Best Books for software engineering(or its opposite:))

[Renegader_bj]

I am new to this site, and hacking in general, and I like what I'm experiencing. I REALLLY like it. I have done quite a bit of programming, and I have loved tinkering with computer softaware since I was young. Anyway, I like the stuff I'm doing here way more than game programming, and I was wondering if y'all could give me some good books for software engineering, cryptography, etc. for the not-quite beginner.
P.S. My fave on here is the application challenges!

[faazshift]

I never finished reading it, but for cryptography 'Applied Cryptography' by Bruce Schneier looked excellent. For learning about the basics of how computers work on the hardware level, 'CODE' by Charles Petzold is a great introduction.