So, You Want to Learn Computer Science?
- Updated 26 days ago
- 31 Books
- teachyourselfcs.com
This list inspired by my own college days along with the wonderful "Teach Yourself CS" website. Only has undergrad material since I never went further past that level myself. List is ordered in the way you should read the books; not a ranking. Please note that Computer Science != Software Engineering/Development, though there is of course some overlap between the two.
If I were a CS student today (as of 2025), I'd learn Python as a high-level general language (including OOP; I think Java sucks) and Rust for lower-level MEMORY SAFE systems programming (along with exposure to C for contrast; you cannot escape C -especially for OS and compilers- and every CS student needs to experience the joys of SEGFAULT at least once in their lives). You'd do well in learning how to write bash scripts and use the CLI also, just from a practical standpoint. Considering that Data Science, ML, and AI are all the rage these days, I've also added some 300-400 level texts for those too.
| #1 |  Python Crash Course Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming
| 5 | 1 read | |
| #2 |  Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #3 |  Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
| 4.28 | 62 reads | |
| #4 |  How to Design Programs: An Introduction to Programming and Computing
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #5 |  Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
| 4.26 | 26 reads | |
| #6 |  Design Patterns Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #7 |  Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective
| 4 | 7 reads | |
| #8 |  Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface
| 4 | 3 reads | |
| #9 |  Concrete Mathematics Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #10 |  Mathematics for Computer Science
| 4 | 1 read | |
| #11 |  How to Solve It : A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #12 |  Introduction to Algorithms
| 3.93 | 18 reads | |
| #13 |  The Algorithm Design Manual
| 4.14 | 8 reads | |
| #14 |  Computer Networking
| 4 | 6 reads | |
| #15 |  Database Systems: A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management
| 3 | 2 reads | |
| #16 |  Database Management Systems
| 0 | 1 read | |
| #17 | Data and Reality Data and Reality: A Timeless Perspective on Perceiving and Managing Information in Our Imprecise World
| 4 | 1 read | |
| #18 |  Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems
| 4.65 | 62 reads | |
| #19 |  Distributed Systems Distributed Systems
| 3 | 2 reads | |
| #20 | Computer Graphics Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice
| 0 | 1 read | |
| #21 |  Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces
| 5 | 1 read | |
| #22 |  Crafting Interpreters
| 4 | 4 reads | |
| #23 |  Language Implementation Patterns
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #24 |  Data Science From Scratch: First Principles with Python
| 3.75 | 4 reads | |
| #25 |  An Introduction to Statistical Learning
| 5 | 6 reads | |
| #26 |  Machine Learning for Hackers
| 2 | 2 reads | |
| #27 |  Dive into Deep Learning
| 0 | 0 reads | |
| #28 |  Machine Learning Machine Learning
| 0 | 1 read | |
| #29 |  Artificial intelligence
| 3.89 | 12 reads | |
| #30 |  Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
| 4.05 | 107 reads | |
| #31 |  A Philosophy of Software Design
| 4.12 | 30 reads |