I use Cursor with a max subscription through work and using Gemini in multi-model mode alongside Opus 4.5 and GPT 5.2 Codex, Gemini's been the worst performer. Not saying it's a bad model just that the other 2 do a much better job at the level and complexity of large codebases. Just my experience.
Probably need a Springer account or something along those lines. I'd suggest using scihub (schi-hub (dot) se) to download the books using the links provided in the medium article.
I don't think anyone can give a definite yes or no response here. There are lots of factors that contribute to one's successful job interview which then translates to a job offer. I've read many blog posts and ex-Googlers say that practicing leetcode problems increases your probability of making it through the technical rounds. An applicant also needs to have well-rounded knowledge of general CS fundamentals. So I think the answer the OP is looking for is maybe: try to practice data structures, algorithms and get the fundamentals right specific to whatever job title they're applying to, and hope your interview goes well.
"I find that with regular exercise, I am much less prone to depression and anger." Agreed. I think meditation touches upon a different aspect of our everyday lives: it makes us more self-aware and makes us want to think clearly in any given situation. And we learn to calm ourselves even in the most unnerving situations.