A Practitioner's Guide to Software Test Design
Lee Copeland, Artech House, 2004

The best book on testing techniques: each technique is clearly explained with good examples, well laid out. Lee explains techniques that are confusing in other books!

How to Break Software: a Practical Guide to Testing
James A Whittaker, Addison-Wesley 2002

If you want to find lots of bugs, this book has lots of advice and ways to make applications fail, categorised into user and system interface attacks. Many of them are applying traditional techniques in extreme ways (e.g. boundary value analysis), but Whittaker brings a fresh approach to testing – bug-finding is fun.

Lessons Learned in Software Testing: a Context-Driven Approach
Cem Kaner, James Bach & Bret Pettichord, Wiley, 2002

This book will really make you think. You may not agree with everything in it (I don’t), but it is a very good collection of thoughts about testing. It is a book intended to be dipped into, and this works very well. An average 'lesson' is half to a page, and they are grouped by general topics.

Pragmatic Software Testing
Rex Black, Wiley, 2007

A good book on all aspects of testing – includes exercises with worked solutions to techniques (e.g. orthogonal arrays), as well as reviews and risk analysis. Both technical and management issues are addressed – lots of good advice here.

Peer Reviews in Software: a practical guide
Karl E. Wiegers, Addison Wesley, 2002

An excellent book on reviews. It contains lots of good advice on people and cultural issues, and selecting the right type of review. Inspection is covered well from a developer’s perspective. Good examples of metrics are included.

Risk-based e-business Testing
Paul Gerrard & Neil Thompson, Artech House, 2002

Although e-business has moved on since this book was written, the basic principles of risk-based testing are still applicable, and represent the best way to approach the classic question in testing: 'how much is enough'.

Software Testing, a craftsman's approach
Paul C. Jorgensen, 3rd. Edition, Auerbach, 2008

This book provides an approachable mathematical basis for some of the classic testing techniques. For the first time, graph theory makes sense! The book includes black and white box techniques, integration and system testing, and object-oriented testing, with a chapter on test-driven design. A rigorous book for a serious software tester.

Software Testing Fundamentals: Methods and Metrics
Marnie Hutcheson, Wiley, 2003

This book has lots of useful and practical ideas including metrics and the “MITs” method – Most Important Tests. Her style is very readable; I like the “it” metric, the “I feel lucky” software development approach, and why coverage is like the maze of the Minotaur

Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing: a People-Oriented Approach
William E. Perry & Randall W. Rice, Dorset House Publishing, 1997

A very readable little book with lots of very helpful advice, particularly about people and political issues. Each chapter includes author experiences of the problems described and practical solutions. The automation chapter is weak, but a new edition of this book is due out soon (2009?)

Systematic Software Testing
Rick D. Craig & Stefan P. Jaskiel, Artech House, 2002

A very thorough book about all aspects of testing, including test planning and organisation, and the “test-first” STEP approach (Systematic Test and Evaluation Process).

Test Process Improvement: a practical step-by-step guide to structured testing
Tim Koomen & Martin Pol, Addison Wesley, 1999

A structured approach to test process improvement, this book tells you what you need to know to assess your current maturity, and ways to improve it.

The Art of Software Testing
Glenford J. Myers, Wiley, 1979

The original “classic” book on testing (1979 edition). Starting with a self-assessment test, it covers the fundamentals of what testing is, and the testing mindset. The general parts are well worth reading, although the technical aspects are now well out of date. I am informed that the 2nd edition is not as good, so this may become a collector’s item.

Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
Tom DeMarco et al., Dorset House, 2008

This book is a collection of vivid descriptions of human behaviour in the workplace. Some of the patterns are helpful; some of them are not. With catchy names and the authors’ experiences, this book will help you recognise, encourage or avoid similar patterns in your own workplace.

Communication Gaps: and How to Close Them
Naomi Karten, Dorset House, 2002

Who hasn’t suffered from mis-understandings or a failure to communicate or understand? This book helps make sense of how we communicate in both personal and business situations. Useful examples and practical techniques are described.

More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit
Gerald M Weinberg, Dorset House, 2001

Any of Jerry Weinberg’s books are great – this one includes many useful “tools” to use. For example, the 'Yes/No medallion': when you say yes to someone else, you are saying no to yourself. Readable, insightful and amusing.

Peopleware: Productive projects and teams
Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister, Dorset House, 1999

This is a classic book on people issues, with short but very pointed chapters, including a very amusing one about one of the earliest test teams.

Principles of Software Engineering Management
Tom Gilb, Addison Wesley, 1988

A classic of good advice in a very readable format. Tom advocated building systems in small chunks well before the agile movement came along. His other ideas on measurement and inspection are equally effective today.

Slack: Getting past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency
Tom DeMarco, Broadway Books, 2001

Everyone seems to be pursuing the goal of efficiency. This book shows how dangerous this can be if taken to the extreme. Tom argues that total efficiency stifles any change and leads to stagnation, not progress.

The Inmates are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity
Alan Cooper, SAMS Publishing, 1999

This book may change the way you think of our world forever. With many amusing and frightening stories, Cooper shows why usability design is not enough. We need 'interaction design' to save us from the relentless tide of geek-friendly but people-hostile software.

The Psychology of Everyday Things
Donald A Norman, BasicBooks, 1988

Your attitude to doors will never be the same after you read this book. A powerful discussion of usability of the objects we interact with on a daily basis, with parallels to the computer world.

The Bug
Ellen Ullman, Doubleday, 2003

An engrossing story about a tester, an infamous bug known as UI-1017 and the programmer who was charged with trying to fix it. As the frustrations with this bug eat away at Ethan the programer, Roberta the tester is drawn into the programming world

Vital Lies, Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception
Daniel Goleman, Bloomsbury, 1996

A fascinating insight into how the human mind is capable of deceiving itself, and why we do it (to protect ourselves from pain).

Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management
Johanna Rothman & Esther Derby, The Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2005

This book is scenario based and includes lots of really useful advice in a very readable and concise format. It is intended for a new manager with a technical background. Its focus is on what happens behind the scenes, such as dealing with people on a one-on-one basis.