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I have read "Cracking the code interviews" and enjoyed it very much. I think it is very useful and challenging.

I'm looking for more recommended books (or e-books) in the same format and on the same topic: questions and answers to code interviews for a software engineer role.

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migrated from stackoverflow.com Mar 29 '11 at 19:37

3 Answers

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enter image description here Wrox Programming Interviews Exposed

Good introductory book, if you are a new grad or looking for your first 'real' job this is a good guide to applications, interviews and how to answer the bloody stupid - "what are your greatest weaknesses" question

enter image description here How-Would-Move-Mount-Fuji

Good for anywhere that read about MSFT using problems 10years ago and have decided to copy y them. Otherwise it's an interesting guide to some common 'fermi problems'

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Could you add links to those? Thanks. – oosterwal Mar 29 '11 at 20:01
Done - there should be an easier, add book, feature - espcially since I think SO affiliates the links – Martin Beckett Mar 29 '11 at 20:23
Why? What's good about these books? Why do you recommend them. Please expand your answer. – Walter Mar 30 '11 at 13:22
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How about simply learning to program? If you can program well then interview questions will answer themselves.

The potential emplyers want to know whether you can code, on the spot. Not your ability to recall material from a book memorized. I know that if a potential hire admitted to me of reading such a book, I'd be distrustful of him and the rest of his resume and would likely not even give him a second thought.

IMO this is cheating and you're doing your potential employer a disservice by doing so.

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It's funny that you consider this cheating, while other people (including me) consider it preparation. That's what top performers do, they prepare before taking action. Imagine that you're an world class athlete, and 1 year from now there's the most important race of your life... training 1 year in advance is it cheating? of course not. Cheating would be knowing in advance the questions you would be asked, and have them written down. – AlanChavez Apr 10 at 16:06
It's not about "preparing" or not, it's about the fact that you're "learning" only the bare minimum that's required for the test. Tell me who think would be more qualified: the person who can answer any and all interview questions WITHOUT studying books like "Cracking the code interviews", or the one who has to cram for several weeks memorizing inane 'answers'? I'd rather have someone who actully knows the content, than one who memorized it just long enough to recall an answer. – ken Apr 10 at 18:31
I understand where you're coming from. However, let me ask you... have you ever interviewed someone? If you have, then you can't deny that it's pretty easy to spot bad candidates right away. Even if they "ace" the programming question, as soon as you start asking follow-up questions they'll crack. Have you read the book? Cracking the code interview, more than giving you solutions to the most common interview questions, it gives you a framework to tackle ANY programming problem. – AlanChavez Apr 11 at 0:17
The idea behind the questions is to get a grasp on their knowledge, and so in an ideal world [where candidates don't study specific questions] those answers would be all you'd need to qualify a candidate. However, with the advent of materials (books, websites) that teach to the test rather than to the underlying material, that's no longer enough and the entire point of programming problems has largely been trivialized to the point that I no longer ask any of the common questions that might be found in those materials. And the book shouldn't teach you anything a good dev shouldn't already know. – ken Apr 11 at 15:15
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there are some resources listed at this other post : Programming Puzzles

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