Top Coding books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Coding books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Coding

Understanding the concepts of Coding starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Hacking is the art of creative problem solving, whether that means finding an unconventional solution to a difficult problem or exploiting holes in sloppy programming. Many people call themselves hackers, but few have the strong technical foundation needed to really push the envelope. Rather than merely showing how to run existing exploits, author Jon Erickson explains how arcane hacking techn…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

Since the publication of its first edition in 1984 and its second edition in 1996, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP) has influenced computer science curricula around the world. Widely adopted as a textbook, the book has its origins in a popular entry-level computer science course taught by Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman at MIT. SICP introduces the reader to centra…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers

Programmers who endure and succeed amidst swirling uncertainty and nonstop pressure share a common attribute: They care deeply about the practice of creating software. They treat it as a craft. They are professionals. In The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers, legendary software expert Robert C. Martin introduces the disciplines, techniques, tools, and practices of tru…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

C Programming Absolute Beginner's Guide

Write powerful C programs...without becoming a technical expert! This book is the fastest way to get comfortable with C, one incredibly clear and easy step at a time. You’ll learn all the basics: how to organize programs, store and display data, work with variables, operators, I/O, pointers, arrays, functions, and much more. C programming has neverbeen this simple! Who knew how simple C progra…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Self-taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally

Cory Althoff is a self-taught programmer. After a year of self-study, he learned to program well enough to land a job as a software engineer II at eBay. But once he got there, he realised he was severely under-prepared. He was overwhelmed by the amount of things he needed to know but hadn't learned. His journey learning to program, and his experience in first software engineering job were the …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Code Complete

Widely considered one of the best practical guides to programming, Steve McConnell’s original code complete has been helping developers write better software for more than a decade. Now this classic book has been fully updated and revised with leading-edge practices—and hundreds of new code samples—illustrating the art and science of software construction. Capturing the body of knowledge avail…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Coding Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Coding, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Head First Design Patterns

This edition of Head First Design Patterns—now updated for Java 8—shows you the tried-and-true, road-tested patterns used by developers to create functional, elegant, reusable, and flexible software.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

Capturing a wealth of experience about the design of object-oriented software, four top-notch designers present a catalog of simple and succinct solutions to commonly occurring design problems. Previously undocumented, these 23 patterns allow designers to create more flexible, elegant, and ultimately reusable designs without having to rediscover the design solutions themselves. The authors beg…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition: Practical Programming for Total Beginners

If you've ever spent hours renaming files or updating spreadsheet cells, you know how tedious tasks like these can be. But what if you could have your computer do them for you? Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition teaches even the technically uninclined how to write programs that do in minutes what would take hours to do by hand—no prior coding experience required! This new, full…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Refactoring

Refactoring is about improving the design of existing code. It is the process of changing a software system in such a way that it does not alter the external behavior of the code, yet improves its internal structure. With refactoring you can even take a bad design and rework it into a good one. This book offers a thorough discussion of the principles of refactoring, including where to spot opp…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Clean Code

Even bad code can function. But if code isn’t clean, it can bring a development organization to its knees. Every year, countless hours and significant resources are lost because of poorly written code. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Noted software expert Robert C. Martin, presents a revolutionary paradigm with Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Martin, who has helped …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Introduction to Algorithms

multithreaded algorithms, dynamic programming, and edge-based flow. Some books on algorithms are rigorous but incomplete; others cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms uniquely combines rigor and comprehensiveness. The book covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. Each chapter is relative…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Specializations and Deeper Coding Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Coding is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

The Pragmatic Programmer: Your Journey to Mastery, 20th Anniversary Edition

“One of the most significant books in my life.” —Obie Fernandez, Author, The Rails Way “Twenty years ago, the first edition of The Pragmatic Programmer completely changed the trajectory of my career. This new edition could do the same for yours.” —Mike Cohn, Author of Succeeding with Agile , Agile Estimating and Planning , and User Stories Applied

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Coding books

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!

Only 4 Spots Left

Hello there! My name is Jimmy and I am passionate about leadership, coaching, mentoring, system design architecture, and software development. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, I have had the pleasure of leading technical teams and managing multiple teams to scale projects up to 10+ million users …

$100 / month
  Chat
1 x Call
Tasks

Only 1 Spot Left

Hello there! I'm Muhib, a seasoned Software Engineer and former Lead Instructor at a top coding boot camp. Over the last three years, I've personally helped over 100 students achieve their goals and build successful careers in tech. I specialize in Full-Stack JavaScript and Python development. With my expertise, I'm …

$150 / month
  Chat
2 x Calls
Tasks

Only 2 Spots Left

(Will be accepting new applications in Jan 2025) With 17+ years of experience in the industry, I have worked as a tester, a lead/manager, and as a developer. I have worked on large teams (OneDrive, Power Automate), as well as taking a v1 product from inception to running at a …

$340 / month
  Chat
2 x Calls
Tasks

Only 5 Spots Left

🚀 Accelerate Your Software Engineering Career with Proven Mentorship 🔥 Are you a software developer aiming to become better at what you do? 🎯 If you're serious about moving up in your career, my mentorship program promises to give you the support and guidance you need to succeed. 🔥 What …

$90 / month
  Chat
1 x Call

Only 1 Spot Left

I help you 1. Implement processes to deploy stress-free several times per day (without heroics) 2. Bring your team together by collaborative pairing and release planning 3. Grow highly capable, happy engineers who don't shy away from working with legacy code I coach leaders managing product engineering teams in engineering …

$80 / month
  Chat
Tasks


Eugene is a faith-centric technologist, a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, advisor and mentor. He is founder of REACTIVE LIONS INC. where he is implementing his vision of faith-driven entrepreneurship in the tech world. He is currently running a team of over 40 talented engineers across the US. Eugene is the …

$120 / month
  Chat
Tasks

Browse all Coding mentors

Still not convinced?
Don’t just take our word for it

We’ve already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they’ve left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.

Find a Coding mentor
  • "Naz is an amazing person and a wonderful mentor. She is supportive and knowledgeable with extensive practical experience. Having been a manager at Netflix, she also knows a ton about working with teams at scale. Highly recommended."

  • "Brandon has been supporting me with a software engineering job hunt and has provided amazing value with his industry knowledge, tips unique to my situation and support as I prepared for my interviews and applications."

  • "Sandrina helped me improve as an engineer. Looking back, I took a huge step, beyond my expectations."