Nowadays, the market for programmers has high growth potential and is open to everyone. As a result, learning and understanding programming is becoming more and more important every day. If you are one of those who want to start learning about programming and coding but still don’t know where to start, then we would be glad to introduce you to an easy and suitable way to teach yourself these topics.
Why books? Wouldn’t learning online be better?
Even though it is true that these days you can find information and answers quickly by searching online, but browsing through 100s of videos and pages can sometimes lead nowhere. This is partly due to the information not being exactly what you want. Also, the complexity level of the information may be too much or too little for you. People who want to read books online, or find ways to read online books for free, might be disappointed when finding out that the website or page they saw before getting deleted. On the other hand, books will never have that problem.
What are the advantages of studying programming from books?
When you study from guide books that are written by experts, it’s like beginning a journey with a beginning and an end. In other words, you can get all the information you need in one place. Also, in these books, there may be illustrations or explanations of the terminology included, making it easier to understand. Therefore, people who want to learn computer programming should start by finding a good book, thus why we made this complete guide on the best programming books.
How should I choose the right book?
To master the art of computer programming, choosing the right programming books is a must. That is why the first thing you should consider is; what program do you want to focus on?
Since there are many programming languages, for example; JavaScript, Python, C++, C#, etc., for beginners it is best to focus on studying one language at a time so it doesn’t become too confusing. However, you should choose a book that goes in-depth enough for your level while being relevant to today’s technologies. At first, coding may seem complicated and leave an uncertain feeling in your mind. But don’t worry, we will introduce you to the best coding for newbies books, so you can find the one that matches your work style the most.
Top 6 programming books you should read
Before you continue, please take note that each programming language has its pros and cons and that your understanding of it may vary depending on whether this language is made for you. Here’s the list of the best programming books for beginners that we recommend for you;
1. Python Crash Course
Written by Eric Matthes, this guidebook is one of the best books to quickly learn python. With many great examples and exercises for you to follow in a step-by-step learning style, you will be able to start coding in python without too much trouble. Alongside these exercises, a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of python programming is included, which makes this book one of the most popular choices for any python beginner. If you’re still in doubt, just take a quick look at the many excellent reviews and comments from people worldwide.
2. Head First Python: A Brain-Friendly Guide
Do you hate reading but still want to learn from books? Do you have an easier time absorbing information from pictures than texts? If the answers are yes, then Head First Python will be of great use to you! Paul Barry, the author of this book, created this book by using illustrative instructions to aid people who are visual learners. That way, you can easily see the things you need to do in order to build your own applications with python, while having more fun and fewer stress experiences in learning how to do so.
3. Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming
If you want to learn JavaScript but can only choose one book to buy, then this book is for you. As one of the best books for JavaScript beginners written by Marijn Haverbekedives, this book will teach you about the basic structure of JavaScript language as well as other essential things, such as data structures, control structure, and functions. The feature that makes this one more distinctive from the other JavaScript books is how hands-on focus it is and how it teaches you to write good, clean, and effective code.
4. Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++
Written by Bjarne Stroustrup, the inventor of C++ himself, this book is considered to be one of the best C++ books for beginners. Many computer science courses use it as a reference book due to the way it teaches the basic concepts of C++ language with clear and easy steps to follow. If it is true that C++ has lost its appeal in 2021 when many other languages offer easier solutions for doing sensibly the same thing, it is never a bad idea to learn the mother of all programming languages. If you know C++, you know everything else, or at least, have a basic understanding of it.
5. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
This book is a classic and one of the most popular coding books for beginners. With its clear and pragmatic style of writing, the author Steve McConnell shows the most effective techniques for anyone to learn this coding language and help them understand how to build the best code. It also covers other topics such as testing, debugging, and many more.
6. C# 8.0 and .NET Core 3.0
For people who interest in learning about beginning C# and .NET, this book written by Mark J. Price would be one of the top choices. It is one of the best books to learn programming because not only it is great at teaching the fundamentals of C#, it will also save you a lot of time. The latter language has been the main choice for video game programmers using Unity or for iOS app developers, so it is certainly a great tool to have in your toolbox!
To conclude, with all the books we listed above, we hope they will suit your needs and help you in becoming a great programmer, and bring you the success you deserve!