Books I’ve read

The C Programming Language

Brian W. Kernighan

Programming Languages

Classic book teaching C fundamentals, idiomatic C programming, and foundational programming concepts.

Takeaways
Pointers, memory management, structured programming, and clean coding practices.

The C++ Programming Language

Bjarne Stroustrup

Programming Languages

Comprehensive guide covering C++ syntax, object-oriented programming, templates, and the STL.

Takeaways
OOP principles, templates, STL, memory management, RAII, and idiomatic C++ patterns.

Java: A Beginner’s Guide

Herbert Schildt

Programming Languages

Beginner-friendly introduction to Java covering core syntax, object-oriented concepts, and basic libraries.

Takeaways
Java syntax, OOP principles, basic GUI development, exception handling, and standard libraries.

Effective Java

Joshua Bloch

Programming Languages

Advanced guide on writing robust, maintainable, and high-performance Java code with best practices.

Takeaways
Design patterns, API usage, performance optimization, and writing clean, efficient Java code.

C#: The Complete Reference

Herbert Schildt

Programming Languages

In-depth reference covering C# language features, .NET integration, and practical programming examples.

Takeaways
C# syntax, LINQ, collections, .NET frameworks, and practical backend application development.

JavaScript & jQuery

Jon Duckett

Programming Languages

Guide to JavaScript basics, DOM manipulation, event handling, and creating interactive web applications.

Takeaways
JavaScript syntax, DOM API, event handling, asynchronous programming, and basic web interactivity.

HTML & CSS

Jon Duckett

Web Development

Introduction to building web pages with HTML structure and styling them with CSS, including responsive design.

Takeaways
HTML semantics, CSS layout techniques, styling, responsive design, and web design best practices.

Git Magic

Ben Lynn

Software Development

Concise guide to using Git for version control, branching, merging, and collaborative workflows.

Takeaways
Git commands, branching strategies, conflict resolution, and efficient version control practices.

Grokking Algorithms

Aditya Bhargava

Software Development

Illustrated guide for learning algorithms and problem-solving with visual examples and exercises.

Takeaways
Sorting, searching, recursion, Big O notation, and algorithmic thinking for coding challenges.

Design Patterns

Erich Gamma

Software Development

Classic book introducing design patterns for reusable, maintainable, and modular object-oriented software.

Takeaways
Key patterns such as Singleton, Observer, and Factory, and strategies for clean software architecture.

Deep Reinforcement Learning with Python

Sudharsan Ravichandiran

AI

Practical guide to reinforcement learning algorithms and agent-based models using Python.

Takeaways
Q-learning, policy gradients, neural network integration, environment design, and agent training.

Python Machine Learning

Sebastian Raschka

AI

Guide to implementing machine learning algorithms and understanding models using Python libraries.

Takeaways
Supervised and unsupervised learning, scikit-learn, model evaluation, and feature engineering.

Hands-On Intelligent Agents with OpenAI Gym

Praveen Palanisamy

AI

Hands-on reinforcement learning projects using OpenAI Gym, Python, and practical exercises.

Takeaways
Environment creation, agent training, policy evaluation, and applying RL concepts to practical tasks.

Node.js Web Development

David Herron

Backend & Databases

Guide to building server-side applications using Node.js, Express, and asynchronous programming.

Takeaways
Server-side JavaScript, REST APIs, routing, middleware, async programming, and the Node.js ecosystem.

Designing Data-Intensive Applications

Martin Kleppmann

Backend & Databases

Guide to building scalable, reliable, and maintainable data systems for modern applications.

Takeaways
Distributed system principles, data modeling, consistency models, and fault-tolerant architectures.

PostgreSQL

Pavel Luzanov

Backend & Databases

Comprehensive guide to PostgreSQL covering queries, indexing, transactions, and database design.

Takeaways
SQL queries, indexing, transactions, performance tuning, and database best practices.

SQL Antipatterns

Bill Karwin

Backend & Databases

Guide to common SQL mistakes and how to avoid them in schema design and queries.

Takeaways
Pitfalls in database design, query optimization, and maintaining data integrity.

Arduino Microcontrollers Programming

Ulli Sommer

Embedded & Operating Systems

Practical guide to programming Arduino microcontrollers and building electronics projects.

Takeaways
Microcontroller programming, working with sensors and actuators, and small electronics projects.

Modern Operating Systems

Andrew S. Tanenbaum

Embedded & Operating Systems

Comprehensive guide to operating system design: processes, memory, scheduling, and file systems.

Takeaways
Process management, CPU scheduling, memory handling, file systems, and OS architecture concepts.