The most recommended operating system books

Who picked these books? Meet our 8 experts.

8 authors created a book list connected to operating system, and here are their favorite operating system books.
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Book cover of Unix: A History and a Memoir

Federico Kereki Author Of Mastering JavaScript Functional Programming: Write clean, robust, and maintainable web and server code using functional JavaScript and TypeScript

From Federico's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Computer systems engineer Scale model builder Math and logic puzzles fan History buff Book lover

Federico's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Federico Kereki Why did Federico love this book?

If you have an Android or iPhone, or if you work on a MacBook or a Linux machine, then you are running a descendant of the Unix operating system, which appeared 60 years ago – and this book tells you the story of its creation and how it came to “conquer” the world of computers.

It’s written by Brian Kernighan, who was one of the Unix developers, together with Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Douglas McIlroy, and others. You cannot get any closer to the process than with this book, which is also full of anecdotes and tales about how Unix came to be.

I totally enjoyed reading this, and it brought back memories from the “old times” of computing!

By Brian W. Kernighan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unix as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The fascinating story of how Unix began and how it took over the world. Brian Kernighan was a member of the original group of Unix developers, the creator of several fundamental Unix programs, and the co-author of classic books like "The C Programming Language" and "The Unix Programming Environment."


Book cover of The Design of the Unix Operating System

Arnold Robbins Author Of Linux Programming by Example

From my list on for learning the Zen of Unix.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professional software developer and technical author, with a number of books published by O’Reilly and Prentice Hall. I have been working in the C / C++ / Unix / Linux world for over four decades. I am also the maintainer of the Free Software Foundation’s GNU Awk interpreter for the awk programming language. I have a passion for writing clear, correct, efficient, and portable code, and for applying the UNIX and Software Tools principles in my development. I hope that this book list will help you climb the learning curve of doing great Unix / Linux development.

Arnold's book list on for learning the Zen of Unix

Arnold Robbins Why did Arnold love this book?

This book looks at UNIX System V Release 2 and Release 3, describing a more modern version of Unix.  It presents pseudo code of the internal algorithms with diagrams of the major data structures used by the system.

Here too, knowing how the operating system works will help you write better code to take advantage of the services provided to you.

Supposedly, Linus Torvalds read this book before he produced the first Linux kernel!

By Maurice Bach,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Design of the Unix Operating System as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this timely new book, Maurice J. Bach traces the popularity of the UNIX system throughout the computer industry. The author describes the internal algorithms and structures that form the basis of the operating system (the kernel) and their relationship to the programmer interface. Among its key features, the book: *Describes the outline of the kernel architecture *Introduces the system buffer cache mechanism *Includes data structures and algorithms used internally by the file system *Covers the system calls that provide the user interface to the file system *Defines the context of a process and investigates the internal kernel primitives that…


Book cover of Lions' Commentary on Unix

Arnold Robbins Author Of Linux Programming by Example

From my list on for learning the Zen of Unix.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professional software developer and technical author, with a number of books published by O’Reilly and Prentice Hall. I have been working in the C / C++ / Unix / Linux world for over four decades. I am also the maintainer of the Free Software Foundation’s GNU Awk interpreter for the awk programming language. I have a passion for writing clear, correct, efficient, and portable code, and for applying the UNIX and Software Tools principles in my development. I hope that this book list will help you climb the learning curve of doing great Unix / Linux development.

Arnold's book list on for learning the Zen of Unix

Arnold Robbins Why did Arnold love this book?

The previous books all cover programming at the user level – how to write regular programs for a Unix / Linux system. But what about the operating system itself?

This classic work explains the operating system code of the 6th Edition Unix system, which ran on Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-11 systems. If you want to learn the basics of operating system implementation by reading real, working code, this is the place to start.

This is worth reading, even if you never intend to write kernel code, since an understanding of how the operating system works makes it easier for you to correctly use the system calls (APIs) that the operating system provides.

By John Lions,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lions' Commentary on Unix as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The most famous suppressed book in computer history! * Used as an Operating System textbook at MIT"After 20 years, this is still the best expostion of the workings of a 'real' operating system." --- Ken Thompson (Developer of the UNIX operating system)After years of suppression (as trade secrets) by various owners of the UNIX code, this tome has been re-released, and we owe a debt to all involved in making this happen. I consider this to be the single most important book of 1996. Unix Review, June 1997"The Lions book", cherished by UNIX hackers and widely circulated as a photocopied…


Book cover of Hash Crack: Password Cracking Manual

Mark Ciampa Author Of Security Awareness: Applying Practical Security in Your World

From my list on how to break things (encryption, passwords, etc.).

Why am I passionate about this?

I have had the opportunity to write (I have written over 30 college textbooks on technology, most of them in the area of cybersecurity), study (my PhD dissertation was on cybersecurity), teach (I have taught at colleges and universities my entire career about technology, networking, and cybersecurity), and research (I have published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles) on the topic of cybersecurity. But I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the average computer user who struggles with how to protect their technology devices. This has helped drive my passion to focus on practical cybersecurity for everyone.

Mark's book list on how to break things (encryption, passwords, etc.)

