After months of debugging co-pilot’s hallucinations, wrestling with Gemini summaries, and crafting prompts that sound like therapy sessions, your brain deserves a break.
Enter: books.
Whether you want to build an LLM from scratch, dive into cybersecurity, brush up on documentation, or just escape into the Marvel Universe, here’s a hand-picked list of 14 reads to keep your neurons sharp—and your phone far, far away.
Yes, even on that 40°C romantic walk someone will surely invite you on.
These are the tech books you cannot miss:
1. AI Agent in Practice: Creating Intelligent, Custom Assistants for Any Task
Author: Michael Lanham
Publisher: Apogeo, 2024
Comment: A pragmatic guide to building AI agents tailored to your workflows—essential for anyone wanting hands-on experience designing intelligent assistants.
2. Marvel Comics For Dummies
Author: Troy Brownfield
Publisher: Wiley (For Dummies series), 2024 (approx.)
Comment: You can’t cram the entire Marvel Universe into 300 pages, but this light intro—lively, witty, and brimming with essentials—is perfect for budding comic fans who prefer colorful stories to bland superhero flicks.
3. Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch)
Author: Sebastian Raschka
Publisher: Manning Publications, 2025
Comment: An advanced, step-by-step walkthrough of building an LLM from data collection to training. Ideal for those with strong ML foundations who want a full pipeline reference—including hardware optimization, fine-tuning, and ethics considerations.
4. Understand, Manage, and Measure Cyber Risk
Author: R. Leirvik
Publisher: Apress, 2022
Comment: A must-read amid cybersecurity panic. Based on interviews with 70+ professionals, it offers clear frameworks, metrics, and real-world scenarios—bridging the gap between IT teams, management, and boards. Essential for CISO, compliance officers, and consultants.
5. The Kubernetes Bible
Authors: Jonathan Baier, Rishabh Sharma
Publisher: Packt Publishing, November 2024
Comment: A hefty but comprehensive guide to mastering Kubernetes: architecture, deployment, scaling, monitoring, security—with real-world examples. Great for sysadmins and devs aiming to level up in distributed systems.
6. Deep Learning with Python, Third Edition
Author: François Chollet
Publisher: Manning Publications, 2025
Comment: Chollet—a Keras creator—returns with an updated edition that thoroughly covers deep learning with Python. Hands‑on, clear, and broad in scope: visual, NLP, sequence modeling, tuning, debugging—perfect for data scientists and developers.
7. Metasploit: Guide to Penetration Testing and Attack/Defense Techniques
Authors: David Kennedy, Mati Aharoni, Devon Kearns, Jim O’Gorman
Publisher: Apogeo Editore, 2024
Comment: The practical standard for penetration testing, covering vulnerability testing, exploit use, payloads, antivirus evasion, and post‑exploitation—all with legal and red‑teaming angles. A cybersecurity must-have.
8. Docs for Developers
Authors: Jared Bhatti, Zachary Sarah Corleissen, Jen Lambourne, David Nunez, Heidi Waterhouse
Publisher: Apress, 2021
Comment: A soft-sounding but vital book on writing solid documentation. Rich with examples and checklists from authors experienced at Google, Stripe, and Red Hat. For devs, team leads, and CTOs serious about quality docs.
9. Boeing, the 737 MAX Crisis and Aviation Safety: The Perils of Profit‑Driven Engineering
Author: Tadashi Unemi
Publisher: CRC Press, 2025
Comment: A rigorous, technical dive into Boeing’s crisis, examining how profit motives can compromise safety. Essential reading for engineers and IT managers interested in engineering ethics and the dangers of profit‑biased systems.
10. The Wave to Come: Artificial Intelligence and Power in the 21st Century
Author: Mustafa Suleyman
Publisher: Garzanti (Essays), 2024
Comment: DeepMind co‑founder Suleyman traces AI’s infiltration into biology, weapons, and robotics—arguing we’re approaching a “critical threshold” where governments lag behind tech’s ripple effects. A visionary read—after this, prophecies from the Maya and Nostradamus will seem tame.
11. Counter‑Communication: Surviving Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Guido Bosticco, Giovanni Battista Magnoli Bocchi
Publisher: FrancoAngeli, 2024
Comment: A critical essay on communication, truth, and power in the AI era. These academic voices examine digital rhetoric, manipulation, media ethics, and argue for reclaiming depth in messaging. Recommended for anyone wary of shallow digital narratives.
12. The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI
Author: Ray Kurzweil
Publisher: Viking, 2024
Comment: Kurzweil updates his vision of technological singularity—where AI surpasses and merges with human intelligence. A big‑picture, philosophical, and future‑oriented read.
13. AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference
Authors: Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor
Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2024
Comment: Based on a popular blog and course, this book debunks AI hype—helping readers spot real solutions vs. marketing fluff. Sharp, example‑rich, and perfect for investors, managers, and curious minds.
14. The Impossible Computer: How the Quantum Computer Will Change the World
Authors: Giuliano Benenti, Giulio Casati, Simone Montangero
Publisher: Dedalo, 2024
Comment: One of the best Italian introductions to quantum computing. Explains qubits, algorithms, and why quantum won’t replace classical computers but will complement them. Packed with history and future outlooks—ideal for IT pros prepping for the next revolution.
