Top 10 System Design Interview Books in 2024

My favorite books and courses for System Design Interviews in 2024

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Javarevisited

12 min readMar 23, 2024

Hello guys, if you are preparing for tech interviews in 2024 then you must have thought about System design interview, one of the toughest part of tech interviews. Not many people can crack it because of its open ended and vast nature, in fact, I have failed many System design interviews in the past before I cracked one.

One of the important thing on System design interview preparation is selection of resources, if you can get good resources, half of your job done and that’s where I am sharing my experienced recommendations.

Earlier, I have shred best System Courses , websites, and System design Interview Questions and in this article, I am going to share books you can read to prepare for System design interviews.

These are not ordinary books but written by former Google and Amazon engineers and hiring managers, so you will go learn from those who have cracked the System design interviews themselves. They know in and out of these questions, like how to start, what to mention and how to drive the interview and you will gonna learn all these by reading books.

So, what are we waiting for? let’s start ….

10 Best System Design Interview Books in 2024

Here’s a curated list of the top 10 system design interview books in 2024, offering comprehensive guidance and in-depth solutions to ace your next interview:

1. System Design Interview — An Insider’s Guide by Alex Xu

This is an indispensable resource for system design interviews in 2024 . Authored by Alex Xu, one of the popular System design expert and creator of ByteByteGo, this book offers a comprehensive strategy and knowledge base for tackling a wide array of system design questions.

It presents a step-by-step framework, accompanied by real-world examples and detailed solutions, to help readers master the art of system design.

In this book you will find :

Insights into the expectations of interviewers and the reasoning behind their questions.
A 4-step framework for systematically approaching system design interview questions.
16 detailed system design interview questions with comprehensive solutions.
188 diagrams to visually illustrate the workings of various systems.

From scaling to millions of users to designing intricate systems like YouTube and Google Drive, each chapter covers essential topics in system design.

With its practical approach and abundance of real-world examples, “System Design Interview — An Insider’s Guide (Volume 1)” will give you all the tools and knowledge needed to excel in system design interviews and land their dream job in the tech industry.

For better preparation , I also suggest you to checkout his website, ByteByteGo which is digital version of both of System design interview book Plus more System design content. It’s full of interesting diagrams to learn key System design concepts easily.

2. System Design Interview — An Insider’s Guide: Volume 2 by Alex Xu and Sahn Lam

This book is a compelling sequel to its predecessor, offering a fresh set of system design interview questions and solutions. While familiarity with Volume 1 is beneficial, it’s not mandatory, making this volume accessible to readers with a basic understanding of distributed systems.

This book will teach you robust strategy and knowledge base for tackling diverse system design questions encountered in interviews. With a step-by-step framework and numerous real-world examples, it guides readers through systematic approaches to problem-solving, instilling confidence for the interview process.

Key highlights include:

Insights into the expectations of interviewers and the rationale behind their questions.
A 4-step framework for systematically approaching system design interview questions.
13 detailed system design interview questions with comprehensive solutions.
Over 300 diagrams to visually elucidate the workings of various systems.

From proximity services to stock exchanges, each chapter delves into essential topics in system design, offering invaluable insights and solutions. “System Design Interview — An Insider’s Guide (Volume 2)” will teach you how to excel in system design interviews and navigate the complexities of distributed systems with confidence.

You can also combien this book with the courses like Grokking the System Design Course on DesignGuru for better preparation. You will not only learn better but in a more engaging way than just reading books.

3. Machine Learning System Design Interview by Ali Aminian and Alex Xu

This is the 3rd book by Alex Xu and teach but it's slightly different as it focus on ML Design. Machine learning system design interviews present some of the most challenging technical questions encountered in the field.

This comprehensive book offers a dependable strategy and knowledge base for navigating a wide spectrum of ML system design queries. Providing you with a step-by-step framework, it simplifies the process of approaching ML system design questions.

With a plethora of real-world examples, the book illustrates systematic approaches, offering detailed steps for implementation. Tailored specifically for ML interview preparation, it equips readers with essential insights and techniques for success.

Key features include:

Insights into interviewer expectations and underlying motivations.
A comprehensive 7-step framework for systematically tackling ML system design interview questions.
Detailed solutions to 10 real-world ML system design interview questions.
Over 200 diagrams elucidating the inner workings of various systems.

