Code Complete is a book that talks you through how to construct computer programs. It doesn't look at any specific language and the things covered apply equally to web applications and pacemaker software.

It talks about the process and really makes you think about the way you do things and the best way to do things. Every chapter has really made me think and hopefully I'll be a better programmer for it. It's the sort of stuff I wasn't taught at university, but think I should have been.

It's been like having a wise programmer share with me a wealth of experience and knowledge. It's made me want to revisit all my programs and re-write them.

One recurring theme in the book is managing complexity. Computer programs and code quickly become complex. If we don't know how to manage and look out for that complexity we'll soon have created monsters of programs that we don't really understand and can only hope that they do what we want them to.

I wish I'd read this book sooner, and I recommend that all programmers who care about their professionalism should read this (or probably already have).

I'm going to need some time to fully digest and put into practice what I've read. I'll probably also need to read it again.

The road to wisdom is never ending. In the last chapter there is a reading list of books that programmers working for the author's company need to read if they wish to progress and become more professional.

I've read one of them so far. So, it looks like I'm just starting on that road and I have a lot more to learn. 

In my first job out of university my assigned mentor Alex always had a copy of The Mythical Man Month on his desk. He urged me to read it and said that the world would be a better place if everyone in charge of projects had read it.

That was almost six years ago, and I've just got round to it. I went through a period after uni where I'd had enough of reading text books. I've recently felt quite a strong urge to learn more, and this book seemed like a good place to start.

The author Frederick Brooks talks from his experience of working for IBM in the 1960s. In some ways this book is timeless. The fact that it is still highly recommended is proof to that.

If we don't learn from the past then we'll never move on. This book talks you through the many hidden pitfalls of software development. Most of these are still relevant today and many of them I would never have thought about if I hadn't read this book.

In some ways though the book shows its age. However, the historical aspect that it provides is fascinating and still very worthwhile. The material added in the second edition brings a lot of this into perspective and was my favourite part of the book.

This book alone is not going to bring you up to date with modern programming practice. However it's a great introduction and helps you start asking all the right questions.