5 Must-Read Books for Modern Software Architects
Software architecture isn’t just about choosing between microservices and monoliths—it’s a lifelong process of learning to recognize trade-offs, make intentional design decisions, and build systems that endure.
Over the years, I’ve found a few books that I keep coming back to. Here are five that every thoughtful architect should read—and re-read.
1. Designing Data-Intensive Applications — Martin Kleppmann
If you're building systems that store, process, or stream data, this book is essential. It covers databases, distributed systems, and consistency models in an approachable way.
2. Software Architecture: The Hard Parts — Neal Ford, Mark Richards
This book dives into the nitty-gritty of real-world architecture decisions: data ownership, distributed consensus, service granularity, and more. It's not fluffy—it tackles the hard questions.
3. Domain-Driven Design — Eric Evans
A timeless classic. DDD is not just about Ubiquitous Language—it’s about how we model reality, align tech with business, and structure teams around subdomains.
4. Building Microservices — Sam Newman
A practical look at designing microservices well. Not just the what and why, but the how—including deployment, communication, testing, and even observability.
5. The Art of Scalability — Martin L. Abbott
This one is heavier but brilliant. If you're moving into leadership or architecture roles in growing companies, this book explains how to scale both systems and teams.
TL;DR
Reading makes better architects. These books gave me mental models, stories, and tools that I use daily. I hope they help you as much as they helped me.
📚 Related Reading
- Why Not Reinvent IAM? Use Keycloak Instead
- How to Choose the Right Architecture Pattern (Monolith, Modular, Microservices)
Explore these for more practical software architecture insights and tooling recommendations.
Stay thoughtful.
— Konstantinos
No spam. Just real-world software architecture insights.