This is the cover matter on one of my favorite books, ever – Software Tools.
Good programming is not learned from generalities., but by seeing how significant programs can be made clean, easy to read, easy to maintain and modify, human-engineered, efficient, and reliable, by the application of commonsense and good programming practices. Careful study and imitation of good programs leads to better writing.
Kernighan and Plauger
Meta:
This book was first published in 1976. I read it when I started my second company in 1983. I lost my original copy and recently bought a used book. I still enjoy reading bits of it once in a while.