Stop wasting your time on programming books!

Here's why programming books are a waste of your time and money.
📚 BOOKS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
DATA STRUCTURES & ALGORITHMS
Grokking Algorithms (Beginner) - amzn.to/2JcBrjS
Data Structures and Algorithms Made Easy (Intermediate) - amzn.to/3EKPxk2
Introduction to Algorithms (Advanced) - amzn.to/2V03JRb
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Clean Code - amzn.to/3nHNtAC
Clean Architecture - amzn.to/3kZ7UqR
The Productive Programmer - amzn.to/33aMeSE
SYSTEMS & ARCHITECTURE
Understanding Distributed Systems (Beginner) - amzn.to/3cjChr5
Designing Data Intensive Applications (Advanced) - amzn.to/3fxgOLm
Software Architecture: The Hard Parts (All levels) - amzn.to/3XTHQ4g
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Unfair Advantage - amzn.to/3CIBE6z
The Lean Startup - amzn.to/3XpzMcx
Act like a Leader, Think like a Leader - amzn.to/3NlyBGx
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Engineering Management for the Rest of Us - amzn.to/3JanteZ
PRODUCTIVITY
Atomic Habits - amzn.to/44kouJ3
Deep Work - amzn.to/44jy8LZ
The Productivity Project - amzn.to/3CLZEps
Building a Second Brain - amzn.to/3qXegzU
FINANCE
The Psychology of Money - amzn.to/3PprU97
The Intelligent Investor - amzn.to/3CI5dFB
View many more recommendations at my AMAZON STOREFRONT
www.amazon.com/shop/engineeri...
☎️ BUSINESS INQUIRIES
[e-mail]
🏷 DISCOUNT CODES
10% off Educative.io for Excellent courses on all things Software Engineering
educative.io/engineeringwithu...
🏪 AMAZON STOREFRONT
www.amazon.com/shop/engineeri...
All my recommendations for books, gadgets and gear are also available at my
Amazon storefront. Check it out!
👕 LIKE THE "GOOD COFFEE, GREAT CODE" HOODIE?
You can purchase one here: www.engineeringwithutsav.com/...
📧 REACH OUT TO ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: / utsavized
Twitter: / utsavized
Web: www.engineeringwithutsav.com
💻 EVERYDAY GEAR I USE
Keychron Q1 Mechanical Keyboard - amzn.to/3XpsntQ
Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse - amzn.to/3iWUyjW
BenQ PD3220U 32 Inch 4K IPS AQCOLOR Monitor - amzn.to/3D6lzsg
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:00 Why programming books don't work
06:21 How to learn programming instead
‼️ DISCLAIMERS
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. When you buy a product or service with these links, I may receive a small commission. However, there is no additional cost to you :) I genuinely appreciate you supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with awesome software engineering content for free!
Also, all opinions are my own and not my employer's.
#engineeringwithutsav #softwareengineering #utsavized

[@EngineeringwithUtsav]

***PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING*** I've been reading the comments in here and it's clear to me that I did not articulate what I mean to say properly. The first think I should have done is explain what I mean by "programming books" since there isn't an official definition or anything like that. When I say programming books, I mean books that teach you how to program is a specific language. Books like Java X Essentials, C# Y, The JavaScript Guide so on and so forth. See, we all fall in two general categories: 1) you have learned one or more programming languages before or 2) you are learning your first programming language. In either case, there is no reason to buy another version of the same book for a different language -- trust me, I've seen a lot of people do this. I used to. Reading official documentation from the language itself is a faster, more effective way. Someone pointed out that the jargon there may be more technical than a book. And this may be true, but when you start your job, no one is going to simplify a dev design doc because you lack experience. So, the earlier you get used to reading docs and technical material, the better. The video might have come across as me saying "don't read books at all". That way absolutely not my intent. I love books. I recommend books and even make a list of my recommended books every year. But none of those are "programming books" -- at least not by the definition in my mind that I mentioned earlier. They teach you concepts and paradigms. Timeless books tend to be language-agnostic. Even for complex topics like advanced algorithms, the best books may pick a language for basic semantics, but they try to be as pseudocode-y as possible. Think of it like learning a new spoken language. You can easily pick up English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Nepali ... so on and so forth. But that does not mean you can write great stories in those languages. Composition is a completely different skill that goes far beyond just learning a language. Same applies to programming. Anyone can pick up a new programming language pretty quick -- with or without a book. But the core concepts, principles, patterns are the things that make you a good programmer. So, my advice in this video is to focus on those books instead of yet another book that teaches you the same thing in a different language. But even that said, there is something special about having a physical book and turning the pages. And if that is you and you value that, go for it. One person's opinion and advice cannot apply to everyone, and you have to pick and choose what you listen to. Some advice sticks, some does not. And that is totally fine :) Either way, thought that some clarification was warranted here. As always, thanks for taking time to comment. I really appreciate it, regardless of whether you agree with me or not. I learn from your comments as much as you may learn from some of my videos. Cheers!