Mark Ciampa Why did Mark love this book?

Passwords: everybody has them and everybody abuses them. Passwords can provide good security, but very few users use passwords correctly in order to take advantage of the protections they provide. The key to our poor implementation of passwords is a complete misunderstanding of how attackers break our passwords. Without this understanding users create weak passwords that are easy to break. Joshua Picolet's book is a reference guide for cracking passwords, but by explaining how to break passwords it also provides valuable information about how to make them strong to protect passwords from attacks. This book provides the proof of why we should treat passwords like our underwear: don't let people see it, change it often, and don't share it with strangers.

By Joshua Picolet,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hash Crack as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Hash Crack: Password Cracking Manual v3 is an expanded reference guide for password recovery (cracking) methods, tools, and analysis techniques. A compilation of basic and advanced techniques to assist penetration testers and network security professionals evaluate their organization's posture. The Hash Crack manual contains syntax and examples for the most popular cracking and analysis tools and will save you hours of research looking up tool usage. It also includes basic cracking knowledge and methodologies every security professional should know when dealing with password attack capabilities. Hash Crack contains all the tables, commands, online resources, and more to complete your…


Book cover of Modern Operating Systems

Philipp Fehre Author Of JavaScript Domain-Driven Design

From my list on learning from programming classics.

Why am I passionate about this?

Computers have fascinated me since my childhood, having fond memories of my dad's ZX81, but even so I played around I was never truly captured by the programming until I recognized it as a way of writing rather than raw engineering. Through my studies of media sciences I found my fascination with how language can shape perception, and through my work in developer advocacy, I found how communities are shaped as well. Now I am fascinated with how different programming languages can shape thinking, having had the opportunity to solve problems at large companies in nonmainstream languages.

Philipp's book list on learning from programming classics

Philipp Fehre Why did Philipp love this book?

Not really a programming book, Modern Operating Systems has been influential for me to understand what I am working with.

When learning about how OSs do their job it is impossible to know everything, but having a rough picture and being able to know how and where to drill down further is what it is all about and this is where this book really shined for me. Even when never writing a driver or working with kernel code, knowing how the details fit together helps in estimating complexity.

The knowledge I got from this book more than once helped me recognize when something was too good to be true, or simplify complex software by working with not against the OS, in my opinion a must read for every programmer.

By Andrew S. Tanenbaum,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Modern Operating Systems as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Please Read Notes: Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edition. Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.


Book cover of Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building

Frances Frei and Anne Morriss Author Of Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leader's Guide to Solving Hard Problems

From my list on fixing more (and breaking less) at work.

Why are we passionate about this?

We are scholars and writers, coaches and company builders, optimists, and (on our best days) accelerators of action. It’s been the privilege of our lives to work as change agents at some of the world’s most influential companies—and with some of the world’s most inspiring business leaders. But at the core of our identities, we are educators, which is why we write books about leadership. We believe that what we’ve learned in the process of changing things can be useful to anyone who seeks to lead, particularly now, when the scale and complexity of our shared challenges can seem overwhelming. 

Frances and Anne's book list on fixing more (and breaking less) at work

Frances Frei and Anne Morriss Why did Frances and Anne love this book?

This is the book we find ourselves recommending most frequently.

For context, Hughes Johnson helped grow Stripe into the dominant, high-flying payments company it is today. The book captures everything she’s learned about company building and creating the conditions for people to thrive at scale.

It’s an essential resource for anyone working to make their organizations work better. Whatever problem you’re tackling, Hughes Johnson has probably solved it – and documented what she did and learned in this book. 

By Claire Hughes Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Scaling People as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From a Stripe and Google executive, a practical guide to company building and scaling the most important resource it has: its people.

A leader at both Google and Stripe from their early days, Claire Hughes Johnson has worked with founders and company builders to try to replicate their success. The most common questions she's asked are not about business strategy-they're about how to scale the operating structures and people systems of a rapidly growing startup.

Scaling People is a practical and empathetic guide to being an effective leader and manager in a high-growth environment. The tactical information it puts forward-including…


Book cover of The Original Green: Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability

Charles L. Marohn Jr. Author Of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity

From my list on thinking like a Strong Towns advocate.

Why am I passionate about this?

Everyone should be able to live a meaningful life in a place they love, where their day-to-day efforts participating in society result in the community becoming a more prosperous place over time, for themselves, and for those who come next. I founded Strong Towns to help people recognize that they have this opportunity, that they and their neighbors working together have the capacity to make things better, despite everything else going on. Cities are works in progress. It is not our job to finish ours, but we all have a role to play in making it stronger.

Charles' book list on thinking like a Strong Towns advocate

Charles L. Marohn Jr. Why did Charles love this book?

I had someone laugh at this book for its quirkiness and whimsy. That person is a fool. What Mouzon has produced here is a brilliant compilation of why our ancestors (in the broadest sense of the term) were genius in ways we struggle to even comprehend, let alone appreciate. Steve taught me why it’s not just okay to love a place, but why more places need to become lovable.

