Favorite Programming Books of December 2024

12/13/2024

Programming Books Andrew's Awesome Lists No Starch Press

What makes a good programming book? That is a tough question to answer because there are a lot of good programming books - in fact, I’d say almost all of them are good because they always seem to teach me something I don’t know.

I guess what I’m asking is this - what separates a good programming book from a typical programming book that just is a tutorial walkthrough with general information? I don’t know if that question will get answered in this post, but these books seem to have what it takes to put them in a tier of their own.

Top 5 Favorite Programming Books (Right Now)

Here are my top 5 current favorite programming books as of today - this list will be changing and updated on at least a monthly basis.

1. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftmanship

  • Author: Robert C. Martin
  • Link:

This is a must read for all developers - somebody told me that and now I’m telling you that. I haven’t actually finished reading this yet, but it is quite helpful in crafting better code. Put this one on your list - somebody else told me that you need to.

2. Hacking, The Art of Exploitation:

  • Author: Jon Erickson
  • Link:
  • Year: 2008

If you are interested in learning the actual art of hacking, and not just being a script kiddie, then put this on your list of must reads. I’m working through this again with a new understanding of Linux and C and it is a great guide to the art of hacking.

3. Django By Example 5

  • Author: Antonio Melee
  • Link:
  • Year: 2024

I put this on here because I’m doing a deep dive into Django for a little project I have going on (it’s a surprise!). This is one of the better done tutorial books in my opinion. Antonio does a great job of walking you through each step and explaining what you’re doing without going for an overkill. If you want to learn Django, or understand it better, get this book.

4. The Secret Life of Programs: Understand Computers - Craft Better Coe

  • Author: Jonathan E. Steinhart
  • Link:
  • Year: 2019

Now anytime I pick up a No Starch Press book, I know that I am in for a treat. This one is no different - when I bought it a couple years ago, I was really struggling with the reality of the struggles of my life and I wasn’t ready for this book. I’ve tried to pick it up 3-4-20 other times with no luck.

I wondered if this was maybe the No Starch Press book I couldn’t get through, but I also knew that there would be no way I could allow that to happen. It’s tough subject matter if you don’t have a background in hardware or computer science, so a fair warning that it may take a long time and a few tries to get through, like it did for me. Don’t feel bad if you don’t understand anything new after reading the book once - here’s what I’ve had to do:

  • Write out my own explanation of each topic section, sometimes writing out explanations for every paragraph.
  • Draw out the diagrams, schematics, and models that are included in the book so I can better memorize them
  • Label out parts that I may not understand in drawings in more detail to understand what they do
  • Review my notes, find YouTube videos that help explain the concepts, components, and everything else of computer architecture

Seriously, that is how I have had to get through this book and understand it. The fun chapters are coming up, but I have had to do this for at least the first 7-8 chapters to finally understand the content.

5. Data Structures the Fun Way

  • Author: Jeremy Kubica
  • Link:

This one is very helpful if you are like me and struggled with Data Structures the first time through. I am currently re-reading it as I am working on my Data Structures and Algorithms knowledge for applying for jobs. WARNING: The author is obsessed with coffee.

Conclusion

Well, these are my December 2024 Top 5 Programming Books that I have just shared with you. I suggest you check these titles out and see if you like them as much as I do - if you don’t, you can come back and yell at me for wasting your time or something.

I plan on continuing to do this here on my digital garden and including this with one of my publications, once I get my content stuff more figured out.

Thanks for reading!