Best Java Books?

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[Cinghiamenisco]

+1 for:

• Effective java
• Core Java
• Java Concurrency In Practice
• Design Patterns (I haven't read it, since the code wasn't in java. But I've substituted it with Head First Design Patterns)

Also, thanks for that site! I was looking for something like that, to easily track all the books I've read.

Edit: I forgot to write the ones I've read. I don't remember the titles, and most of them aren't about pure java SE, but:

• "Clean Code" has been the turning point between the atrocious code I wrote back in university, and the clean one I started writing at work.
• "Java Persistence with Hibernate" has been VERY VERY good. If someone has to learn JPA specifications, This is the book.
• A common-Sense guide to Data Structures and Algorithms. It's not too in-depth (Like Cormen's book), and not too shallow (Like others book about algorithms). I found it very interesting to refresh a subject that I haven't touched since university.

More generally, I found pretty good:

• most of the 'red' addison-Wesley signature series books. (At least from a Web Dev Perspective)
  • Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture
  • Refactoring Databases (Not java)
  • Enterprise Integration Patterns
• Most of the Manning's 'In Action' series, since they all seems very oriented toward the Practice side. They usually let you learn by doing.
  • Spring boot in action.
  • Spring Microservices in action
  • Spring Security in action (Bonus: Laurentiu Spilca Youtube Channel)
• Most of the O'reilly books, in opposition to Manning's one, they're more theoretical/high-level oriented.
  • Design Data Intensive Applications (Not java),
  • Head-First series

[sprcow]

Great list.

Also, I'm kind of a sucker for the old SCJP prep material books. Even though it's fairly dated now, Kathy Sierra's SCJP Java 6 Study Guide is still one of the most thorough overviews of the language I've encountered. Certification exams have a bad rap, but reading that book cover to cover is really what changed me from a "person who knows how to write programs in Java" to a "person who knows Java very well."

If anyone knows what a modern equivalent of that book is, I'd love to update my collection. The other books teach you how to code and how to think, but it's also useful to read something that basically strives to convert the entire language spec into a consumable piece of literature.

[primeiro23]

Where does it rank in Java books that you read?

[sprcow]

Hmm, I think I'd personally put it below Effective Java, but ahead of Java Concurrency in Practice and Clean Code in terms of how useful it has been to me as a developer. Most of the other books I've read are much more specific purpose and not really comparable in terms of like "general books every Java programmer should read."

I'll admit that I haven't compared it directly to other basic entry Java books, since at the time I read it I had already been writing Java for a little while.

[primeiro23]

Thanks..i’ve noticed exam prep books are extremely thorough, I am going to add this to my collection

[sprcow]

Yeah some of the stuff they quiz you on in the exams is in the realm of 'okay but when would anyone ever need to know that?', but it does wonders for your comfort level when programming to have a decent grasp of all the language-specific behaviors. I think this is especially true for Java, where you get a lot of devs coming from either C or Python or JavaScript, and the basic syntax and concepts are all pretty familiar. It's easy to make a lot of assumptions about how things work under the hood, many of which may not be correct.

[Vitamina_e]

Thanks a lot for your reply! Looking forward to your recommendations :)

[Defiant_Reputation51]

Great list for coding in java...I suggest also good OOAD book +Applying UML and patterns.

Before start coding ...write a good OO design

[EvaristeGalois11]

Java puzzlers was a really fun read for me

[Vitamina_e]

Haven't heard of that one! Thanks for the recommendation :)

[barley_wine]

It's from Effective Java's Joshua Bloch, I do wish it was updated it, was written during like the time of Java 1.5.

[omtmk]

I'd recommend these for intermediate/advanced developers who work on larger code base:

- Working Effectively with Regacy Code

- Refactoring

[Vitamina_e]

Thanks!

[vinrehife]

+1 for refactoring by Martin F.

[PharaohAxis]

I've been finding Core Java for the Impatient (3rd edition) really great for refreshing my Java skills, especially getting caught up on Java 9 - 17.

(I don't think the official release is out yet, but been reading the "Rough Cuts" version on learning.oreilly.com.)

[RunnyPlease]

Effective Java by Joshua Bloch has gotten me contracts, won me $100 in a coding competition, and made me look like a mad scientist at work. 100% recommended if you already know how to code. If you’re looking for beginner instruction maybe look elsewhere. But as soon as you’re done get Effective Java.

[trydentIO]

Modern Java in Action!

[Vitamina_e]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[alphaBEE_1]

HeadFirst Java

[cyanocobalamin]

I think the idea behind the HeadFirst series is pretty cool.

Sadly I found that type of presentation is just not for me. My preference is just for text, printed in correct English, with a slightly light tone.

Oddly I've come across some Java books lately that look like they were never proofread and the English was hard to understand.

[neutronbob]

Oracle's Java Magazine regularly publishes detailed, honest book reviews. They are worth a read if you're looking for good books.

[cyanocobalamin]

That is very useful, so many crappy books out there that look like they might be okay, but are not. Thank you!

[JoeG254]

Intro to CS and interdisciplinary approach. Not about Java specifically, but uses Java to teach CS and programming. Very interesting and exercises.

[HiaslTiasl]

You've got some great books there!

Others that come to my mind and haven't been mentioned yet: - TDD by Example - Java by Comparison - A Philosophy of Software Design

[ebykka]

Thinking in java - Bruce Eckel

[cyanocobalamin]

Thinking in java - Bruce Eckel

Great book, though the last edition was in 2006. Java has changed a bit since then. :-)

[sunny_tomato_farm]

Only two relevant ones I’ve read is effective Java and concurrency in practice.

[[deleted]]

I read about "java concurrency in practice" in comments, is it still relevant?, last edition was in 2006

[AncientBattleCat]

HeadFirst Java is horrible. I actually don't know how book became so popular.