Designing Data-Intensive Applications

By Martin Kleppmann

Martin Kleppmann takes readers on a deep tour of the principles and trade-offs behind the systems that store, process, and deliver data at scale. Covering everything from database internals and replication strategies to stream processing and batch computation, DDIA gives engineers the conceptual tools to make informed decisions about the data infrastructure they build and depend on.

Often called the "bible of distributed systems," this book stands out for its clarity and depth. Kleppmann doesn't just describe how tools work — he explains why they were designed that way and where they break down. Whether you're choosing between databases, designing a data pipeline, or reasoning about consistency guarantees, this is the book you'll keep coming back to.