[@KariHudd]

Never in my life have I ever seen so many “professionals” from a field get on a platform to discourage others from learning from that field. I’m currently learning programming and the amount of videos on YT from developers making videos like, “stop doing blank” “why you shouldn’t blank” “don’t learn programming like blank” there is even videos telling people don’t learn programming at all from ex google or Microsoft developers says don’t do this. It’s really discouraging and disheartening to see while learning. This video seems like it is directed towards beginners because why would experienced developers spend their money on books learning something they already know. This is why beginners should read the books in my opinion. These videos are toxic. Lastly, as a beginner, it’s is beyond difficult to learn how to program reading documentation. There is no structure, It has no context for Jargon or why you should even do what is suggested in documentation. I have unsubscribed and I’m going to read the books and not watch programming videos on KZbin and I hope other beginners do the same and hopefully you rethink making videos like this. Peace

[@shiftto]

just different approach, differtent ways. i just find this videos very oke, dont use harsh words like that, its not toxic anyway any means...

[@brownrhythms]

I find going on KZbin or signing up for an online class to be way more effective. Once you know the basics, looking at the documents really isn't that difficult. I've spent hundreds of dollars on coding books, and he's absolutely correct in his assessments. Companies are literally having new versions come out every 6 months. Long term support versions can come out every two years. If you want to ignore advice from people with decades of experience knock yourself out. You wouldn't mind a copy of Bootstrap 3 or Java 11 would you? :P

[@dugebuwembo]

There are so many programming languages & thus many programming books, when you are learning to program you should stick with a particular language to get a feel for syntax & grammar. I learned procedural programming with C. From here I was introduced to C++ which also has similar syntax to C but is a semi object oriented language but allows coding closer to the Operating system in that memory management is manual. I then learned Object Orientated Programming with Java which has borrowed some syntax from C & C++ but is truly Object Oriented & memory management is automated with garbage collection. This is a sequential and cumulative learning process C>C++>Java each step building on the other & an introduction to programming with languages that derive syntax from C. C# is the next step after Java in that it's Microsofts implementation of a Java like language optimising and introducing features that Java lacks. During my Computer Science degree we learned that core programming concepts like Data Structures and Algorithms are language agnostic, this is why Utsav downplays the importance of programming books as they tend to be language specific when Comp Sci involves broad concepts that can apply across different languages. The idea is that learning from first principles and core fundamentals is more important so that those concepts can be applied in any programming language. Developers who understand first principles and the fundamentals have no issues picking up other programming languages. We learned data structures and algorithms using pseudo code at uni. Software Engineering is far more than just coding though what with Design Patters, Software Development approaches and practices, project management, testing etc. Learning to code is the bare minimum and very beginning of a journey towards being a Software engineer.j

[@sandeeptanjore1253]

I would have to disagree with you Utsav especially if you are just starting out. If you are starting out - learn C language which teaches you basics of programming including programming and logic constructs. It is here that having a book has a lot of exercises (case in point: C in depth or Let us C) , one should solve them and after that yes, I agree with you. If you are just starting out owning one or two books is a must.

[@pandaff1376]

Agreed with u. Especially C in depth and data structures through C in depth by sk srivastav sir is literally boon for newbie/navie programmers

[@amcmillion3]

I love how the video description has a Book Recommendation List.

[@atlantic_love]

Yeap. Video is utter bullshit clickbait.

[@intellettuale4870]

Utsav what you think about system design and software architecture books?

[@MichaelGGarry]

There's a huge difference between learning to code and learning to actually engineer software. You don't have to learn all new language features straight away, especially for a beginner. Hell, pro developers don't, depending on industry and application. "Books are outdated because languages add new features all the time" - then "Core programming doesn't change"......

[@mukheshraghava2211]

Great video... BTW, Can you please share link to your pc wallpaper?

[@pablourbanohernandezvizcarra]

Good video, for learning a new programming language my choice is to read the language documentation to learn the basics (I know it is boring to learn the basics again for each programming, but it's necessary), to continue building X project. This system works for me and it's fun.

[@danieldawson8018]

The video YT feeds to me after this: 5 Books That Made Me a 10x Engineer lol

[@TechReagan]

Me too 😂

[@ercntreras]

Loved your wisdom words, thank you to share it. :)

[@shreyanshmishra6613]

"Reading programming books are waste of time". *Lists down bunch of books in the description*

[@obaid5761]

He's talking about books that try to teach you a specific programming language lol. That's not the same as Architecture and general software engineering principles, which stand the test of time.

[@shreyanshmishra6613]

@@obaid5761 book is just a way to learn. if you wanna learn about a programming lang you'd read a blog, docs, watch a video or read a book. These videos are a waste of time. Just left a comment and didn't watch shit.