From recommendations systems, visual search systems to personalized news feeds, each chapter explores critical ML system design topics, providing valuable guidance and solutions. Whether you’re embarking on your ML journey or preparing for an upcoming interview, this book is an invaluable asset

If you need practical experience, you can also checkout Frank Kane’s Building Recommender Systems with Machine Learning and AI course on Udemy, its a great course to see Machine Learning and AI in action and also prepare for interviews'.

4. Hacking the System Design Interview: Real Big Tech Interview Questions and In-depth Solutions by Stanley Chiang

Written by a seasoned software engineer from Google, this book provides comprehensive guidance on acing system design interviews. Drawing from extensive experience and real interview scenarios from major tech companies, it offers detailed solutions to a wide array of system design questions.

Key highlights of the book include:

A systematic approach to tackling system design questions, accompanied by step-by-step solutions.
Exploration of fundamental software and system concepts, distilled from over 15 years of industry experience.
Insightful discussions on recurring components and building blocks of systems, such as web servers, distributed caches, and asynchronous queues.
In-depth coverage of database concepts, distributed system principles, and service design patterns.

With a focus on practical learning, the book delves into the design of various system components, including web servers, API gateways, and distributed caches.

Additionally, it presents real-world examples and solutions to system design interview questions, covering topics like newsfeed optimization, rideshare applications, and distributed message queues.

In short, a great book to read for System design interview preparation in 2024 and if you want, you can also combine this with the Grokking Modern System Design for Software Engineers & Managers course on Educative.io, an interactive website for coding interview preparation. I really like how it allows you to code and solve system design problems on browser.

5. Acing the System Design Interview by Zhiyong Tan

The system design interview is infamous as one of the toughest hurdles in the software engineering hiring process. Yet fear not! In ‘Acing the System Design Interview,’ author Zhiyong Tan equips you with the insights, skills, and hands-on practice needed to conquer even the most challenging system design questions.

This practical guide presents a structured and organized approach to presenting system design ideas. From scaling applications to managing distributed transactions and implementing common API paradigms, you’ll master essential topics such as caching strategies, logging, monitoring, and communication skills crucial for system design interviews.

Drawing from years of experience, Tan shares invaluable insights and interview techniques, helping you navigate through the complexity of system design interviews with confidence.

With real-world examples and practical advice, this book empowers you to mentally perfect different kinds of systems and excel in your interviews.

Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or just starting your career, this masterclass will not only help you succeed in interviews but also excel in the actual work of great system design and if you want, you can also combine this with Exponents' System Design Interview Course which has has 36 lessons on Software design and interviews.

6. The System Design Interview, 2nd Edition by Lewis C. Lin and Shivam P. Patel

“The System Design Interview” by Lewis C. Lin and Shivam P. Patel is an indispensable resource for anyone preparing for a system design interview. Authored by industry professionals hailing from Facebook and Google, this comprehensive book offers insider perspectives and proven techniques to help you ace your interview with confidence.

At the heart of the book lies the PEDALS method™, a six-step framework designed to demystify the system design interview process. From understanding process requirements to scaling the architecture, PEDALS provides a clear and structured approach to tackling even the most complex system design questions.

Featuring detailed examples and practical advice, the book also covers a wide range of popular system design questions, including designing solutions for YouTube, Twitter, AutoSuggest, and TinyURL.

Additionally, it addresses key topics such as estimating server needs, designing data models, drawing architecture diagrams, and scaling cloud architectures.

Whether you’re a software engineer, product manager, or aspiring tech professional, “The System Design Interview” equips you with the knowledge and strategies needed to excel in your system design interview and propel your career forward.

And, if you need more practice, you can join Master the Coding Interview: System Design + Architecture . course by Andrew Negaoie and his team on ZTM Academy.

7. Machine Learning Design Interview: Machine Learning System Design Interview by Khang Pham

Machine Learning Design Interview book by Khang Pham offers a comprehensive guide to mastering machine learning system design interviews.

Key features of the book include:

Detailed coverage of common machine learning design interview questions encountered at leading tech companies like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google, Uber, and LinkedIn.
Targeted towards data scientists, software engineers, or data engineers with a background in machine learning who are looking to transition to working on machine learning at scale.

Whether you’re aiming to land a role at a top tech company or seeking to enhance your machine learning design skills, “Machine Learning Design Interview” provides valuable insights and practical knowledge for success in machine learning system design interviews.

If you need more system design questions, System Design Interview Guide by Sandeep Kaul (Tech Lead @ Facebook) is also a great resource to keep in mind.

8. Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems

“Designing Data-Intensive Applications” by Martin Kleppmann stands as a beacon in the realm of system design. Recommended by thousands of developrs, this book offers a profound exploration into the intricate world of data management and system design.

At the heart of modern system design challenges lies data, surrounded by a myriad of complexities including scalability, consistency, reliability, and efficiency. Author Martin Kleppmann adeptly navigates this diverse landscape, offering practical guidance on selecting the right tools for processing and storing data.

By examining the pros and cons of various technologies, software engineers and architects gain valuable insights into making informed decisions and harnessing the power of data in their applications.

This comprehensive guide doesn’t just scratch the surface; it delves deep into fundamental principles, providing readers with the knowledge and tools needed to operate and optimize systems effectively.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the field, “Designing Data-Intensive Applications” equips you with the understanding of distributed systems research and the architectures behind major online services, empowering you to tackle the challenges of modern system design with confidence.

And, for active learning, you can also take System Design Interview Guide for Software Architecture course on Udemy to learn System design and Software Architecture in depth.

9. System Design at Google: Engineering Peak for Interviews (System Design Interview)

This is another great book you can read or check for System design interview preparation and mastering system design interviews, authored by a team including Aditya Chatterjee, Chew Chee Keng, Harshita Singh, Kirti Singh, and others.

Despite its rating of 2.0 out of 5 stars from 1 rating, this book stands out as a comprehensive guide for understanding system design principles, particularly within the context of Google’s developer products and services with over 1 billion active users.

Divided into two major sections, the book covers developer products such as BigQuery, BigTable, Hadoop, and Dapper, as well as Google products like YouTube, Google Search, and Google Maps.

By delving into the architecture and design of these highly scalable systems, readers gain valuable insights and practical knowledge to excel in system design interviews.

This book not only helps readers prepare for system design interviews but also teach them with the skills needed to work on highly scalable systems and utilize state-of-the-art developer tools.

With a focus on practical calculations and estimations for real-world production systems, “System Design at Google” offers a unique perspective that can significantly impact one’s career trajectory.

You can also combine this book with the Rocking System Design by Rajdeep Saha on Udemy. It’s a great course to practice System design questions.

10. Mastering the System Design Interview: Insider tips for your system design interview from a former Amazon hiring manager

This is last book on our list but it is your ultimate guide to mastering the challenging system design portion of technical interviews. Authored by former Amazon hiring manager Frank Kane, who brings a wealth of experience from interviewing thousands of software engineers and hiring hundreds, this book equips you with insider tips, tricks, and practice interviews to boost your confidence and maximize your chances of success.

With a focus on practical techniques and real-world scenarios, the book covers essential topics including scaling distributed systems, database technologies, caching strategies, resiliency, distributed storage solutions, algorithms, and data structures.

Additionally, it provides insights into processing big data with Apache Spark, leveraging cloud computing resources, and structuring your system design interview effectively.

Featuring six full mock interviews with authentic system design questions from top tech employers, this book offers invaluable practice to sharpen your skills and enhance your performance.

Whether you’re a seasoned software engineer or in need of extra preparation for a challenging interview, “Ace Your System Design Interview” provides the tools and strategies necessary to excel in your next tech interview and secure your dream job.

You can also combine this book with Frank’s Mastering the System Design Interview course on Udemy for better and quicker learning.

That’s all about the 10 best System Design Interview books in 2024. These system design interview books covers a wide range of topics, from fundamental principles to advanced techniques, providing aspiring software engineers with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their interviews and advance their careers in the tech industry.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newcomer to system design, these books offer valuable insights and strategies to help you succeed in your next interview.

Other System Design Tutorials and Interview Resources you may like

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you know any other excellent online resources like websites or programming platforms to learn System Design and Software Designing, especially for beginners, which you think complements these two websites, then feel free to share. Everybody loves great resources and happy learning System design.

P. S. — If you are looking for a best online course to learn System Design in depth then I also suggest you to checkout Frank Kane’s Mastering the System Design Interview course on Udemy. Frank is an ex-hiring manager and know what it takes to crack System design interview of those big FAANG companies .

Alternatively , you can also join Alex Yu’s System Design Interview — An insider’s guide and ByteByteGo for a complete System design Interview preparation.

ByteByteGo | Technical Interview Prep

Everything you need to take your system design skill to the next level

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