Are you getting stuck in searching for the best Java Programming Language books for beginners in 2024? It’s obvious that you might be confused because there are dozens and dozens of Java books available. But don’t worry, here are some top picks of Best Java Programming Language Books for Beginners that are recommended by most Java learners. Here, you will get to know about the 10+ best core Java Books for beginners, along with their features and specifications. This will help you choose the right book for your needs and learn Java programming from scratch.
Java Programming Language Books for Beginners
How To Choose A Best Java Book
There are plenty of Java books available, but picking the right one is difficult for beginners. Here are some basic standards that make a Java programming book the best. A good Java book must fulfill the following criteria:
- The book should use clear, precise, and easy-to-use language.
- It must have some instructional materials, such as activities, exercises, examples, etc., where programmers can engage.
- The book must be self-taught and programmers-friendly.
- It must have a good explanation of the basic concepts of Java.
- The content must be up-to-date.
- The topics must be clear and structured.
So, without wasting time, let’s explore this list of the best Java programming language books for beginners.
1. Java For Dummies 7th Edition
Author – Barry Burd
All programmers are very familiar with the “For Dummies” series of books. They are very helpful for an absolute beginner without prior programming experience.
Java For Dummies is a book worth reading for beginners. This book explains the basic concepts of Java in an excellent way. This book consists of five parts.
The first part explains modern approaches to programming, how Java works(JVM), the process of software development, the Installation of Java on a PC, and the first Java program. If you are an absolute beginner in programming, you must read this part; it will give you detailed knowledge of the programming paradigm.
The second part is about writing your own Java program. This teaches you how to write the Java code. It also explains variables, control structures, and loops. This part is very helpful for beginners to begin with programming.
The third part is about Object-Oriented Programming Concepts, OOP is well explained in this part.
The fourth part contains programming exercises. It also explains some modern Java features like Lambda and functional programming.
The fifth part contains tips and tricks for writing Java code and avoiding errors. It also includes some useful website links.
2. Java for Absolute Beginners
Author – Iuliana Cosmina
This book is ideal for Java novice programmers. It covers almost everything a Java newbie needs to know about the Java programming language.
This explains the OOPs concept in detail. It also covers topics such as basic concepts of Java language, features of Java, Java installation as well as File handling etc.
In this book, you will also get to see advanced topics of Java programming such as Java Swing and JavaFX, which will help you a lot in learning GUI Programming of Java, and at the same time, it has been taught in such a simple language that you will grasp the concept very soon.
If you are a total newbie in Java, then this book will be very helpful for you to learn Java in a very easy and quick way.
3. Java: A Beginner’s Guide, 9th Edition
Author – Herbert Schildt
This is another best Java book for beginners. It is one of the most comprehensive and complete Java books among all Java available in the market. The best thing about this book is that at the end of each chapter, it has some quizzes that are very helpful to enhance the coding skills of Java learners.
In this book, Herbert Schildt, the best-selling programming author, covered not only the basics of Java but also some advanced concepts of Java. The concept of Multithreading, Swing, generics, lambda expressions, JavaFX etc. are well explained in this book.
The following things make this book best –
- Hands-on exercises.
- Clearly explains all of the new features of Java SE 17.
- The end of the chapter contains quizzes.
- Example code with commentary.
- Q&A section filled with bonus information and useful tips.
Although this book is a beginner’s guide but, it is also an ideal book to learn advanced Java.
4. Head First Java
Author – Kathy Sierra & Bert Bates & Trisha Gee
Without any doubt, this is the best Java Programming Language book for beginners. So, this is an ideal book for those who are learning Java from scratch. The Head First Java book is very simple and easy to understand.
The latest edition, the third edition of this book, is up-to-date for Java 8-17, including the significant recent language changes. This book explains aspects of Java programming in-depth. This book covers all the OOP concepts in a very detailed way that will help the beginner to understand Java programming in an easy and precise way.
The best thing about this book is that it contains mind-bending puzzles that help programmers understand the coding concepts very thoroughly.
It also covers some topics such as common OOP mistakes, distributed programming with RMI and network sockets, and threads.
One of the significant qualities of this book is its visually rich format, which makes it more engaging and differentiates it from other books with a text-heavy approach.
5. Effective Java
Author – Joshua Bloch
This is a must-read Java book for Java programmers. If you want to excel in Java, then definitely you should read this book.
The author explains every concept of Java with practical practice. This book is not only for the beginners but also very helpful for advanced Java developers.
The latest edition third edition of Effective Java is written for java 7,8 and 9, including the coverages Functional interfaces, lambda expressions, method references, streams and more. This book will help to learn Java coding very easily and effectively.
6. Think Java: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist
Author – Allen B.Downey and Chris Mayfield
This book is for complete beginners. This book will teach you how to think in code. It helps you to enhance your problem solving ability.
The best thing about this book is its conciseness and informal tone, which are helpful for newbies with little or no prior experience to think about code.
