The C bible. C is still an important language for many programmers to learn, and this is the book to use to learn it. Never before or since has a programming language had a textbook so thorough. I only wish that Java or C++ had a similar textbook that I could recommend as highly. Maybe it's because C is a small language, but this book works well whether you're learning C for the first time, or you just need a reference. The only downside is that the latest version of this book covers ANSI C, instead of either the newer revisions, C99 and C11. For that reason, if you're using a C99 or C11 compiler, this book is somewhat deprecated. C99 made a lot of important changes to the language. However, the book is still a good starting point if you don't know any C (or, again, if you're using an older compiler).
This book contains all the information you need to know about algorithms and data structures, including their pseudocode implementations and computational complexity. I suggest it to everyone who is applying to Google as a software engineer. The only issue is that it is too complete, and contains a lot of extraneous information. It's not a book you read cover to cover. Also, I'm not a big fan of their "pseudocode." A more Java-like or Python-like language would be easier to read. As a software engineer for any company that relies on speed for computing large amounts of data, you will need to know the most efficient way to solve your problem. This book will help you get there.
That's great that you can write a one-line method to sort an array. Now, graduate from a programmer to a software engineer by learning why that is awful. Effective Java tells readers about readability and other important issues that come up with writing code in a work environment. Basically, it's a collection of tips for writing readable, maintainable Java code. Do you swallow InterruptedExceptions, that is, catch them and then simply throw them away? If so, Joshua Block will tell you why you're breaking his heart and the heart of everyone around you. (For those who just want the answer, read this. Or the simple answer is that you may prevent a program from being killed when it needs to die.)
This book is written more for managers and team leads, but is useful to all engineers. It describes in detail the basic ideas and reasoning behind a waterfall software engineering process. A lot of you may be using agile or scrum, but you can still incorporate most of the ideas in this book in your work process. Testing, maintainability, requirements, tracking... this book has all you need to turn your cowboy coders into seasoned engineers. Process, process, process.
This book written by two Google engineers seems to be written more for team leads, but, again, is useful to any software engineer or manager of software engineers. It's all about the non-technical side of software engineering; the human element. For example, they cover dealing with "poisonous" coworkers, building a strong team, how to have efficient meetings, and how to communicate and collaborate well. This is the only book I didn't have to read for school or work that I'm recommending. I think it's important because even a group of smart, trained software engineers can have interpersonal issues or leadership issues, and this book tries to train people to alleviate those issues.
