50 Must-read Books on Web Development
As web developers, it only makes sense that we find learning resources on our preferred medium, the Internet. However, there are definite pluses to the Old School method of learning; the print book. They’ve been through rigorous editing cycles, and you can trust solid publishers like O’Reilly. Also, you can trust the user ratings and comments that are on sites like Amazon. You can make an informed purchase with the help of these comments, and you don’t have to worry that these highly-rated titles are going to be accurate or poorly written. Publishing contracts are generally only given to industry and thought leaders who are worth listening to and learning from.
Here are 50 of the highest-rated, most respected print publications on many different web development topics.
Post thumbnail by Guillermo Esteves.
CSS
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David McFarland’s CSS: The Missing Manual is over 500 pages of CSS expertise, with over 100 of those pages of tutorials. It’s a best place to get started for learning CSS.
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2. CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
If you’re looking for a guide with more advanced examples of CSS usage, CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards is an excellent read. The authors Andy Budd, Cameron Moll and Simon Collison are extremely well-respected web developers and designers.
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Part of the highly-respected O’Reilly line of books, CSS: The Definitive Guide is just what the title implies: a comprehensive resource of excellent tutorials and guidelines to use when programming with CSS.
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Javascript
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4. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
David Flanagan has written 4 editions of this extremely popular guide to Javascript. It’s a massive 1,018 pages and covers virtually every topic in the realm of javascripting. It’s an essential javascript resource.
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Douglas Crockford is a Yahoo! employee who works on the YUI library and writes for the Yahoo! Interface Blog. He’s what we’d call a javascript master, so anything he writes on the subject you can take as gospel.
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Simply Javascript is a book by SitePoint, and it gives plenty of examples and real-world tutorials on how to use javascript to solve problems that plague modern web layouts.
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7. Learning jQuery: Better Interaction Design and Web Development with Simple JavaScript Techniques
Javascript library jQuery has taken the web development world by storm. Learning jQuery is a comprehensive library of examples, techniques and in-depth reading on everything you’d need to know about jQuery.
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Frameworks
8. Agile Web Development with Rails
Ever since Rails took the development world by storm a few years back, there has been plenty written about the Ruby framework. But you can’t find a much better resource than one written by Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson.
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9. Python Web Development with Django
Django is an excellent python framework, and one that is highly respected in the development community. Python Web Development with Django is 400 pages of excellent techniques and tutorials for learning django development.
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CodeIgnitor is a PHP-based framework that has shown excellent promise amongst other frameworks. Professional CodeIgnitor gives an overview of MVC programming, and outlines how to build excellent web applications with CodeIgnitor.
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11. Beginning CakePHP: From Novice to Professional
Beginning CakePHP: From Novice to Professional is a handy paperback for beginners trying to learn the MVC-based framework, but also, as the name implies, is highly useful for an intermediate or advanced CakePHP programmer. The book claims it’s geared for…
…an audience of developers already familiar with PHP but who may not be PHP experts. This book is tailored for those new to CakePHP and who want a thorough tutorial.
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PHP
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Programming PHP is an excellent book from O’Reilly that features writing from PHP’s creator himself, Rasmus Lerdorf. Lerdorf outlines some of the basics of PHP programming as well as topics like PHP and MySQL, XML and generating PDF’s. Perfect for the PHP beginner.
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Another stellar resource from O’Reilly, PHP Cookbook makes quick work of providing simple “recipies” of PHP that range from beginner to advanced. It’s an excellent reference to help you quickly find how to do a multitude of things in PHP. .NET writes that…
This book is absolutely packed with quick solutions to common obstacles or ideas in PHP. The chapters on security are worth their weight in gold, as you’ll learn how to properly protect your site against unauthorised use.
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14. PHP and MySQL Web Development
When it comes to developing web apps, PHP and MySQL go together like peanut butter and jelly for making dynamic websites. PHP and MySQL Web Development tries to help with many aspects of learning how to program with the two subjects.
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15. Wicked Cool PHP: Real-World Scripts That Solve Difficult Problems
The title alone should be reason enough to buy this PHP resource guide. You’ll learn how to do many things with PHP like: send and receive email notifications, track your visitors’ behavior with cookies and sessions, override PHP’s default settings, manipulate dates, images, and text on the fly, harness SOAP and other web services, create an online poll, ecard delivery system, and blog.
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16. PHP for the World Wide Web, Second Edition
PHP for the World Wide Web is a very highly-rated book on learning the basics of PHP. In the 5th edition a section has been added on the new Zend engine, updated XML supported, and many more topics. 480 pages of classic PHP literature.
