Essential PostgreSQL Books Every Engineer Should Own
1. Learn PostgreSQL (latest edition)
“Learn PostgreSQL” (recent editions target PostgreSQL 15–16) is a beginner-friendly, end-to-end introduction that stays useful even after you’re no longer a beginner. It walks through SQL basics, core internals like transactions and MVCC, replication, security, backups, and monitoring, with hands-on exercises that resemble real production use cases.goodreads+1
Why a PostgreSQL engineer should buy it:
- Great if you come from MySQL/SQL Server and want to really understand how Postgres behaves, not just port queries.computingforgeeks+1
- Doubles as a structured onboarding path for junior engineers; you can assign specific chapters on roles, indexes, and replication.computingforgeeks+1
2. Mastering PostgreSQL (advanced administration & performance)
The “Mastering PostgreSQL” series (for example, “Mastering PostgreSQL 13,” and newer editions) targets engineers responsible for performance, reliability, and complex migrations. It covers logical replication, clustering, advanced indexing, query planner behavior, and tuning memory and WAL, plus scenarios for moving from commercial databases to PostgreSQL.goodreads+2
Why a PostgreSQL engineer should buy it:
- Helps you evolve from “I can keep Postgres running” to “I can systematically troubleshoot slow queries, locks, and replica lag.”cybertec-postgresql+1
- Contains patterns and checklists for HA, backup strategy design, and capacity planning you can reuse in your own runbooks.cybertec-postgresql+1
3. The Art of PostgreSQL (SQL and data modeling mindset)
“The Art of PostgreSQL” focuses on how to think in SQL and design applications that take full advantage of Postgres. It uses practical examples to show how to express complex business logic with SQL, window functions, and advanced querying rather than pushing everything into application code.theartofpostgresql
Why a PostgreSQL engineer should buy it:
- Sharpens your ability to design schemas and queries that are fast, maintainable, and expressive.theartofpostgresql
- Especially valuable if you build data-heavy features (analytics, reporting, event-style queries) and want to rely more on Postgres instead of extra services.theartofpostgresql
