Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?
Programming Python from O'Reilly. It helps lift my monitor nicely.<p>Honestly, I've yet to find a physical book that has proven to be a useful reference in the long run. Programming languages just change too quickly; it's the web or the code.<p>As for more meta-programming/business/interpersonal books, the few that I've read are not ones I've ever had any real desire to go back to.