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Introduction
When starting your journey into learning web development, finding the right resources are very important. There are several other articles and reviews where I show you the best resources and online courses to take.
Everyone has different learning styles, some prefer online courses in text, some prefer video tutorials, and there are many people that still love the appeal of learning from books.
In my own journey, I combined all forms of learning. No matter what your preferred style of learning, there are a few books that I believe everyone should own.
In this article, I will start with the books every beginner should own as a backup resource regardless of how you are learning to code. I will then show you some awesome mid-level and advanced books to use as you progress.
This will assist you in having a hands-on resource and it will really help when you start coding on your own and need a quick reference about HTML tags or CSS properties.
You can never have enough learning resources, especially when it comes to learning web development. In this digital world, e-books are very popular, and I own many myself, but I think there is something special about owning a physical book.
Whether you get the digital version or an actual hardcopy, make sure you have these gems on your shelf…
Books For Newbies
The first book I have to suggest is a line of books written by Jon Duckett. These first two books, in particular, helped me so much in the beginning when I was learning the basics.
HTML & CSS: Design and build websites by Jon Duckett
This gem is a must-have for those just getting started in learning web development. It covers everything you could possibly need to know about the basics of HTML and CSS.
Not only does it breakdown all the concepts in a digestible, easy to read fashion, it is also very visual and includes many vivid images with code blocks.
This book is great for referencing back to when you are trying to get the basics down without always coding along with tutorials. The formatting of this book is very user-friendly, as you can see here:
I think everyone beginning to learn to code should have this book on their shelf. Get your copy today, you can see the details here:
JavaScript and JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development by Jon Duckett
Continuing with the next best book for beginners is Javascript and JQuery: Interactive front-end web development.
This book is also highly recommended as the next step in your process of learning web development. Once you get skilled in HTML and CSS you are going to want to start learning Javascript and JQuery.
Just like with Duckett’s HTML and CSS book, this one is even more detailed naturally, as it dives into more advanced concepts. The formatting and image quality are great just like his first book.
I recommend you get a copy of this book even if you aren’t at that level in learning quite yet, as it is usually more affordable to buy these two books as a package deal.
If you would like more information on this book or the bundle with both together, just click the link below:
Books For Mid-level To Advanced
This section is the books I recommend for the mid-level to the advanced and also general career advice for an aspiring web developer or programmer.
PHP & MySQL: Server-side Web Development by Jon Duckett
For Developers wanting to learn PHP and MySQL, Jon Duckett also has a great book that matches the same style as the last two with great information and vivid images and examples.
If you are currently learning PHP and MySQL, or are planning to in the future you should definitely have this one in your collection as well.
There are also bundles that let you buy all three together for a better price. You just can’t go wrong with Jon Duckett’s line of books and I recommend them to everyone. For more information check out the link below:
Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming by Marijn Haverbeke
This book is a classic and a great introduction to the world of Javascript. If you want to dive headfirst into Javascript this is a great first book to start with.
While written in a way so beginners can understand it will show you the correct way to write eloquent Javascript code the right way.
You will start with the basics and then eventually start building projects with Javascript alone. This is the third, and most recently updated edition.
This is a great choice for anyone wanting a great, in-depth book on everything Javascript. For more information, please see the link below:
The Self-Taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally by Cory Althoff
This book is a gem, and I enjoyed reading it on my kindle. Though I skimmed parts of the book because I wasn’t focused on learning Python development at the time, It is perfect for anyone wanting to see what it is like to progress as a web developer in the industry.
It goes over a lot of Python-related programming, so anyone learning Python would enjoy this book even more.
Even if you are just getting started, this is a great overview perspective from someone who has gone through all the stages of learning and advancement as a career.
There is something in this book for every kind of developer or programmer, for more information check the link below:
Conclusion
Whether you are taking an online course or following along with tutorials on youtube, these books will help you by having an in-hand resource to refer back to.
Many of these selections are tutorials within themselves and you can learn the basics all the way through advanced with only the book itself.
If you have read and completed any of these selections please leave a comment about your favorites and how it helped you. I know they have been an invaluable resource for me in my beginning stages.
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