Books like 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know — picked by fans

It is my belief that half of being an effective software architect is mastering people skills.

However soft they are, these skills are the hardest to master. This book focuses on the communication and soft skills necessary to become an effective architect, and it does it superbly. The author’s elevator metaphor is perfect in that it emphasizes the fact that communication must exist on all levels within the organization, and the skills needed at each level differ.

I personally found this book very useful in honing my communication skills as a software architect.

This book was very influential in my career as a software architect because it was the first “technical” book I read that finally focused on the people and leadership skills of being an architect.

It was also the first book I read that made me start to think more about the intersection of agile and architecture, something they also devote an entire chapter to. While a bit outdated in today’s world, the authors hit the nail on the head with the still-relevant chapters on thought leadership, agility, and software architecture modeling.   

Although first published in 2004, this book continues to be my primary reference for anything related to messaging, event processing, and integration architecture.

The patterns described in this book are still highly relevant today, and are explained in a clear and concise manner that makes each one easy to understand and implement. Because you will encounter these patterns everywhere, this timeless book is a must-read book to better recognize and understand these patterns. 

Why should you spend so much time working on the software architecture of a system? Does it really matter?

This book made me realize that not all systems need the same effort of software architecture to make them successful. If you’re building a doghouse, very little planning is needed—all you need is some wood, nails, a hammer, and a saw. If you are building a skyscraper, you need a significant amount of planning and architecture, or the building will collapse.

In this book the author also talks about risk-based architecture—determining how much architecture is needed based on risk, a perspective I found very helpful in my career as an architect. 

This book provides a brief introduction to the concept of algorithms before discussing the limitations of computation. Specifically, Harel explains undecidable problems (that is, problems for which no algorithm exists) and infeasible problems (that is, problems for which only algorithms are known that have an exponential runtime). I like this book (and its splendid title) because of its focus on the limitations of computation. Harel does a marvelous job in explaining two difficult topics about computation. The understanding of any scientific discipline requires the understanding of its limits, and the limits of computation are as significant as they are surprising.

Wow! This book is exactly what every programmer has always wanted to know or even felt guilty about not knowing and it’s all presented in an extremely simplified and fun way. 

This is one of those books where you get excited in the morning when you wake up because you know you are going to be able to read more in the book and you are hoping the book will never end.

It’s rare to find a big book that I enjoyed reading so much and felt so short. This book covers almost everything you ever wondered about computer science. After reading this book, I felt like I finally understood everything a programmer was supposed to know and I no longer felt that nagging feeling of being an imposter.

This book changed my entire perspective on writing the UI and UX of great software. Even the revised edition is a bit old but still has many valuable lessons to teach. Platt established many of the fundamental principles of writing usable and transparent software, and his book should be read not only by designers, but perhaps especially by programmers.

In addition to Java, you need to know about the Java ecosystem.

Each chapter covers a type of tool like version control, securing binaries, or mobile. Some chapters cover a variety of tools. I particularly liked the overview of Quarkus and Micronaut. I also liked the emphasis of tools vs a role. The analogies were great such as comparing identify/fix/deploy to an oil spill.

The book is 300 pages and easy to carry around. Despite having four authors, the book is very cohesive and reads well.

I’ve found in this book many useful topics about low-level design which connected with my first recommendation (Code Complete). For instance, about creating functions not only as a tactic for reusing code, but more as a way to give clear meaning to parts of the code, and make it more readable. I was happy to find in these authors ideas I have been agreeing with for a long time.

Then there’s also the fact that this book provides several examples with code on how to make the design simpler to maintain, and clearly illustrates the S.O.L.I.D. principles.

Many of the most significant principles of effective software development are timeless. They’re independent of the development life cycle or model, programming language, application type, and so forth. Although this book is quite a few years old now, nearly all of its contents are still valid. The 201 principles cover the full spectrum of software engineering: general principles, requirements engineering, design, coding, testing, management, product assurance, and evolution. The descriptions of each principle are concise, whereas my 60 lessons in Software Development Pearls go into a great deal more detail and offer many practical techniques.

There’s an unfortunate tendency among young software people to disregard knowledge from the past as irrelevant to them. That’s not correct. This book can help close significant gaps in any practicing software developer’s knowledge.