Ask HN: Why I have to read “cracking the coding interview” for interview?

You don't. I've never read it, I have had many jobs.

Because you want to be well prepared for it, if you are not already.

You don't have to but:

1. you may be surprised what questions you may get during the interview

2. it doesn't harm to read it

Read it or at least read the parts that interest you. It helps developing a mindset for technical interviews and an awareness for the kind of questions being asked.

You might have a better chance with the interview by improving your communication skills first! The book can be found free online, worth a skim as there are some points in there everyone would benefit from. For a one book solution I'd probably go for code complete before this one.

Reading "Cracking the coding interview" is like studying the day before of an exam.

Because interviews are not testing your knowledge, but rather your ability to successfully prepare for and execute a set of tasks within a broadly defined scope of requirements. And all else being equal, a candidate who reads CtcI before an interview will be better prepared for success than one who does not.

It’s the same thing with consulting/banking interviews, standardized testing, and generally many gatekeeping mechanisms. It’s a test of preparation and the ability to set yourself up for successful execution.