10 Information Technology Books That Define Expert Mastery

When William Shotts began exploring Linux decades ago, he recognized the need for a guide that goes beyond just commands to reveal the philosophy and practical power of the Linux command line. You’ll move from basic terminal commands to writing full Bash scripts, mastering file navigation, system administration, and text processing tools like grep and sed. Shotts’ clear, approachable chapters demystify concepts such as input/output redirection and environment setup, making the command line accessible to beginners and useful for those wanting to deepen their understanding. If you want to communicate with your Linux system efficiently and understand its heritage from Unix, this book gives you the essential skills and mindset to do just that.

Drawing from his extensive experience as a Salesforce DevOps specialist and senior product manager at Copado, Andrew Davis delivers a focused guide that bridges the gap between traditional DevOps practices and the specific demands of Salesforce development. You’ll explore how to implement Salesforce DX to foster continuous delivery, build deployable packages, and include admins in workflows typically reserved for developers. For example, the book explains deploying automated testing tailored to Salesforce environments and managing releases to reduce risk and stress. If you’re aiming to elevate your Salesforce development from basic coding to professional software engineering, this book offers concrete methods and insights tailored to that goal.

This personalized book offers a comprehensive overview of essential Information Technology concepts and practical skills tailored to your unique goals. It provides a personalized framework that methodically covers foundational IT principles, network architectures, system administration, cybersecurity basics, and cloud computing strategies. The book cuts through generalized advice by focusing on the specific IT domains and technologies relevant to your experience and objectives. It also addresses implementation tactics for real-world IT challenges, enabling you to build a targeted expertise that fits your professional context. Its tailored approach ensures you engage deeply with content that directly supports your mastery of critical IT competencies.

Mirco Hering's extensive experience as Accenture's global DevOps lead informs this book's grounded approach to transforming legacy IT organizations. Drawing from over a decade of experimenting with Agile and modern software delivery, Hering offers detailed guidance on reshaping entrenched IT cultures to prioritize collaboration and creativity over rigid processes. You’ll encounter practical frameworks for adopting Agile, Lean, and DevOps principles tailored to complex enterprise environments, with specific chapters illustrating how to empower teams and integrate technology effectively. If you manage legacy IT systems facing modernization challenges, this book presents a clear roadmap to navigate that transformation with an emphasis on both culture and technology.

What if everything you knew about internet protocols was challenged? Douglas E. Comer, a Purdue University professor and ACM Fellow, dives deep into how voice and video traverse IP networks, unpacking complex concepts like IPsec security standards and IPv6 updates. You’ll get a thorough understanding of TCP/IP architecture, protocol theory, and telecommunication networks, including advanced topics like Random Early Discard (RED) for routers. This book is tailored for IT professionals and network engineers seeking to grasp the foundational principles that govern modern internet communication rather than a casual overview.

When Mikael Krief first discovered the transformative potential of modern DevOps tools, he set out to craft a guide that demystifies infrastructure as code and continuous delivery pipelines. Drawing on his deep expertise in software development and cloud technologies, this book teaches you how to leverage Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, and Jenkins to build scalable, reliable cloud infrastructure. You’ll gain hands-on skills for provisioning, containerizing applications, and integrating security practices like DevSecOps. This book suits developers and system administrators looking to solidify their grasp of DevOps fundamentals and elevate software delivery workflows.

This personalized book provides a targeted, step-by-step daily plan for rapidly advancing IT skills tailored to your background and goals. It focuses on practical skill-building activities in core IT areas such as networking, system administration, cloud technologies, and DevOps practices. By delivering a tailored framework that cuts through generic advice, it directly addresses your specific IT context and learning objectives. The book emphasizes actionable daily guidance designed to fit your unique skill level and accelerate competence in key technologies, making it a focused resource for efficient skill acquisition in today's fast-evolving IT landscape.

Drawing from Martin L. Abbott's extensive experience as former eBay CTO and co-founder of AKF Partners, this book addresses scalability beyond mere technology. You learn how to structure your organization, processes, and architecture to handle growth sustainably, with insights on cloud transitions, NoSQL, and DevOps. For example, the authors present 15 key principles to guide scalability decisions and explain why organizational design often triggers scaling challenges. If you're involved in leading tech teams or managing growth in modern enterprises, this book offers a grounded perspective that balances technical and managerial aspects without fluff.

When Dr. Logan Song developed this guide, he aimed to solve the challenge many IT professionals face in mastering cloud computing across multiple platforms. You learn not only fundamental AWS services but also advanced features in data, machine learning, and security, extending to Azure and Google Cloud Platform. The book walks you through real-world cloud projects and career development strategies, offering concrete skills like designing data pipelines and securing cloud environments. If you want to build a solid, multi-cloud proficiency and pursue certifications, this book provides a structured path without overwhelming jargon.

Unlike most networking texts that skim over foundational details, Douglas E. Comer draws from decades of hands-on experience with the Internet's earliest architecture to deliver a thorough exploration of TCP/IP principles. You’ll gain a solid grasp of IPng development, routing architectures for diverse network sizes, and security concerns including firewall design. Chapters dive deep into TCP transport services and the practical mechanisms behind bridges and routers. This book suits IT professionals, network engineers, and students seeking a grounded understanding of internetworking protocols rather than surface-level overviews.

This book challenged my earlier view that virtualization was just a server-side technology by revealing its integral role across all data center components, including networking, storage, and security. Gustavo Alessandro Andrade Santana draws on his extensive Cisco and virtualization expertise to guide you through designing efficient, interoperable virtualized data centers that support cloud initiatives and agile provisioning. Expect to understand complex concepts like virtual PortChannel, FabricPath, and overlay transport virtualization through clear use cases and configuration examples. If you're involved in data center architecture or preparing for Cisco certifications, this book equips you with a multi-dimensional grasp of virtualization beyond mere theory.

When John Doak discovered the power of the Go programming language for automating complex infrastructures, he set out to share that knowledge with DevOps professionals. Drawing from his extensive experience at Microsoft and Google, this book teaches you how to write Go software that automates configuration management, interacts with Kubernetes, and creates custom GitHub Actions. You’ll learn to build scalable command-line tools and extend popular DevOps frameworks like Terraform and Packer. If you have some programming background and want to deepen your automation skills specifically using Go in a DevOps context, this book offers concrete examples and practical insights from real-world cloud environments.