Most of theses have free online versions available:
The New Turing Omnibus, 66 Excursions in Computer Science[1]
Code Complete [2]
Debugging The 9 Indispensable Rules of Finding Even the Most Elusive Software and Hardware Problems [3]
The Pattern on the Stone [4]
The Tinkertoy Computer and Other Machinations ... [8]
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#5, #6 & #7 approach from different directions and "meet in middle":
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software [5]
Nand2Tetris[6]
The Little Schemer and Understanding Computation [7]
?? Links to 'editor'/ide cheetsheets ??
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[1] : https://www.amazon.com/New-Turing-Omnibus-Sixty-Six-Excursio...
[2] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Complete
[3] : https://www.amazon.com/Debugging-Indispensable-Software-Hard...
[4] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pattern_on_the_Stone
[5] : https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softw...
[6] : https://www.nand2tetris.org/
[7] : https://vpb.smallyu.net/%5BType%5D%20books/The%20Little%20Sc...
[8] : https://www.amazon.com/Tinkertoy-Computer-Other-Machinations...
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When semester of programming projects isn't enough / couldn't wait for the programming langauge of choice : https://exercism.org/
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian. It sets up the complexity of ML field and human values. It paints a picture to the readers on the future we navigate.
”But how do it know?" by J. Clark Scott
It's maybe a bit of a cliche, and perhaps a bit dated now, but you could probably do worse than The Soul of a New Machine by Kidder.[1]
Another option I like, although it might be too much material / too dense, would be Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy.[2]
And given that security will probably never not be an important sub-topic to anybody working in the technology field, some fun and interesting books to consider could include:
- Cyberpunk: Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier by Katie Hafner and John Markoff[3]
- The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Cliff Stoll[4]
There is also Inventing the Future by Albert Cory[5]. Interesting side-note: the author is an HN'er. https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=AlbertCory
All of that said, I think Nineteen Eighty Four is an excellent choice as well. I've often cited it as one of the most influential books I've read in my life, as far as its impact on me personally.
And if we're talking fiction, I think Neuromancer[6] has some appeal. Now might be a good time for that as well, what with the Apple TV screen adaptation coming out soon(ish). And the main theme of the book - an Artificial Intelligence seeking to grow beyond its legally permitted bounds - could really resonate with the current zeitgeist and all the hubbub about "AI safety" and "xRisk" and so on.
[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316...
[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Computer-Revolution-Steven-Le...
[3]: https://www.amazon.com/Cyberpunk-Outlaws-Hackers-Computer-Fr...
[4]: https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoos-Egg-Tracking-Computer-Espiona...
[5]: https://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Future-Albert-Cory/dp/17362...
[6]: https://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-William-Gibson/dp/0441007...
Snow Crash seems like a good stretch goal. The prose is pretty insane but the book is a fun read. I find myself thinking about that book randomly when reading various tech news articles.