I've seen questions about "What books you recommend" in several of the Stack Exchange verticals. Perhaps these two questions (a and b) are the most popular.

But, I'd like to ask for recommendations of a different kind of books. I have read in the past "The Passionate Programmer" and I am now reading "Coders at Work". Both of them I would argue that are almost a biography (or biographies in the "Coders at work") or even a bit of "self-help" book (that is more the case of the "Passionate programmer").

And please don't get me wrong. I loved reading the first one, and I am loving reading the second one. There's a lot of value in it, mostly in "lessons of the trade" kind of way.

So, here is what I'd like to know. What other books that you read that are similar to these ones in intent that you enjoyed? Why?