I just got a request recently about an introduction set of soft-skill books for developers grinding to their promotion of being a senior developer. So that, I've collected my favorite ones.

There are some that I literally read every single year. Most of them have been written specifically for programmers and I truly believe they contain the proper information if you have the necessary technical skills but still, something is missing for your well-deserved promotion.

So now, let's see the list:

1. The Clean Coder - Robert C. Martin

Link: amazon.co.uk/dp/0137081073?linkCode=gs2&.. This is the book that I would recommend to read as a must. It is a relatively short, one-night reading and I enjoyed every minute of it. Uncle Bob tells great stories. I would even enjoy those stories during my holiday and holding a beer in my hand and that brings it to the first place. For me, this is the entry point for the unknown world behind the technical details.

2. Soft Skills - John Sonmez

Link: amazon.com/Soft-Skills-Software-Developers-.. He is a unique author: he was a programmer and now he has joined the endless list of those life gurus. To be honest, for my taste, his attitude was better when he was more a programmer, and also he got canceled but still, he has two books on my list as I can relate to his writing about soft skills and programmers.

3. The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide - John Sonmez

Link: amazon.co.uk/dp/0999081411/ref=as_li_ss_tl?.. And Jonh Sonmez again :D. I suppose this is his last book written for programmers. It is not a book you should read from cover to cover. But instead, just cherry-pick parts you are interested in and read them carefully. From a soft skills point of view, I highly recommend reading two sections:

• Section 4: Working as a developer
• Section 5: Advancing your career

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

Link: amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Friends-Influence-Peop.. This is a must-have basic. I would say, every single person should read it. It should be a must-read for high school and university students.