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Learning Resources
What are the best beginner's books for programming?
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Oct 22, 2022
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8
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Considered
Best beginner's books for programming
Price
Pages
Current stable version
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Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs
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The Pragmatic Programmer
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321
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Learn Code The Hard Way
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Head First Programming
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How to Design Programs
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See Full List
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Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs
My Rec
ommendation
for
Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs
My Recommendation for
Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs
All
3
Pros
3
Top
Pro
•••
Knowledge can be applied to any language
This isn't a book you'll glean direct practical tidbits out of, an introduction to not only functional programming but how to think in a paradigm outside the usual way C*/Python/Ruby/Java/etc... are coded. Even if you wind up never working in Scheme or any other primarily functional language, the tactics and thought processes you'll learn here will apply to any currently-evolving language to a greater or lesser degree. You'll be able to map your thought process into the paradigm that works best for your current situation and not just be forced into a limited set of idioms that causes unnecessary boilerplate and clunky code mangling.
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Top
Pro
•••
Teaches very important programming concepts
Like closures and encapsulation without language support of objects.
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Top
Pro
•••
Very good for absolute beginners
This book gives a great insight about immutable and mutable state (with pros and cons), typisation, FP, OOP, and many other things in a very beginner-friendly manner
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here
Recommend
1
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The Pragmatic Programmer
My Rec
ommendation
for
The Pragmatic Programmer
My Recommendation for
The Pragmatic Programmer
All
5
Experiences
1
Pros
3
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Contains excellent universal advice for programmers
All the information in this book is relevant to all types of programming professions.
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ProfessionalMamaragan's Experience
Not for beginners.
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Specs
Pages:
321
Top
Pro
•••
Excellent for both beginners and veterans
The advice is useful for all levels of programmer.
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Top
Pro
•••
Well written
Very clear and concise.
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here
Recommend
3
1
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Learn Code The Hard Way
My Rec
ommendation
for
Learn Code The Hard Way
My Recommendation for
Learn Code The Hard Way
All
3
Experiences
1
Pros
1
Cons
1
Top
Pro
•••
Language agnostic
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Top
Con
•••
Encourages memorization
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PM's Experience
The process presented by Zed Shaw is what finally got me to the point of considering programming as a possible living. While most other resources attempt to teach others how to use a particular technology, Shaw teaches how to actually program in a language agnostic way that can be applied to every tool imaginable, even if there is only documentation on hand to learn it.
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Recommend
5
1
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Head First Programming
My Rec
ommendation
for
Head First Programming
My Recommendation for
Head First Programming
All
3
Pros
3
Top
Pro
•••
Creative teaching style
Head First approaches learning with the idea that anything which increases brain activity will help you learn. Head First does this through humor, pictures, surprise and more.
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Top
Pro
•••
Relevant, challenging and fun puzzles
The puzzles and exercises are challenging and unique. They help to reinforce what you've learned while guiding you through developing fun programs from the start.
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Top
Pro
•••
Engaging writing style
One of the ways these books encourages the retention of material is by using an engaging and amusing writing style.
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Recommend
5
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How to Design Programs
My Rec
ommendation
for
How to Design Programs
My Recommendation for
How to Design Programs
All
1
Pros
1
Top
Pro
•••
Free
Available online for free.
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Hide
Get it
here
Recommend
2
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The C Programming Language (AKA: K&R)
My Rec
ommendation
for
The C Programming Language (AKA: K&R)
My Recommendation for
The C Programming Language (AKA: K&R)
All
3
Pros
3
Top
Pro
•••
It's excerpted from the idea of its creators
This book is written by Dennis Ritchie, who was one of the main people behind the development and design of C and UNIX.
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Top
Pro
•••
Creative, challenging exercises
The challenges at the end of each chapter do a great job of requiring many of the skills learned up to that point. Completing the challenges is a great way of insuring you understand the material.
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Top
Pro
•••
Well known classic
This book is so well known that it's affectionately called "K & R", after the authors. It's been cited in many other books and is familiar to most, if not all, CS students.
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here
Recommend
1
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JavaScript: The Good Parts
My Rec
ommendation
for
JavaScript: The Good Parts
My Recommendation for
JavaScript: The Good Parts
All
4
Experiences
1
Pros
1
Cons
2
Top
Con
•••
Not for beginners
It has advanced concepts.
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Top
Pro
•••
Explains what makes JS confusing and how to go about it
JS can be a confusing language and often provides difficulty writing good code that uses objects and methods. Crockford explains why that is and how to think about the language to avoid confusion.
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Andrew Truex's Experience
Great
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Top
Con
•••
Lack of consistency
Where some parts of the book cover very basic concepts, other parts expect at least an intermediate understanding on JavaScript. There is a lack of consistency, causing some confusion as to who the book is aimed at.
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Recommend
1
2
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For Dummies
My Rec
ommendation
for
For Dummies
My Recommendation for
For Dummies
All
3
Pros
2
Cons
1
Top
Pro
•••
Price
Compared to beginner books of the same language by another publisher, For Dummies books are usually the more affordable option.
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Top
Con
•••
Inconsistent
The "For Dummies" series covers a wide variety of languages. However the style is largely inconsistent across the different books, so it's recommended that you look up reviews for that specific book first.
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Top
Pro
•••
Great for complete beginners
For someone who has no prior programming experience, these books will take you through the fundamentals of programming at a reasonable pace.
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Recommend
1
1
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