By Stephen A. Mouzon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Original Green as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Original Green is the sustainability our ancestors knew by heart. Originally (before the Thermostat Age) they had no choice but to build green, otherwise people would not survive very long. The Original Green aggregates and distributes the wisdom of sustainability through the operating system of living traditions, producing sustainable places in which it is meaningful to build sustainable buildings. Original Green sustainability is common-sense and plain-spoken, meaning "keeping things going in a healthy way long into an uncertain future." Sustainable places should be nourishable because if you cannot eat there, you cannot live there. They should be accessible because…


Book cover of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience

Brian Ahearn Author Of Influence People: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

From my list on helping you influence people and hear “yes!”.

Why am I passionate about this?

My career and life were changed by Robert Cialdini’s work on influence. There are only a dozen people in the world who have been personally trained, certified, and endorsed by Cialdini to teach his methodology on influence and persuasion. I’m fortunate to be in that very select group. I’ve authored three books and given a TED Talk on influence. My LinkedIn Learning courses around influence in sales and coaching have been viewed by more than 500,00 across the globe. I take Cialdini’s influence concepts and marry them with my 35+ years of business experience to give organizations practical ways to ethically influence people. 

Brian's book list on helping you influence people and hear “yes!”

Brian Ahearn Why did Brian love this book?

Robert Cialdini’s work on influence changed how I go about trying to influence people. Gallo’s revelations radically changed how I present to audiences.

Throughout the book Gallo shows why Steve Jobs was such a masterful influencer from the stage. As I read, I found myself continually taking notes on how I would change my presentations. By the time I was done, I’d taken seven pages of type-written notes!

The change in audience reaction was immediate! If you’re serious about improving your presentation style, there’s no better resource than The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.

By Carmine Gallo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs reveals the operating system behind any great presentation and provides you with a quick-start guide to design your own passionate interfaces with your audiences."
Cliff Atkinson, author of Beyond Bullet Points and The Activist Audience

Apple CEO Steve Jobs's wildly popular presentations have set a new global gold standard-and now this step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to use his crowd-pleasing techniques in your own presentations. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is as close as you'll ever get to having the master presenter himself speak directly in your ear. Communications expert Carmine Gallo…


Book cover of Unix for the Beginning Mage

Jeremy Kepner Author Of Mathematics of Big Data: Spreadsheets, Databases, Matrices, and Graphs

From my list on the foundations of computing technology.

Why am I passionate about this?

Dr. Jeremy Kepner is head and founder of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center (LLSC), and also a Founder of the MIT-Air Force AI Accelerator. Lincoln Laboratory is a 4000-person National Laboratory whose mission is to create defensive technologies to protect our Nation and the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. Dr. Kepner is one of five Lincoln Laboratory Fellows, a position that "recognizes the Laboratory's strongest technical talent for outstanding contributions to Laboratory programs over many years." Dr. Kepner is recognized as one of nine MIT Fellows of the Society of Industrial Applied Mathematics (SIAM), for "contributions to interactive parallel computing, matrix-based graph algorithms, green supercomputing, and big data." 

Jeremy's book list on the foundations of computing technology

Jeremy Kepner Why did Jeremy love this book?

Unix/Linux has emerged as the most common operating system in the world. Found on almost every server, smartphone, and network-enabled device, Unix plays a critical role in all aspects of computing. Unix for the Beginning Mage is a fun introduction to Unix for the novice who may be intimidated by other texts.

By Joe Topjian,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unix for the Beginning Mage as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment

Arnold Robbins Author Of Linux Programming by Example

From my list on for learning the Zen of Unix.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professional software developer and technical author, with a number of books published by O’Reilly and Prentice Hall. I have been working in the C / C++ / Unix / Linux world for over four decades. I am also the maintainer of the Free Software Foundation’s GNU Awk interpreter for the awk programming language. I have a passion for writing clear, correct, efficient, and portable code, and for applying the UNIX and Software Tools principles in my development. I hope that this book list will help you climb the learning curve of doing great Unix / Linux development.

Arnold's book list on for learning the Zen of Unix

Arnold Robbins Why did Arnold love this book?

Modern Unix systems (including Linux) offer a wealth of APIs. This book provides detailed instruction, including sample code, on how to make the best use of them. It is a one-stop-shop for mastering the details of Unix programming in C.

I recommend the book because it is thorough, authoritative, and clearly written. Richard Stevens was a well-known author and consultant and his books are models of clear exposition. Steven Rago is an experienced Unix developer and author as well.

By W. Richard Stevens, Stephen Rago,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For more than twenty years, serious C programmers have relied on one book for practical, in-depth knowledge of the programming interfaces that drive the UNIX and Linux kernels: W. Richard Stevens' Advanced Programming in the UNIX (R) Environment. Now, once again, Rich's colleague Steve Rago has thoroughly updated this classic work. The new third edition supports today's leading platforms, reflects new technical advances and best practices, and aligns with Version 4 of the Single UNIX Specification.



Steve carefully retains the spirit and approach that have made this book so valuable. Building on Rich's pioneering work, he begins with files, directories,…


Book cover of Unix: A History and a Memoir
Book cover of The Design of the Unix Operating System
Book cover of Lions' Commentary on Unix

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