The Best Audiobooks and Podcasts for Programmers

It’s hard to find a fictional story with more staying power and impact on the world of programming than The Phoenix Project. Now in its fifth edition, this bestselling novel tells the story of IT professional Bill, who’s been tasked with seeing through the business-critical “Phoenix Project” at the fictional company, Parts Unlimited. But despite being highly over budget and severely understaffed, the CEO makes a proclamation: see the project through, or you and your entire department are done. What follows is a story that IT professionals will not only relate to but also glean tons of invaluable insights from. From organizing workflows, to managing communications between teams, all at breakneck speed, you’ll learn how to best set your teams up for success to see even the most difficult projects through.

It’s no secret that the advent of generative AI has inspired excitement and enthusiasm as well as fear and mistrust. But according to Blood in the Machine, our ambivalent relationship with technology began not in the 2020s, but nearly 200 years ago in rural England with the Luddites struggling to keep their jobs in the face of factory owners who wanted to use machines for labor. What follows is an examination of their predicament then, and the realities of automation today. If you’re looking to better understand the duality of modern technology, from helping hand to a potential existential threat, then Blood in the Machine will give you an unfiltered and historical perspective.

For authors Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths, the mind has a lot of parallels to the way a computer works. The decisions we make on a daily basis are governed by a set of considerations and constraints that determine our choices and how we make them: similar to how computers use algorithms and math to efficiently execute tasks. Algorithms to Live By examines this connection and leans into it: exploring how we can apply the way computer algorithms navigate tasks to how we go about our day-to-day lives.

The Pragmatic Programmer is one of those programming audiobooks that you’ll want to revisit again and again for its insights. Authors David Thomas and Andrew Hunt first wrote this book in 1999 to help their clients rediscover the joy of coding and create better software. Now, more than 20 years later, this new edition modernizes Thomas and Hunt’s original concepts for contemporary technology. All the same information is here, but it’s been updated for a new world and a new generation of programmers. The audiobook, read by Anna Katarina, is divided into sections with a series of topics under each one, breaking down the information and making it easy to follow. Thomas and Hunt (along with a few others) also jump in to offer their voice to some parts of the audiobook.

If you want a career in software development, then you need to listen to this audiobook. In The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide, software developer and best-selling author John Sonmez takes you through everything you need to know to succeed: how to learn Java, C#, Python, and C++, and which you should master first; how to adapt to new technology; how to communicate clearly with clients; how to work with teammates towards a common goal; how to decide if a computer science degree is right for you; how to deal with a micromanaging boss; and so much more. Sonmez narrates his comprehensive guide in a personable, conversational, and bright tone.

Looking to succeed as a programmer? Then grab Max Kanat-Alexander’s guide, Understanding Software. Kanat-Alexander is the Technical Lead for Code Health at Google. In his audiobook, he explains why some programmers suck and how you can, well, suck less as a programmer. The key? Simplicity. Complex programming is difficult to use and breaks down far too easily. If you want to be a good programmer, it’s all about going back to simple coding. Kanat-Alexander’s clearly-explained essays are narrated by Steve Menasche with a matter-of-factness that feels true to the author’s voice.

If you're just starting out as a programmer, and especially if you’re eager to learn more about Python, Computer Science Beginners Crash Course is an essential listen. Author Ian Batantu wants to help you learn Python in the same way he learned it, and he takes you, step by step, through core concepts of this programming language, coding basics, and more. The narrator, David Bray, speaks clearly and just slowly enough so that you can easily follow each lesson and step throughout the whole audiobook.

We’ve gone over one of the best Python audiobooks for beginners, so now here’s one of the best for learning JavaScript—actually three books in one, all written by Andy Vickler. Book one is concise and easy to grasp, providing a solid foundation for understanding the basics of both front-end and back-end programming. Book two, aimed at listeners with some programming experience, gets slightly more in-depth. Book three goes a bit deeper, focusing on the concepts behind using Node.js to build server-side applications. Like many of the titles on this list, what sets this audiobook apart from the programming pack is the narration. Chuck Roe's narration is clear, lively, and easy to understand and follow, which ultimately makes the information provided in these three books even easier to learn and remember.

Here's a can't-miss listen for the next generation of coders. Girls Who Code is an organization that’s been teaching programming to and inspiring young girls since 2012. Its founder, Reshma Saujani brings that same mission and inspiration to this audiobook, which she narrates herself. Girls Who Code is filled with down-to-earth explanations of coding principles and real-life stories of women programming whizzes who are working at places like Pixar and NASA. Whether you’re a girl who’s never coded or a girl who already loves coding—or a parent to one—Girls Who Code shows how computer sciences can make dreams come true and change the world.

For serious and dedicated coders, coding is much more than just a job. It is a craft. In The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers, software expert Robert C. Martin explains the disciplines, techniques, tools, and practices that make up true software craftsmanship. Listen to this audiobook and learn all about how to get into the flow of coding (and past the writer’s block), how to handle pressure and avoid burnout, how to manage your time, how to foster a positive work environment for your team, and much more.

Programming professionally is about so much more than just writing code. You also need to understand how to make your codebase sustainable and healthy. In Software Engineering at Google, real software engineers from Google explain how to manage a living codebase that remains sustainable as requirements and demands continue to change. Narrated by Mark Sando, this audiobook is an easy-to-follow and educational listen.

Does learning about algorithms sound boring? Well, it doesn't have to be! In Grokking Algorithms, Aditya Bhargava teaches listeners how to apply common algorithms to all of the practical problems they face as a programmer. In a friendly and even entertaining style, this listen offers practical advice and clear examples, covering a wide array of topics, such as: dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, Dijkstra's algorithm, and more. This audiobook is accessible and suitable for self-trained programmers, engineers, and anyone else who wants to learn more about algorithms.