Thinking of learning to code? You may have seen a movie that has piqued your interest. Or maybe you’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that the fundamentals of programming are extremely useful in almost any occupation, be it technology or otherwise. Through an Internet search, you will find a wealth of information and resources that promise you competent programming skills. Personally, I prefer to read printed books to get my information. Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for good programming books.

• Author’s Experience: Does the author of the book have enough experience in the programming languages ​​you want to explore? There is no use reading a programming book from a C + guru if you want to learn Java. Sure, some of the basics are the same, but ideally you want an author who can relate to the language you want to learn.
• Book in one language: This tip goes hand in hand with the previous tip. You want a good programming book that focuses on one language. Take a look at the table of contents in the book to make sure it matches what you want to learn.
• Release Date: While many of the basics of programming remain the same, the technology has definitely evolved. Ideally, the programming book you find will have been published in the last few years. If you choose an older edition, be sure to keep in mind that a lot about programming has changed in recent years.
• Price – A top concern of any purchase, and buying a programming book is no different. The fact is, there are tons of free resources on the internet that could teach you the basics, and while I love hard covers, I’m not paying an unreasonable price for any book. You’d better try a used book store or search Amazon for a discounted price.
• Beginner-friendly: Pick up a book that is actually intended for beginners. Usually it will tell you, directly on the cover, if it is. As much as everyone wants to be the next Mark Zuckerberg, some of us are still not at that level. Take small steps and I’m sure you’ll be programming masterpieces in no time.

If you keep these things in mind, you are good to go and well on your way to programming mastery. You may also want to check out some good book reviews to see if people really learned from the books you are thinking of buying.