I got a computer engineering degree without ever reading a single programming book. Did I learn a decent amount in college? Sure. Did I learn as much as I could have? No, not even close.

Having read books on the subject is an added bonus... something that shows you are interested in learning from the experts. You don't just copy & paste code or write code that seems "good enough." You went out there and read about why certain solutions are better than others, etc.

Should you put C++ for Dummies on your resume? Of course not. If those are the books that you've read, then the answer is definitely not. However, if you've read some of the more respected books, then I would say yes.

Bill Gates on Donald Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming:

If you think you're a really good programmer . . . read (Knuth's) Art of Computer Programming . . . You should definitely send me a résumé if you can read the whole thing.