End-to-End Arguments in System Design
Saltzer, Reed, and Clark formulate the end-to-end argument: many functions can only be implemented correctly at the endpoints, with lower layers serving mainly as performance optimizations.
On the Criteria To Be Used in Decomposing Systems into Modules
Using the KWIC example, Parnas shows that good modular decomposition hides change-prone design decisions rather than mirroring processing steps.
No Silver Bullet: Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering
Brooks distinguishes essential from accidental difficulties in software engineering and explains why no single technology can deliver an order-of-magnitude productivity jump.