Best Java books for beginners 2023

Are you interested in learning Java and looking for an excellent book that will help you skyrocket your Java knowledge? Then you’re in the right place. The selected books are also a great gift for your loved ones who are interested in IT topics.

We bring you a list of the best books for learning Java for beginners. These books are highly recommended by Java programming language experts and are useful for students to understand the basics of how to start programming. These books will guide you through the steps to start building a career in IT and make you a better Java developer.

Head First Java: A Brain-Friendly Guide 3rd Edition

Head First Java is a book containing a complete educational experience in Java and object-oriented programming. With this book, you’ll learn Java in a unique way that goes beyond the standard “how-to” manuals and helps you become a great programmer. Through puzzles, mysteries, and engaging conversations with familiar Java objects, you’ll quickly become familiar with Java basics and advanced topics including Java Lambda, streams, generics, threads, networking, and the dreaded desktop GUI. If you have experience with another programming language, Head First Java will engage your brain with more modern approaches to coding – they’re now sleeker, faster, and easier to read, write, and maintain.

If you’ve read Head First Java, you know what to expect – a visually rich format designed for the way our brains work. If not, you have a lot to look forward to. With Head First Java, you’ll learn Java through a multi-sensory experience that engages your whole mind, as opposed to the classic text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.

Head First java book cover
Book Head First Java

Java: A Beginner’s Guide, Ninth Edition

Updated for Java Platform Standard Edition 17, this extremely popular reference for beginners shows step-by-step how to get started with Java programming from the very first chapter. Written by bestselling author and leading Java expert Herbert Schildt, the book begins with the basics, such as how to create, build, and run a Java program. From there you will learn the basic Java keywords, syntax and commands.

The Beginner’s Guide, Ninth Edition, covers the basics and touches on advanced features, includingJava multithreading, generics, Lambda expressions, and Swing. Enumeration, modules and interface methods are also clearly explained. This guide provides the right mix of theory and practical coding needed to get up to speed quickly in Java application development.

It clearly explains all the new features of Java SE 17, includes tests, exercises and downloadable code samples.

cover of the book Java: A Beginner's Guide
book Java: a Beginner’s Guide 9

Java: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners

Learning a programming language can seem like quite a daunting task. Maybe you’ve looked at coding in the past and thought it was too complicated and confusing. This comprehensive beginner’s guide takes you step-by-step through learning one of the best programming languages. You’ll be writing code like a pro in no time.

Java is one of the most widely used and popular programming languages. Most modern applications developed around the world, including server-side components and business logic, are built using the Java programming language. Its portability and ease of use have ensured that it is popular with newcomers and experienced developers alike.

This guide is written specifically for beginners. He will take you step-by-step through writing your very first program, explaining each part of the code as you go. It will guide you through the Java Development Kit ( JDK ) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE ), as well as the choice of development environment(IDE).

Newcomers to Java will first be shown what the language offers, its origins and goals, features and capabilities, as well as the different editions of Java, and then go on to explain more advanced topics.

For each concept, the book provides one or more examples that illustrate the topic in a way that facilitates understanding. The examples are broken down into their basic workings and provide solutions that you can compare with your own results.

cover of the book Java: Programming Basics for Absolute BeginnersAlt
book Java: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners

Java For Dummies 8th Edition

The best-selling guide to the Java programming language is back. Java For Dummies is your essential guide to mastering this essential programming language. Even if you’re not studying Java on the island of Java, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation with easy-to-understand explanations that make learning easy for beginners and experienced programmers alike. Start with the basic building blocks and work your way through writing programs that really work. Learn how to write practical, reusable code with the straightforward tutorials and tips in the latest edition of this bestselling Java For Dummies book. In addition to a basic understanding of working with classes, objects, and methods, this up-to-date guide covers the latest developments in Java 17, including the new syntax for the switch statement, and you’ll learn how to use Java’s functional programming features.

Learn some great Java programming techniques and tips from this book and you’ll soon be a Java native .

Java For Dummies 8th Edition book cover
book Java For Dummies 8th Edition

Effective Java 3rd Edition

Since the last update of this classic in 2008, the Java programming environment has changed dramatically. Java 7 and Java 8 introduced new features and functionality including the forEach() method in the Iterable interface, default and static methods in interfaces, function interfaces and lambda expressions, API enhancements, and most notably: Java Stream for bulk data operations on collections, Java Time, collection enhancements, Concurrency, and Java IO.

In this new edition of Effective Java, Joshua Bloch explores new design patterns and language idioms that have been introduced since the release of the second edition in 2008 shortly after Java SE6, including Lambda, streams, generics, and collections, as well as selected Java 9 features.

As in previous editions, each chapter consists of several sections presented in the form of a short stand-alone state that provides specific advice, detailed insight into the Java platform, and updated code examples. Comprehensive descriptions and explanations for each item clarify what to do, what not to do and why.

cover of Effective Java 3rd Edition
book Effective Java 3rd Edition

If you already have programming experience and are a Java developer medior or a Java developer senior and are trying to pick up new information, in both cases the selected books will be a great addition to your library. Especially because you can go back to them at any time and brush up on the knowledge they contain. At msg life Slovakia we are always looking for java developers, so don’t overlook our job offers where you can put your knowledge into practice.

About the author

Jozef Wagner

Java Developer Senior

Viac ako 10 rokov programujem v Jave, momentálne pracujem v msg life Slovakia ako Java programátor senior a pomáham zákazníkom implementovať ich požiadavky do poistného softvéru Life Factory. Vo voľnom čase si rád oddýchnem v lese, prípadne si zahrám nejakú dobrú počítačovú hru.

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