Once you’ve decided to learn programming, the next step is to gather the tools that will help you study efficiently. You’ve made the right career decision because programming is one of the most useful skills in today’s job market. However, the subject can be a little intimidating for beginners, hence reading books about computer programming can give you an advantage.
To prepare you for this new venture, we have prepared a list of 9 helpful computer programming books to add to your toolkit. These books will teach you the syntax and semantics of programming languages and develop your thinking and problem-solving skills needed to become a good programmer. Let’s dive in!
Can you learn how to code by reading programming books for beginners?
Reading programming books is a great way to improve and test your programming, but reading alone is rarely sufficient for beginners. Let’s be honest, teaching yourself how to code by reading books would require immense investment in time to enable you to go through multiple books and websites to find content that is most effective in helping you to pick code. Not all of us have the time.
When you’re starting, you need to know the questions to ask and experiment with different methods of learning. Once you’re no longer a beginner and can apply scientific methods of formulating a hypothesis and testing it, you can now use books to advance your skills.
The best programming books don’t have a single focus but contain lots of interesting challenges. It’s not about merely reading a programming book but savoring and practicing different sets of problems. Books can easily expand your programming knowledge and skills and help you solve niggling problems.
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9 top programming books for beginners: Must read
1. Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving by V Anton Spraul
Problem-solving is a critical skill in programming, and this book will help you develop it. You can use the knowledge in the book to advance your programming skills in every language. It will help you simplify problems by breaking them into smaller pieces and learning to choose among many data structures. Also, it will turn you into an innovative and creative problem solver that can handle complex tasks using the best approach.
2. Coding All-In-One for Dummies by Nikhil Abraham
Top programming books for dummies are known for being easy to follow, and this one doesn’t disappoint. You don’t require expertise in programming to follow content in the text. You’ll learn the basics of web language and develop a strong foundation in designing websites and apps. This easy read will give you knowledge on languages that power data science and help you solve problems that arise when fixing or writing code.
3. Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman
The widely-adopted book provides insight into introductory programming. It teaches basic fundamental concepts of programming and coding. It’s a great read with multiple examples and practice questions. Although some of the concepts in the book are a bit advanced for beginners, you can learn many valuable things about programming if you take the time. If you manage to complete the book, you’ll emerge as a better programmer.
4. Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code by Martin Fowler
If you have basic programming knowledge, this is one of the programming books for beginners you can use to sharpen your skills. Beginners can use this book to learn principles and guidelines for refactoring code, making it easy to comprehend and change. You also learn new methods of writing code, how to write friendly code created by people, and how to rewrite code into more flexible and user-friendly codes.
5. The Self-Taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally by Cory Althoff
The author is a self-taught programmer that went on to work at eBay. It provides a roadmap on how to code a program, the fundamentals, best practices, and programming tools. Topics include object-oriented programming for beginners and fundamentals of computer architecture and algorithms. In addition, the book teaches beginners how to interview for a job in programming and how to function in a team.
6. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin
The book uses examples to train beginners, so be ready to handle multiple assignments. It is ranked as one of the best programming books for beginners because it contains helpful tricks and tips that will boost your ability to create good code, analyze code, and understand good and bad programming techniques. While the book mostly focuses on java-based coding, the principles discussed can be applied to other coding languages.
7. Beginner’s Step-By-Step Coding Course: Learn Computer Programming the Easy Way by DK
If you’re the kind of learner that appreciates reading small pieces and implementing the concepts before proceeding, this book is the perfect match. It contains plenty of examples and photos to help you visualize tasks and make coding feel less complicated. It provides ways to explore problems and work through the solution. In the end, reading such books about coding will make you think like a programmer.
8. Get Coding! Learn HTML, CSS, Javascript & Build a Website, App & Game by Young Rewired State
The book was originally for kids but it’s a good resource for up-and-coming programmers. It is easy to follow and contains numerous quests designed to teach the basics of coding for games and apps. Some of the learning points in the book are real-life coding tasks and solutions and how to build a game or create an app using code.
9. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction by Steve McConnell
If you’re looking for books about programming with fully-illustrated guides that beginners can use to learn software development. It has hundreds of examples of codes that make the learning process more friendly. In addition to learning the basics, you’ll learn must-know principles of programming, how to build high-quality codes, debug problems efficiently, and develop creative designs without complexity.
Reading programming books as a beginner is worth it!
In fact, there are a lot of computer programming books for beginners online. But the 9 best programming books featured here provide valuable insights for beginners in programming. No matter the kind of coding or programming that you wish to pursue or how new you are to the space, these books have something that will help you.
