Best coding and programming books

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What to look for

Pick a language with a project you want to build; check the edition is recent.

Models worth comparing

From publishers' details and published UK reviews, read on 6 October 2026. Not read cover to cover by us. In no particular order: these are not ranked, and we do not say which is best until the customer ratings are in.

Beginner

Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition (Eric Matthes)

Complete beginners who want to learn Python by building real projects rather than just reading about the language.

Teaches the basics such as variables, lists, loops and classes, with exercises for each topic
Three larger projects: an arcade-style game, data visualisations and a small web app built with Django
Third edition uses VS Code, pathlib and pytest, and the print copy has a lay-flat binding

Watch out for: It came out in late 2022, so some of the libraries used in the projects may have moved on a version or two since.

Author: Eric Matthes
Publisher: No Starch Press
Edition: 3rd edition, December 2022
Pages: 552

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Sources: Publisher page (No Starch Press) · I Programmer

Beginner

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 3rd Edition (Al Sweigart)

Office workers and hobbyists with no coding background who want Python to take repetitive computer jobs off their hands.

Assumes no previous programming experience
Practical projects on spreadsheets, PDFs, Word files, email, web scraping, images and keyboard and mouse control
Third edition from 2025, now including speech recognition

Watch out for: At 672 pages it is long, and its focus on automation means less depth on writing larger, well-structured programs.

Author: Al Sweigart
Publisher: No Starch Press
Edition: 3rd edition, 2025
Pages: 672

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Sources: Publisher page (No Starch Press) · I Programmer

Intermediate

The Pragmatic Programmer, 20th Anniversary Edition (David Thomas and Andrew Hunt)

Developers with some experience who want language-neutral habits for writing code that stays easy to change.

Advice on avoiding duplication, keeping code adaptable, testing (including property-based testing) and working in teams
The anniversary edition adds coverage of concurrency and security
Written in short, self-contained sections that are easy to dip into

Watch out for: There is little code to work through, so newcomers wanting step-by-step exercises may find it too abstract at first.

Author: David Thomas and Andrew Hunt
Publisher: Addison-Wesley (Pearson)
Edition: 20th Anniversary (2nd) edition, 2019
Pages: 320

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Sources: Publisher page (Pearson) · Pragmatic Bookshelf

Advanced

The Rust Programming Language, 3rd Edition (Steve Klabnik, Carol Nichols and Chris Krycho)

Programmers who already know another language and want the official, thorough route into Rust.

Based on the Rust 2024 Edition, with a new chapter on async programming and coverage of the Miri tool
Explains ownership, lifetimes and traits, the ideas that set Rust apart
Three project chapters, finishing with a multithreaded web server

Watch out for: Rust has a steep learning curve, so most readers will get more from this after learning a simpler first language.

Author: Steve Klabnik, Carol Nichols and Chris Krycho
Publisher: No Starch Press
Edition: 3rd edition, March 2026
Pages: 624

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Sources: Publisher page (No Starch Press) · I Programmer

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