10 Best Programming Books to Read in 2022

No matter what industry you work in, learning a new language can benefit you and your career. That goes double if you’re working in tech or a tech-adjacent field and you’re planning to learn a new programming language. Whether you’re just learning to program or looking to add a new language to your repertoire, here are the best programming books you should be reading in 2022. 

Why You Should Learn to Program

Learning a programming language or two is something that everyone should consider, even if you don’t work in a tech-related field. Coding can give you the tools to improve or alter your career path. It also looks good on your resume, even if you’re not a programmer, because of everything that comes with the skills. Programmers are typically very detail-focused and excel in problem-solving and critical thinking — things that any employer would be happy to see in an employee. 

There are also a growing number of career paths outside of the tech industry that can benefit from a background in coding or at least some programming skill. The world is immersed in technology, and it’s getting more complex every year. Even kids are learning to code! These best programming books can help point you in the right direction and make it easier to learn how to bend computer languages to your will.

1. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold

It might seem odd to include a book written in 2000, but there is a lot that history can teach us. Modern computing looks a lot different than its ancestors did. Despite this, there are lessons that we can learn from these older technologies that make it easier to understand modern programming. Using straightforward linear storytelling techniques, Petzold starts with a discussion of Morse code and Braille, later moving into how these base technologies can work with the modern internet. 

2. Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions & Solutions by Gayle Laakmann McDowell

Even if you’re not trying to get a job as a programmer, Cracking the Coding Interview can be a valuable tool to help you practice coding and hone your programming skills. This book presents you with a series of increasingly tricky programming challenges and algorithm problems. Test yourself see if you can solve them. Suppose you do find yourself seeking out a career in programming. In that case, these skills can help you test yourself against tech giants like Facebook or Google because you’ll already have an understanding of how they hire their programmers and developers. 

3. Code Complete by Steve McConnell

This book might not teach you a specific programming language, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. Code Complete provides code samples, current practices, and a variety of tools to help you hone your skills or improve your career. The entire seventh section is about software craftsmanship, teaching you how to improve your programs by focusing on character, style and layout. 

4. Deep Learning by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio and Aaron Courville

Machine learning and neural networks are getting smarter every day. Programmers hoping to get in on the ground floor can benefit from this textbook. The book breaks the topic down into three sections — background, applications, and research topics — which takes an incredibly complex subject and turns it into something that the average programmer can better understand. This isn’t a book for beginners, but it should be on your list, with neural networks becoming more common and complex. 

5. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin

Your code might work, but if it’s a mess, fixing a problem could prove challenging. Clean Code is the perfect book if you’re struggling to get the job done without the finished project looking messy. It’s three seconds include information to help you write good code and identify bad code. These skills can turn your programs into something that you can be proud of. It’s full of code snippets that you’ll need to fix, though most of them are focused on Java. Regardless, the skills you’ll gain will serve you well no matter what language you’re writing.

6. Grokking Algorithms by Aditya Y Bhargava

This book might have a strange name, but it’s filled with information that can help take your programming skills and apply them to problems you encounter in your everyday life. Start simple, with things like sorting or searching. Build your skills until you can tackle more complex tasks like graphs, greedy algorithms and data compression. Plus, it’s illustrated and has a fun take on an otherwise dull topic. It doesn’t matter if you’re building an app in your spare time or trying to build a career in coding. Everyone who writes a line or two can benefit from adding this book to their shelf. 

7. Dancing with Python: Learning to Code With Python and Quantum Computing by Robert S. Sutor

Quantum computing can potentially change the way we think of processing and data storage, and it will need a new breed of programmers to make it work. Dancing with Python is the perfect tool for an experienced programmer interested in learning about machine learning, quantum circuits and other advanced programming methods. This is not a book for beginners. Having a background in Python will make it easier to absorb these new techniques and technologies. 

8. Coding: 3 Books in One by Michael Clark and Michael Learn

You don’t have to break the bank to get your hands on some great coding books. This is a set of three books: Linux for Beginners, Python Coding and Programming, and Learn Python Programming. As a bonus, this set is available on Kindle Unlimited so that you can read it for free with a subscription. Read on your phone, tablet, or computer if you don’t want to invest in a physical copy of the books. 