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Python
Learning Python is in it’s 3rd edition, and for good reason. The book has become an excellent resource because of it’s excellent step-by-step approach of the fundamentals of the Python language. The systematic approach to learning is ideal for programmers wanting to get to know the language better, as well as experts needing a handy reference.
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18. Python Essential Reference
Along with Learning Python, Python Essential Reference lives up to it’s name. 230 of the 648 pages are strictly technical appendices, and the book crams thousands of online information into a handy little paperback book.
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Expert Python Programming is a brand-new reference released only last September. While it may not be as old or established as some other books, the book is geared towards Python developers who are wanting to optimize their programming and perfect their development techniques.
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Ruby
20. The Ruby Programming Language
The Ruby Programming Language is one of the only books on the list to receive a perfect 5/5 stars from Amazon. The O’Reilly resource on Ruby is an excellent guide for those wanting to learn the language from the bottom-up. The text is centered largely around theory and thoroughly explains the API and syntax around the language.
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21. Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional
Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional explains a little bit about everything surrounding the language. It gives a tutorial on the principles behind object-oriented programming, explains key aspects of Ruby like database access, and eventually gives an overview of Ruby on Rails.
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The Ruby Cookbook is exactly what the title implies: a problem solving guide to developing in the Ruby language. It gives hundreds of real-world solutions, complete with thousands of lines of code to reuse in your own projects.
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Linux
23. A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming
This book is an indispensable resource for the Linux user. It’s a whopping 1,008 pages, so it’s the size of at least two books on the subject of Linux. It is incredibly in-depth, and best of all the examples used in the book can be used for years to come, as the book is 100 percent distribution and release agnostic.
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If you’re looking for something a little smaller, the Linux Pocket Guide this tiny book of only 224 pages packs a wallop in terms of only including the best information and avoiding bloat within the book. It’s all killer, with no filler.
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There are tons of different “flavors” of Linux, and this book explains everything a new or migrating user might need to know before making the jump and picking a distribution of Linux. This book will help the beginner pick which distribution is best for them, and shows real-world accounts on how people are using Linux.
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Ellen Siever has an excellent book explaining Linux in a Nutshell to the Linux beginner. The book outlines the aspects of administering and making effective use of Linux systems.
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Database Management
27. Pro Oracle Application Express
Pro Oracle Application Express, or “APEX” is an incredibly useful and innovative application development framework for creating database-backed applications. This book allows you to get under the hood and get your hands dirty with the APEX and all of the advanced functionality it can bring to your next application.
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High Performance MySQL is yet another stellar book from O’Reilly. The book is co-written by ex-Yahoo! empoloyee Jeremy Zawodny. With a popular site like Yahoo!, one of the crucial elements of their backend is making sure the performance of the site remains high. MySQL is notorious for not having well-documented literature on the issues of reliability, scalability and performance. This book teaches many strategies and techniques that allow your MySQL-powered application to perform much smoother.
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29. MySQL Crash Course (Sams Teach Yourself in 10 Minutes)
MySQL Crash Course is a quick and handy guide for the MySQL newbie. Learn how to be immediately productive in MySQL programming with 30 hands-on lessons.
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PostgreSQL is a comprehensive tutorial spanning 1,000+ pages. The book covers the basics of PostgreSQL programming and theory, and shows features that build upon each other. It’s coined as the “definitive guide” to PostgreSQL programming.
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Design
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31. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
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32. Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students
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33. The Web Designer’s Idea Book: The Ultimate Guide To Themes, Trends & Styles In Website Design
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Misc.
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39. Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions
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41. The Essential Guide to Dreamweaver CS3 with CSS, Ajax, and PHP
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42. The iPhone Developer’s Cookbook: Building Applications with the iPhone SDK
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Content Management Systems
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46. Joomla! A User’s Guide: Building a Successful Joomla! Powered Website
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47. Building Online Communities With Drupal, phpBB, and WordPress
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48. WordPress Complete: set up, customize, and market your blog
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Glen Stansberry is a web developer and blogger who’s struggled more times than he’d wish to admit with CSS. You can read more tips on web development at his blog Web Jackalope.
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I’d also add “TextPattern Solutions” for all the TXP users out there
A great collection! I have about 16 or so of these books already, and would strongly recommend them.
Good list, but have you read all of them? I’m wondering how you could recommend some of these if you had. A few of them are really old with a lot of deprecated content, particularly #47. Building Online Communities With Drupal, phpBB, and WordPress. It was good in it’s time. This was written for Drupal 4.7. Drupal’s at 7 now. WordPress has changed a lot too.
For Rails, I’d recommend RailsSpace by Hartl and Prochazka. I’ve read both it and the Agile Rails and prefer the former. YMMV.
