Do you need to read programming books?

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Well, first of all, why should we read books? Reading books upgrades your mental activity and improves memory and logic. As for myself, reading books is an excellent way to lower your stress and expand your knowledge. 

Now about programming books. First, You have to decide what you want to master. Would it be Python, JavaScript, C++, etc… But is it that important to learn new technologies and methods with the help of a book? Well, the answer is – Yes and No. 

If we are talking about complex technologies, binary trees, etc., then it makes sense to study the theory and try doing something in practice.

On the other hand, let’s take as an example HTML. It doesn’t require you to understand math or binary trees. Nowadays, there are a lot of websites or videos with which you can learn how to develop websites. For example, let’s take a worldwide website called “w3schools”. It is an educational website created for programmers to learn how to develop websites. Using their online code editor, you can write code online and see the results of your work.

Usually, for the reading material to stick correctly in your head, you must practice. In my opinion, examples from books should be used in practice. Here, for example, you read something entirely new for you in a book and don’t fully understand how it should work. Open your compiler right away and start trying out the examples in practice. You can also make them more complicated and come up with your problems using the material you just learned.

It is also essential to reread the book several times. Usually, if the technology is new to you, it will be tough to understand by reading it only once. That is why I recommend, after reading the book for the first time, to return to the text again while practicing.

My favorite book list:

Robert Sedgewick ” Java algorithms.”

Robert Martin ” Clean code.”

Charles Severance  “Python for Everybody: Exploring Data Using Python 3.”

Mark Lutz “Learning Python.”

William S. Vincent “Django for Beginners.”

Bruce Eckel “Thinking in Java.”

3 thoughts on “Do you need to read programming books?

  1. 47530 says:

    What :/ reading paper books to learn programming languages… One of the most miserable ideas for a programmer in 2022. It is expensive, not eco-friendly, and super inefficient when compared to interactive books online. Why would anyone ever try and learn programming with a paper book? It is uncomfortable and pointless especially when it comes to programming. I am not claiming that people should read all the literature online nowadays, for some, including myself, it is much more pleasant to have a real paper book. Its smell, structure, and feeling, add authenticity to the reading process. Though when it comes to learning a practical skill that is fully based on computer work, I just can’t get over this, it is pointless to buy a real book. Just pay for a book online, support the planet and save yourself some time. Just imagine how unproductive it is to copy blocks of code from examples in the book in order to check out how they work. It can be done in mere seconds online. W3schools is a good example. It is interactive, which is in turn one of the crucial factors when learning to program. You are going to want to be able to quickly adjust your code and try out different ways of coding for the same result, that’s how you learn the skill. You need a workspace for it and extensions, and different tools, they are all present online. With an online interactive book, you will be able to access all of it quick and easily while with hardcopy of a book you would have to enter the links manually o_O let’s remember which year we are living in today… It is 2022! This is absurd. Additionally, imagine you would have to carry the book around in your backpack to university whatsoever, and I have seen how large the programming books are. It makes no sense. Not only it is uncomfortable, not eco-friendly, and unproductive, but it also decreases the necessary motivation for the study process with all its complications. All in all, learning programming with a paper book in simple terms is complicating your own life and the lives of others. Learning computer-based skills through a physical book… just ridiculous. (imho)

    • Dmytro Tomilin says:

      Well, first of all, thanks for the reply. Secondly, have I written something about buying exactly a paper book?)

      Well, if we are going to speak about whether we should read a paper or digital books, I don’t think we can’t actually be sure what is wrong and right. Some people like to read paper books, and some want to read digital ones. I absolutely agree that paper books are bad for ecology. But let’s think of it for a moment, basically, when you want to buy a book – you come into the shop where it is originally standing. Basically, what kind of harm am I doing to the environment? It would stand still on my shelf for the rest of my days; I don’t think I harm the environment that much.

      Tutorials and technical articles are important and significant sources, but I think you shouldn’t rely on them so much. I believe that reading programming books push your knowledge further than you can expect.

      Here’s a link to a Reddit article that explains why reading a programming book is a great choice to upgrade yourself:

      https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/29fa7u/is_reading_programming_books_worth_it/

  2. Darya Shabunevich says:

    Perhaps, if a person loves code, numbers and programming itself very much, then these books are certainly very necessary and interesting to him. But let’s say that for me, as a person who does not really like programming, reading programming books would not be a very interesting activity. And even if I wanted to delve into programming knowledge or learn a new language, I would rather just find some course on the Internet or watch educational videos. My opinion is that the book is for those who like to read numbers and are a fan of their business (programming)

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