Book Review: "The Missing README: A Guide for New Software Engineers"

Originally published on LinkedIn.

I wish I had read this book when I started my first job as a software engineer.

I recently started reading The Missing README: A Guide for the New Software Engineer by Chris Riccomini, Dmitriy Ryaboy.

It’s packed with practical advice for anyone starting their software career or even for experienced folks joining a new team. Each chapter shares lessons you often learn the hard way on the job.

I could see many of my own early mistakes in these pages. The book not only point them out, but it also shows how to handle them better.

Also every chapter ends with Do’s and Don’ts, showing not just what to do, but what to avoid on many aspects we do like code review, on call, working with existing code, and many more.

Even after a few years in the industry, I found it full of reminders and new perspectives worth revisiting.

Highly recommend it if you’re starting your career, or if you’re joining a new team and want a quick reminder of what good engineering habits look like starting on a new team. I’m curious to hear what book helped you the most early in your career.