You’re missing Web ReDesign 2.0. Not a book on an specific programming language, but a must read book for anyone involved in the web design / development business.
You forgot HTML :-)
I read “Head First: HTML with CSS & XHTML” to learn both HTML and CSS. I highly recommend this for beginners to web design/development!
I agree! I read aswell! Easy reading book! Also I can suggest another Head fist books- Web Design, and PHP MySQL.
PHP and MYSQL Web Development’s 4th Edition is out. I have it. ^_^
“…many different web development topics”
should read
“…many different web development topics (excluding anything Microsoft)…”
Great list, I would also recommend “Simply Rails 2″ for the Framework books, its a pretty good guide.
Don’t even get me started on “Getting Real” by 37signals. Its my bible.
Great list but not a single ASP.net book or any Visual Studio Book name.
i think its not fair. but still its upto people.
Thanks
I don’t think I can read 50 books :(
Really good list guys, i like the css ones da best.
We really need more wordpress ones though
For ASP.NET, I’d highly recommend “Professional ASP.NET 3.5″ from Wrox.
i own many of them. really nice books
Great list, but I’ve already read em all! Got anything else? ;-)
What about Microformats: Empowering Your Markup for Web 2.0 by John Allsopp?
Or Web Standards Creativity?
@Jeffrey – agree about Pro ASP.NET 3.5 – definitely worth reading if you’re interested in learning ASP.NET.
Ha, 50 books and no Asp.Net, no bias there…
This list should be re-title ’50 must read books for people who don’t like Microsoft’
Hi, you have listed all the basic books available for web development But gathering all books at a single place is a good idea.
Why there’s nothing about asp.net??
Think it’s very popular as well as PHP, Rails, Python….
“Where are Designing With Web Standards, Information Architecture, Designing Web Usability, Building Accessible Websites ? There aren’t? Big mistake!”
Can’t agree with all these because I just know the first, but you are right! Designing with web standards is missing!!! One of the best and most important books for web development.
This is a really good list covering a good breath of web design topics. However there is a good deal of duplication in some areas and where is designing with web standards?
Great list indeed!
Thanks.
I miss miss “Webstandards Creativity”, “Designing with Web Standards” and most of all “The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web”.
Like a couple of others pointed out, asp.net books are needed.
True most beginning web developers start on php because it is free and accessible, a lot of college students who studied computer programming make the jump to web and often struggle. I myself started off in php but was forced to make a jump to asp.net due to the fact that most corporate web development jobs are done on Microsoft servers using .Net.
I would recommend like someone else suggested Beginning ASP.Net 3.5 in C#(also VB) 2008. It has been a good book for me to make the transition, and I have heard of other programmers using it to transition from desktop to web applications.
I have to agree with those who have commented about Zeldman’s Designing With Web Standards is missing. It really should have been included.
IMHO Ajax on Rails is a JOKE, merely a tutorial.
Missing The Ruby Way, and The Rail’s Way the best advanced,complete,informative rails book ever
thanks! a lot of books… a lot of time
Great list here, thanks for the work.
btw, what is doing linux books in this list ?
Holy chow, what a great list, i never have that before, thank you so much
How could you forget the book by Scratch Media, Save the pixel. It tought me alot about design.
http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/save-the-pixel-book.cfm
Good list. Try JQUERY its great!
Awesome!
good references.. thanks
Obviously a man of great taste. A Mac and NIN on the desktop – actually, looks strangely familiar…
good list, made my head turn ¡¡¡ǝpısdn uʍop
I’ve read some of them, and they are good, tough I’d recommend more javascript books instead of the jquery book. I like javascript more than its frameworks. But it’s good you listed for the people who likes frameworks.
BTW, I’d recommend Pro javascript techniques by John Resig
good list
My only issue is where I will get enough money to buy all these books now >.<
I sit next to a .NET developer at work and I agree, it’s where you’d want to expand your horizons if you want to go beyond open-source languages/frameworks.
JavaScript is one of my weaker points- I’d check out those books from the list first.
Most of the list is good! Buying one book at a time works.
Cool list, maybe more jQuery related books.
What about accessibility???
Nice list. Just added a few of those to my “must reads”.
YO!!! WHAT??? I’ve got to read 50 books????
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
50 is kind of gratuitous. I’d agree with maybe a fifth of these, but then only if you’re working with the given language (for example, covering PHP, Python and Ruby altogether is wasteful for most engineers).
Hello, have you heard of mypage.com? It’s a nice website and free web app builder that you can use and it has social networking capabilities too!
Nice List :)
Thanks a lot for the review I already knew some of them.
If you have to read 50 books on web development you should really consider a job change.