teaches you about how our brains work, and how to effectively learn.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

By Daniel Kahneman

Thinking, Fast and Slow gives insight into how human judgment can be flawed. By becoming aware of the cognitive biases and logic traps we all tend to fall into, Thinking, Fast and Slow gives us the awareness to overcome these follies.