Greetings fellow engineers,

As we bid farewell to another year filled with coding, debugging, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible, it's time to reflect on the pages that have molded our minds in 2023 and prepare for the adventures that 2024 holds. As an engineer navigating the fast-paced world of Indian startups, I've discovered some invaluable books that not only honed my technical skills but also added unexpected dimensions to my engineering toolkit.

1. Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann: Why it's the book of my year: Delve deep into the intricacies of data engineering. If you aim to equip your applications to handle the chaos of the modern tech landscape, this book serves as your reliable map and compass. Plus, I've learned more about how databases work internally, making it an invaluable resource.

2. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss: Why negotiation matters: While we may not be FBI agents, every line of code we write is a negotiation with the system. Voss shares negotiation tactics that surprisingly translate well into our tech discussions.

3. Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Beyond the code: Let's discuss the green stuff. Housel's book goes beyond numbers; it's about understanding the psychology behind financial decisions. A must-read to keep both your wallet and sanity intact.

4. Software Engineering at Google by Titus Winters, Tom Manshreck, and Hyrum Wright: Inside the Google Brain: Ever wondered how the tech behemoth handles software engineering? Gain an insider's view into Google's playbook. Spoiler: It's not all about the search bar.

But what's on my radar for 2024?

1. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: User-centric design for the win: Let's make our software not just functional but downright delightful. Norman's classic promises to open our eyes to the magic of design in everyday tech.

2. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: Get into your user's head: Our brains are peculiar creatures. Kahneman's exploration of fast and slow thinking is a goldmine for understanding our users and, well, ourselves.

3. The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier: From code to leadership: Contemplating climbing the career ladder? Fournier's got the lowdown on the transition from being the code wizard to the tech leader. Spoiler alert: It's not just about fixing bugs anymore.

P.S.: Wondering if all these books will save me from AI taking over the software world. Understanding data, mastering negotiation, and decoding money psychology—hoping it's the secret sauce! A touch of humor might just be the extra code we need. 😄 Happy coding and happy reading!