[@obaid5761]

He doesn't disagree with you, and neither do I. As I said, he's making the point that buying books to learn only a specific language (like JavaScript for example) is a waste of time (and money). It's more economical to just read the docs or watch a video of an example implementation; not to mention that the docs are written by the very developers who wrote the language lol. You can't get better than that. Programming Books =/= General Software Engineering Books Hence your sarcasm is invalid ("Lists down bunch of books in the description") @@shreyanshmishra6613

[@skyhappy]

​@@obaid5761Those architecture principles can and should be built as well. Just reading about them is not enough.

[@shameermulji]

@@skyhappy Regardless, you still have to read about them to understand them before you can begin implementing them.

[@gabrielpauna62]

Im an experienced engineer with my Meng and designing big data distributed systems , i couldnt agree with you more

[@softwareengineeringwithkoushik]

Thanks for the Video 😊

[@Born2EditHD]

Looking great Utsav :)

[@aubade8093]

Second like ❤️ thank you Utsav sir for making such content.... Creators like you make our developer journey smoother... Many many happy returns and love for this 🎉

[@MW-mn1el]

You recommend many books, and some of them are really good, and some of them are outdated concept, that don't work well in real world over long application cycle, let's say piece of software over 5-10 years. Best way is just get couple good book as introduction, under the belt, then build something fun or/and useful to master it.

[@stormShadow64]

Utsav - Designing Data Intensive Applications is NOT a waste of time and money

[@EngineeringwithUtsav]

Please see pinned comment. DDIA isn’t a programming book.

[@aayushdahal7955]

Great video. Love the approach... advising what not to do followed up with what to actually do. I see that Nepali flag shape (;

[@sandyjust]

I keep the book for topic reference. So I can go back to Google and learn about those topics.

[@MaxFung]

my dude, didn’t you make videos about programming book recommendations before? i literally bought 3 of your recommendations. the messaging in this video feels off…

[@adamdrake39]

Just to say the title on this video is confusing. It seems to suggest all programming books are a waste of money but in your video you say only some are. I agree with your content but I would change the video title. It’s a bit misleading.

[@MW-mn1el]

Every programming language and concept is shinny when it come out, but will become legacy and outdated at some point, being replace by something better down the line. Som language and tools will aging well, but many will turn into horrible unmaintainable mess and spaghetti monster.

[@atlantic_love]

video uploader be like "programming books are a waste of time, buy my content instead".

[@silversurfer1967]

Absolutely Disagree. Books are amazing when you have to deep learn anything. After 15 years of programming I can vouch for it. Whenever I used to learn something new, I always picked up a book. One of the best things about learning from a book is its recall value. You can recall things easily, make mental notes and quickly go back to the page ig you have a doubt. But now with all the viideos floating around whenever I have used videos to learn a new topic, it has always left me wanting for more, which is bad. There is zero recall value. You are left fumbling most of the times. And videos are not always deeply descriptive. People who make those videos are required to make videos within certain time limits. Ex "Learn Python in 1 hr" Or "Zero to hero in 2". Just Like this video is targeted at a 10 min video to get the point out. Reading is amazing, it makes you "learn" things in a constructive manner. With videos you just know about a topic. And how many times has it happed that you watch an hour long video and then you get about looking for another great video ? Its like there is no closure to the learning process.

[@edetmmekut809]

But some books might be fun.i prefer video.please can you do a video about how to prepare for DSA

[@Mikenight120]

GO MENTIONED💯

[@SuvobrotoPal]

🙏🙏

[@kalpakHere]

Nice watch.

[@jarnathan-snow]

Don't buy this if you are starting with programming! This video is just a trap, clickbait and it doesn't provide any insightful or true meaningful information. But I understand, he has on his list Clean Code and Intelligent Investor... I read both, and clearly this guy knows nothing about investing or performance, otherwise he wouldn't be recommending this. He just want you to buy the product he is sponsoring. Please dont buy this! 1) Having to code what you don't want to code: This applies for everything, online courses, video tutorials on youtube, books, whatever. Anything that guides you towards building something will have a fixed roadmap of things. So, this argument against books is wrong because it applies to all media or formats. 2) Getting outdated, also the same applies for online courses, but I can argue that the idea is that you read books about fundamentals of things, for example, reading about software architecture, algorithms, graphics rendering, that kind of topics instead of buying a book about C# 11 vs C# 12, so its up to you to find which books are the best, but that doesnt mean all books are wrong. 3) Core concepts don't change. This is even contradictory on what he said in the point before. There are plenty of books that walk you through concepts and fundamental theory rather than practical. So, again, this is nonsense.

[@vectorlord8486]

I am literally self taught mainly through books, this guy is just making fluff videos that probably are making him thousands on youtube.

[@beeplove7]

Nepal ko flag tw aaile pni banaunu prxa loop sikda lol

[@igboman2860]

Books are great. Programming books not so much. That being said beginners want concrete concepts to learn from, they seldomly appreciate books on ideas and concepts