9. Haskell In-Depth by Vitaly Bragilevsky

If you ask 10 programmers to list the best programming books, you’ll get 50 different answers. This is stepping outside the average programmer’s comfort zone. Haskell’s Programming language, named after mathematician Haskell Brooks Curry, uses math to create a functional programming language outside of traditional coding. This is more than just looking at the basic syntax and structure of the language. Haskell in Depth will turn you from a Haskell student to a developer fluent in the language. 

10. Basic Concepts in Algorithms by Shmuel Tomi Klein

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are finding more applications every year. Their programming might be complex, but the rest comes easier if you’ve got a solid foundation of algorithms. Basic Concepts in Algorithms is the perfect tool to help you build that foundation, giving you a basic grasp of the programming and mathematics necessary to support big data and the machine learning future that you were all looking forward to.

11. “Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code” by Martin Fowler

In his book “Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code,” Martin Fowler, a renowned object tech mentor, explains that today’s applications are inefficient, hard to maintain and extend, and were developed by less-experienced programmers. 

Fowler suggests that refactoring these applications and programs could benefit software developers. However, expert programmers were typically the only professionals capable of making these changes — until now. Fowler breaks ground in his novel by sharing master programming practices in a digestible way so all developers can benefit from them. 

12. “The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master” (2nd Edition) by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas

“The Pragmatic Programmer” by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas is a great book for aspiring programmers. The first edition of the book came out in 1999. After its release, Mike Cohn, author and certified Scrum trainer, mentioned that the book by Hunt and Thomas changed his career trajectory. 

Hunt and Thomas’ book explains what it’s like to be a modern programmer in the digital age. Topics range from how to keep code flexible and take personal responsibility to career development and architectural techniques. Consider reading this book to learn more about the best practices and pitfalls to avoid if you’re in the software development sector.

13. “The Self-Taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally” by Cory Althoff

The author of “The Self-Taught Programmer” taught himself how to code. After one year of self-teaching, Althoff landed a software development job at eBay. However, he was wholly unprepared for what the job responsibilities entailed. He realized how far behind he was on his programming journey.

In his book, Althoff shares tips and tricks all aspiring programmers should know, especially as they learn how to code. The book contains five sections, including:

• Learn to program in Python 3 and create your first program
• Learn object-oriented programming to make your first Python program
• Learn to use tools like Git, Bash and regular expressions, as well as use them to build a web scraper
• Study computer science fundamentals, such as algorithms and data structures
• Finish by learning the best coding practices, tips for collaborating with others and advice for landing a coding job

Through his writing, Althoff suggests that learning to program professionally in a self-taught manner is possible.

14. “Working Effectively With Legacy Code” by Michael C. Feathers

Working with legacy code is a common pain point for programmers. Michael C. Feathers provides plenty of information and helpful tips in his book to help readers learn how to work more effectively with it. Feathers shares various strategies programmers can use to bring their software applications under control. 

This book is well-suited for more experienced coders, as the author assumes the reader has some basic knowledge of UML notation, Java, C++ and Csharp.

15. “Make Your Own Neural Network” by Tariq Rashid

“Make Your Own Neural Network” was written by Tariq Rashid, an English author who loves science, mathematics and computing. Rashid’s book provides a step-by-step outline to help readers understand the mathematical aspects of neural networks. 

Additionally, Rashid directs his book to novice programmers, claiming that readers do not need advanced math skills. He even includes an introduction to calculus to help support the other chapters in his book. Consider reading “Make Your Own Neural Network” if this subfield interests you.

Improve Your Skills 

Learning programming skills is a great way to pad your resume, learn skills that can improve your current career or tape a step into a new position in the future. It can even give you the tools to start your own business if you feel inclined. Even if you’re not planning to start the next great tech empire, spending some time on your weekend learning a bit of code here and there can be a fantastic tool to help improve your skills and keep your mind engaged. These are the best programming books that we’ve found but they aren’t the only ones. Do a little exploring and see what works best for you.