The Software Engineer-s Guidebook Instant

It is practical, cynical in the right places (he acknowledges that politics exist), and optimistic about the craft.

Yes. The book is dense. At over 600 pages, it is not a weekend read. It is a reference manual. You will likely read the section relevant to your current struggle (e.g., "How to conduct a post-mortem") and put it down. The Software Engineer-s Guidebook

The One Book Every Senior+ Engineer Should Read: A Review of “The Software Engineer’s Guidebook” It is practical, cynical in the right places