Maybe some of the people contributing answers to this comment thread could also suggest some literature on bioinformatics? (specifically for Software Engineers with limited biology backgrounds)
I'll also note so much of the human genetics space is so new that most knowledge is still couped up in academic papers - there aren't very good resources for the general public. A colleague helped edit a textbook in 2007 on genetic analysis (which would still be considered "new" in textbook space), and none of the tools in that book can be used with 1000 genomes data.
-- I'm bias, but I think the best entry level book is still from 1998 - Genome by Matt Ridley [1]. It's what got me interested in genomics as a CS undergrad (I read it in 2009). Another decent one is The $1000 Genome [2], it gives a good cross section of genetics in 2010.
-- Our group has a series of intro lecture videos from last academic year [3]. They are fairly up to date, and this year's videos will probably be posted soon.
-- Genomes Unzipped is great if you prefer a blog [4]
-- I think the best way to actually learn this stuff is to just play with the software tools. They all point to open data in the tutorials. Biopython's tutorial is particularly good - just google the biological terms as you go. Bioconductor has some good (though more targeted) tutorials too.
-- Going to talks can be a great way to get a broad overview of the space. Drop me a note if you happen to be located in Boston.
-- Finally, this goes without saying, but don't take articles in the mainstream media at face value. (Including, and in fact in particular, the NYT.) Every time I get together with relatives I have to argue against the latest grand prediction.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Genome-The-Autobiography-Species-Chapt...
[2] http://www.amazon.com/The-000-Genome-Revolution-Personalized...
[3] http://www.broadinstitute.org/scientific-community/science/p...