Do you want to learn Java and have no idea where to start? Are you an absolute beginner and there are many choices of books to choose from? Here is a list of the 4 best Java Books for Beginners from scratch in 2021 to start your Java programming journey, and where to get them from. I will also be sharing my personal recommendation at the end depending on certain parameters. I hope these resources will bring more clarity to your decision-making.
If you search java books online there will be a plethora of articles, blogs, and videos but it gives too many choices which may or may not work for the people looking for the resources. So here I made a short list to help you in your journey.
Java is one of the versatile languages which is used intensively in renowned companies like Netflix, Google, Amazon, Pinterest, Instagram to name a few. It is a fast, secure, and reliable language that is still one of the top backend languages used in the industry 26 years after its birth. Java has one principle “Code Once, run everywhere” which holds true conversion of code in bytecode.
4. Beginning Programming with Java for Dummies | by Barry A. Burd
For Dummies is one of my favorite series of books. Whenever I want to learn a new concept or a new thing I generally look ‘For Dummies’ books. Over the years it has been a great help in making me understand a topic in great detail right from scratch. This book is one of the best places to start your java learning journey. It covers all the bases when it comes to Java. The book gets revised with every new update in Java so it’s good to have. In my opinion, it is a quick and easy way to start into the language but requires an additional book for in-depth training.
>>Get Beginning Programming with Java for Dummies on Amazon.
3. Effective Java | by Joshua Bloch
Effective Java is both for beginners and experienced programmers. This book does not only cover the general practical advice for programmers but it also covers the “why” behind the things. The chapter consists of short stand-alone essays to make a topic easy to learn and remember. It also illustrates and explains what to do and what not to do and the reasoning behind that. This book is also updated frequently with changes in Java. The best part about this book is that you can transfer the knowledge to other areas of development.
The writing style is easy to follow and the examples are of pure quality. If you are looking for bite-sized content which is isolated from the other contents do go for this book. It will help experienced programmers learn the topics which they want to learn and it’s a good reference book to have.
>>Get Effective Java on Amazon.
2. Head First Java | by Kathy Sierra
The java book makes learning Java fun. There is a mix of text and images which breaks the monotonous nature of learning a language. The concepts are explained in a fun way which is a great way to start learning java. The pictorials help in learning passively and it registers the information for long term. This is the main highlight of the book. The book caters to the need of beginner java learners. The book uses a conversational style of learning as the brain registers more information and pays more attention to conversations.
Overall, the book is designed to make our brains learn Java. This book is clear and easy to follow with exercises at the end of the chapters. The only downside of this book is that it’s old and not updated frequently.
>>Buy Head First Java on Amazon.
1. Java – The Complete Reference | by Herbert Schildt
Herbert Schildt is one of the most renowned authors when it comes to programming books. He has books for C++, Java, C, C# which are all bestsellers. This book covers all the basics in great detail. It covers all the topics in Java in a clear and crisp way. This is a great reference book even for intermediate and experienced programmers.
The best part about this book is that it is updated every year so it does have the latest concepts which are essential as Java keeps changing every year. Java the complete reference is like a Java encyclopedia. This is a solid book for those who want to delve into the deeper innards of this great language.
>>Get Java the complete reference on Amazon
My Recommendations
For me, the best single book that you can get is Java – The complete reference. If you like to learn via images then go for Headfirst java. Effective Java is for byte-sized content and for Dummies book is a great way to get started along with another more comprehensive book.
These were my recommendations for the 4 best Java Books for Beginners from scratch in 2021. I hoped you agree with the list. Feel free to comment below on what you guys felt was the best one of the lot. Happy learning 🙂
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