Improving the Design of Existing Code (2nd Edition)
by Martin Fowler
Recommended by David Heinemeier Hansson
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Amazon availability
Recommended by 1 source and appears in Programming, Technology, and Nonfiction.
Fully Revised and UpdatedIncludes New Refactorings and Code Examples "Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand." M. Fowler (1999) For more than twenty years, experienced programmers worldwide have relied on Martin Fowler's Refactoring to improve the design of existing code and...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 1 source and appears in Programming, Technology, and Nonfiction.
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
David Heinemeier Hansson
“The fundamental before/after book. Here’s some code that could be better, here’s how to make it better. The trick to reading this book is to carefully read through every single refactoring pattern and then try to apply it on your code base (you don’t have to commit if it doesn’t fix things). You can’t just blow through it or you won’t really learn it. And you can’t just say “oh, I’ll look up a refactoring when I need it” — because then you don’t know what to look for.”
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Consider Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug. Recommended by 15 sources.
“Krug’s guide feels like a witty, no-nonsense conversation over coffee. It’s packed with practical advice on why users scan, not read, and how to make navigation obvious. The book shines in its brevity and memorable maxims—you’ll finish it in an afternoon and likely revisit its core principles. However, if you seek deep interaction design theory or modern mobile-first patterns, you’ll find it light. Its dated screenshots and web-centric focus may also irk app-only designers. A quick, opinionated primer, not an exhaustive textbook.”
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