At the end of every chapter, it contains a conclusion as well as exercises to help you practice what you’ve learned. This book’s language is so simple that will make it easy for students to grasp.
The chapters are arranged in an order, such that the Student can easily flow from one concept to the next, if reading the book in sequence.
7. Core Java Volume I – Fundamentals
Author – Cay S.Horstmann
Core Java Volume 1- Fundamentals is a best Java book for those who want to learn a deep and practical understanding of Java language and API. Its hundreds of code examples will help you to achieve coding skills.
The topics such as objects, generics, Swing design, lambda expressions, collections, concurrency, and functional programming are explained in depth, which helps a Java developer to excel in core Java and UI programming.
So, if an experienced programmer decided to move to Java 9, 10, or 11, then this book would be worth reading for them.
So this is a great reference book for Java, and the best thing about this book is that even anybody who has no prior knowledge of any programming language can learn through this book.
8. Java in Easy Steps
Author – Mike McGrath
This is another excellent book to learn Java programming, which you can easily follow and the specialty of this book is that its language is so plain English that you will not face any problem in learning Java programming.
The contents of this book have been covered in such a way that you can quickly learn Java and follow the topics easily, even if you are a complete beginner to Java programming.
From installing Java to setting up the environment and how to run Java programs from the command prompt, all these have been taught effortlessly in this book. Apart from this, Object-oriented Programming concepts, file handling, decision-making and branching and advanced topics such as Java Swing and Android are also covered to some extent.
One thing I really liked about this book is that Due to the colorful images and icons, you will have a lot of fun while reading this book and can read for a long time without getting bored.
9. Learn Java in One Day and Learn it Well
Author – Jamie Chan
This book is written to help you learn Java FAST and learn it WELL. The book does not assume any prior background in coding. If you are an absolute beginner, you’ll find that this book explains complex concepts in an
easy-to-understand way.
If you are an expert coder but new to Java, this book will give you sufficient depth to start coding in Java quickly. Topics are thoroughly chosen to give you broad exposure to Java while not overwhelming you with information overload.
These topics include object-oriented programming concepts, error handling techniques, file handling techniques, and more. In addition, new features of Java, such as lambda expressions are also covered. All examples in the book are carefully chosen to demonstrate each concept so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the language.
10. Java in a Nutshell
Author – Ben Evans, Jason Clark & David Flanagan
If you want to learn Java Programming and you are an absolute beginner, and at the same time you want to grasp every concept with in-depth details, then there is no better book for you than this book. In this book, all the topics related to Java Programming have been explained in great detail, which will prove to be very helpful in becoming a professional Java programmer.
This book consists of two parts, Part I and Part II.
Part I is an introduction to the Java language and the Java platform. These chapters provide enough information for you to get started using Java right away:
- Chapter 1, Introduction to the Java Environment
- Chapter 2, Java Syntax from the Ground Up
- Chapter 3, ObjectOriented Programming in Java
- Chapter 4, The Java Type System
- Chapter 5, Introduction to Object-Oriented Design in Java
- Chapter 6, Java’s Approach to Memory and Concurrency
Part II introduces some of the core libraries that ship with Java and some programming techniques common to intermediate and advanced Java programs.
- Chapter 7, Programming and Documentation Conventions
- Chapter 8, Working with Java Collections
- Chapter 9, Handling Common Data Formats
- Chapter 10, File Handling and I/O
- Chapter 11, Classloading, Reflection, and Method Handles
- Chapter 12, Java Platform Modules
- Chapter 13, Platform Tools
11. Core Java for the Impatient
Author – Cay S.Horstmann
If you are a novice Java Programmer, this Book is best for you, in which an excellent selection of relevant topics has been made.
This Book, Core Java for the Impatient, Third Edition, covers a clear, complete, and concise guide that reflects all the changes through Java SE 17. The Book offers a faster, easier pathway for learning modern Java Programming Language.
The Book covers all aspects of Java that a developer needs to know, including the powerful concepts of lambda expressions and streams, modern constructs such as records and sealed classes, and sophisticated concurrent programming techniques.
Whether you are an expert Java Developer or just getting started with Java, this Book will help you write more robust, efficient, and secure Java code.
12. Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days
Author – Rogers Cadenhead
Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days teaches you about the Java language and how to use it to build applications for any computing environment and Android apps that run on cell phones and other mobile devices.
By the time you have completed the book, you’ll have a well-rounded knowledge of Java and the Java class libraries. Applying your new skills, you will be able to develop your own programs for tasks such as web services, database connectivity, XML processing, and mobile programming.
This book covers the Java language and its class libraries in 21 days, arranged into three weeks. Each week covers a broad section of developing Java programs.
Conclusion
So now I am summing up this “Best Java Programming Language Books for Beginners” article. There are plenty of Java books available there, and choosing the right one is a little bit tricky for beginners. I hope I have added some value to your searching journey for the best Java Books for Beginners. And now it’s time to tell me which is your best Java book. Let me know in the comment section.
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