Best Books To Learn Java For Beginners and Experts

To learn the art of programming in Java, it is important to first learn the rules and then learn when to break them! 

And this is important because Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world as it can be used to design customized applications for a variety of purposes. According to the TIOBE Index for June 2022, Java is still among the top programming languages. Keeping this in mind, if you want to learn Java, there are many books available in the market (for programmers at all stages of learning). In this article, we have compiled the best books for Java, both for ranked amateurs and programming whiz kids!!! Each of these books is extremely popular so it is up to you to choose the ones you like according to your learning sensibilities. So without further ado, let’s check out the hand-picked list of best books to learn Java.

First, let’s start simple and focus on the best Java books for beginners, and then we will move on to the more complicated best books of Java for Experts! One of the most popular and essential languages, Java helps programmers to develop amazing web, mobile, enterprise, and other applications. So, here at Geeksforgeeks, we have introduced a Master Java Programming – Complete Beginner to Advanced course, where beginners can learn the basics of Java without any hassle, and advanced students can leverage their existing skills to the next level. Now, back to the point, here’s the list of best books to learn Java for beginners and experts:

Best Java Books for Beginners

1. Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies (5th Edition)

Do you wish to speak Java like a professional? Well, in case you wish to speak the Java lingo like a pro while being a dummy, in the beginning, this book is the best as it provides you with a no-nonsense guide that shows you how to create a program in Java, how to put various pieces together, how to handle the standard programming challenges in Java and so on. Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies will help you to ‘speak’ Java as it starts with basic concepts like variables, methods, loops and arrays, objects, classes, etc. Also, this book is updated with Java 9 so you can learn the language with various samples. 

2. Head First Java: A Brain-Friendly Guide (2nd Edition)

In case you are bored of slogging through Java how-to manuals, then Head-First Java is the way to go! This book is a brain-friendly guide (As its name suggests!) and it provides a more visual format to engage your brain rather than a text-heavy approach that can become boring pretty fast. Head-First Java starts the Java journey from basic programming fundamentals and moves on to advanced topics and is often considered one of the best books for Java programming for beginners which include threads, network sockets, distributed programming with RMI, etc. So Head-First Java is basically a multi-sensory learning experience that will help you in becoming a bonafide Java programmer in no time!

3. Java: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners (1st Edition)

If learning Java seems like a daunting task to you, fear not!!! Java: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners is considered among the best books for Java Programming for beginners that provides a thorough introduction to Java that will have you writing programs and solving problems in no time! As you work through this book, you will learn the key topics of Java along with 57 practical examples. Java: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners is written specifically for beginners with a step-by-step through the first program along with a guide through the inner workings of the Java Development Kit and Java Runtime Environment. There are also multiple examples to illustrate each topic like Data Types, Variables, Constants, Operators, Type Conversion, Loops, Decision Making, etc. 

4. Core Java Volume I – Fundamentals (11th Edition)

If you want to understand the core of Java fundamentals, then Core Java Volume I is the book for you! It will help you get an in-depth education about Java and API with the help of lots of examples, most of which reflect modularization that demonstrates code that is easier to manage and evolve. Core Java Volume I – Fundamentals has chapters with topics ranging from the basics like variables, data structures, objects, and classes to the advances like objects, generics, collections, lambda expressions, Swing design, concurrency, and functional programming. 

Best Java Books for Intermediates/Experts

1. Effective Java (3rd Edition)

If you have understood Java fundamentals and now want to get some real work done, then Effective Java is one of the finest & the best Java books for experts! It will help you get an in-depth education about the seventy-eight programmer’s rules of thumb, which are working solutions for the various commonly available programming challenges. The topics included in Effective Java include the new design patterns that demonstrate the best of various features ranging from generics to enums, annotations to autoboxing. All of these concepts are explained clearly and concisely using many examples to make sure you get them right.

2. Java: The Complete Reference (11th Edition)

If you are at the intermediate or expert level in Java and want a “back to the basics” approach, then this book is the way to go as it’s a well-structured and complete source on Java programming with examples from the real world for all topics. Java: The Complete Reference covers the whole of Java, including fundamental topics like syntax, keywords, and basic programming principles. And also the complex topics like the Java API library, the concurrency utilities, Swing, JavaBeans, servlets, etc. An introduction to JShell is also provided, which is Java’s interactive programming tool. 

3. Thinking in Java (4th Edition)

If you want to think in Java my friends, Thinking in Java is the book for you!!! It is a hands-on guide that will thoroughly instruct you in writing the most efficient Java code by using the best features of Java. This book contains 500+ working Java programs in 700+ compiling files, that are rewritten for the newest edition of Java in this book. Thinking in Java begins with an object-oriented introduction for both beginners and experts and then follows it with topics like Design patterns, Introduction to XML, Concurrency, etc. All in all, this is a book that will remain a relevant source of knowledge for you even after years of studying and coding in Java. 

Conclusion

Learning Java as a beginner can be a plus point to start your software engineering journey & to cater to that we tried to segregate the list of Best Books To Learn Java For Beginners and Experts separately. Hope you find it useful & start learning Java right away.