Textbooks Make Great References (I Love Textbooks!)

Textbooks make great references for technology because they focus as much on complete knowledge as they do on specific topics. Many of today’s reference books are helpful but lead us to learn only what we need to master right now. To be better engineers and technologists, we should strive to increase our total understanding along with achieving mastery of specific technologies. Let me explain what I mean.

The evolution of technology is both exciting and challenging. One year, your extensive knowledge of Java is an asset. The next year, if you can’t talk about AJAX or Ruby on Rails, you are a has been. Most people stay current in one or more of the following ways. First, they surf the Web (I know, obvious, but stay with me). They read blogs like TechCrunch, SlashDot, TheServerSide and subscribe to numerous RSS feeds. Second, they do pet projects. They code a widget or make a facebook application, or perhaps try something new like Flex.

And third, they read a book (still obvious, I know, but we’re almost there).

If you are like me, you probably have many books on your shelf with bright red covers, monochromatic animals or titles that include “Unleashed” or “Revealed”. Buried in my ever changing library are two textbooks, Software Engineering by Iam Sommerville and Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach Featuring the Internet by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross. By far, these are my two favorite books. Here’s why.

Textbooks are so very focused on learning. The content of a textbook presents the essence of the topic and then spends time reviewing different angles of that essence. The goal is for you to understand a philosophy, if you will, to enable you to apply your newly acquired knowledge toward many different situations.

More over, textbooks utilize learning processes more effectively than most topical books to reinforce knowledge absorption. There are exercises at the end of each chapter to practice and validate what you read. Chapters include introductions for what you will learn and summaries for what you have learned. The overall approach of a textbook is not so much what is important today, but what is important to learn.

Don’t get me wrong. Books by O’Reilly, Wrox and others are excellent and also essential to staying current. But I have to admit, when I read these books, I usually just scan for the specific knowledge I think I need. I’ll bet many of you do as well. For example, do I really need to understand how MySQL clusters while working on my database schema. I spend less time learning the entire subject front-to-back with these types of books about specific technologies.

That is why I love textbooks so much. Not only do they present information in a way conducive to learning, but the overall approach motivates me to learn more as well!

The next time you feel the need to expand your knowledge, try taking a broader, more holistic approach. Look for a textbook that gives you the big picture along with the details. You just may be surprised how much of that knowledge is applicable throughout your career. But you better pick up the red or animal book too. I am sure something is due on Monday.

In case you are looking for some good textbooks to read, I created an an Amazon list with books intended to create a solid foundation in computer science and software engineering. Reading these should improve your knowledge of technology and you skills as an architectural coder. Is there anything else in from the textbook genre that should be in my Amazon list? Post a comment and let us all know about it!