There are a ton of CS books out there; how do you know which ones to actually sit down and read? The answer could depend on the topic you wish to study and learn more about. I have a fairly large collection of links to well-reviewed Computer Science books that seem to be commonly recommended. As you may already know the Books, Articles, etc. section already contains a list of a few good CS books, however, I try to limit the list to (usually) only free books. This article will focus on all books which contain good “must read” information from both paid and free sources.

Books Related to Computer Science Theory and Thinking

1. Anathem
2. Cryptonomicon
3. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
4. Computer Science Unplugged
5. The Design of Everyday Things
6. How the Mind Works

Introductory Books

1. Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
2. Foundations of Computer Science
3. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
4. Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming
5. Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools
6. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
7. The C Programming Language
8. The Little Schemer - 4th Edition

Intermediate-Level Books

1. Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation
2. Introduction to Algorithms

Advanced-Level Books

1. Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science
2. Computational Complexity - A Modern Approach
3. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (3rd Edition)
4. The Art of Computer Programming (Vol 1-3 (& 4))

If you have any recommendations for this list send me an email!