Top 6 Must-Read Books On Computing For Majors

Every topic, including books on computing, has its own set of necessary readings. Like any other field of study, computer science has a history, processes, and conflicting viewpoints to fill a library.

We've compiled a list of the Top 10 Must-Read Books for Computer Science Majors for this category. 

The publications on this list cover everything from industry icon biographies to book-length love letters to the first computers to how-tos. While the books on this list differ significantly, each is a classic that has remained a timeless addition to the ever-changing area of Computer Science and reflects the love that any successful Computer Science major should have for his chosen ability.

1. Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

As any busy college student knows, our lives are continually confined by a lack of time and space – how much can we get done in a day? What is acceptable to leave undone throughout a lifetime? What level of messiness and disarray is adequate? Author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths demonstrate how simple. 

Yet, accurate algorithms like those employed by computers can help untangle crucial human dilemmas in their book Algorithms to Live By. The two discuss everything from having better gut emotions to understanding when to leave things to chance, dealing with an overwhelming number of options, and figuring out how to best connect with others in an intriguing chapter after a fascinating chapter.

2. The Soul of a New Machine

The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder is one of the few must-read histories of computer science. First published in 1981, Kidder's masterpiece is still one of the most highly acclaimed computer books ever written. 

The drama, comedy, and excitement of the early years of computers are meticulously recounted in The Soul of a New Machine, when there was only one business attempting to introduce a new microcomputer to the mainstream market. Computer Science majors will also appreciate the go-for-broke attitude to the company, which is mentioned briefly here but still practised by many high-tech organisations.

3. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

As Hollywood has speculated for years, what happens when machines overtake humans in general intellect? Will we be saved or destroyed by artificial intelligence? Author Nick Bostrom aims to answer this and other questions in Superintelligence by building a framework for comprehending humanity's an intelligent life future. 

He leads readers on a fascinating trip that starts with reflections on humanity and concludes with the often horrifying future of intelligent life. Because of Bostrom's essential topics and themes that revolve around morality, superintelligence is a must-read for anyone striving for excellence in computer science.

4. Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Steven Levy's "Hackers," still regarded as mandatory reading by some, was written long before the term "hacking" had such a bad connotation. Everyone from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates (before they became the superstars we know today) is among the titular hackers, as are the lesser-known Slug Russell and Lee Felsenstein. All of them played vital roles in the creation of the personal computer. 

While Hackers are primarily a history of the industry, Computer Science majors will appreciate the charmingly optimistic Hacker Ethic, which includes noble ideals like "Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not by factors such as degrees, age, race, sex, or status;" "Computers have the potential to improve your life;" "Every piece of information should be available for free;" "You can make art and beauty on a computer," and "You can make art and beauty on a computer."

5. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

What do spotlights, the British invasion, black cats, and seesaws have to do with computers, argues author Charles Petzold in his novel Code? Petzold's response is an exciting look at how humans use language and build new ways to communicate with one another. Code is a terrific approach to better grasp — and appreciate — today's world of PCs, digital media, and the Internet, with its brilliant pictures and connections to everyday items and events.

6. The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution

T.R. Reid's novel The Chip revisits the microchip's development, which sparked the electronics revolution. While the race to develop the first chip was heating up among the major tech firms, Fairchild Semiconductor employee Robert Noyce and Texas Instruments' Jack Kilby took it upon themselves to build their versions. 

The result was a protracted legal struggle about who invented the microchip first. Although the book was written just as Noyce became known as the industry's statesman and fifteen years after Kilby got the Nobel Prize for Physics, Reid chronicles the entire affair in vivid detail.