Gerald Weinberg, one of my favorite technical authors, wrote a book titled The Psychology of Computer Programing decades ago, in 1971. This book is timeless because it explains computer programming as a human activity.
I read this book a few years ago. Recently, when I was browsing through my kindle, I stumbled across and reread a few chapters that teach the importance of reading programs and explain what makes a good program. This post is a short, condensed version of those chapters. The language, of course, is a bit dated, but the lessons are timeless.
Enjoy reading!