Recommended web development books

If you're here, you're probably sure that web development is your calling. Whether you're new to the industry or looking for the best web development books to perfect your skills, we've got you covered.

There are countless resources to learn about any feature or aspect of programming. But there's something about books written by seasoned professionals that really immerse you in the world of development. A book is more detailed than any blog post and adds a personal touch to your learning time. Finding the perfect book to motivate you to take the next step in your coding journey makes a big difference, whether you're just learning HTML or aspiring to a senior technical position.

If you want to acquire new skills or expand your existing skills, Skillshare is for you. Click here to access the Skillshare learning platform and gain new insights into a wide range of topics.

Books on web development worth reading

Source: istockphoto.com

Now that we've convinced you, here are some of the best (and most useful) books on web development.

HTML & CSS: Successfully Designing and Programming Websites by Jon Duckett

This colorful book, published by Wrox, is easy to read and contains numerous illustrations and examples to help you learn efficiently.

published by Wrox, is easy to read and contains numerous illustrations and examples to help you learn efficiently.

Overall, it's a fantastically well-written and researched gem that will appeal to beginners who know nothing about code, website design or HTML, as well as experienced web developers. This book is essential not just for web developers, but for anyone who works with the web, such as web designers, website editors, marketers or managers. For web developers, however, it is especially important because it teaches readers the basics of web development in an entertaining, interactive way.

Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics von Jennifer Robbings

Once you've learned the basics, this book from O'Reilly Media will help you learn more technical skills. Even without prior technical knowledge of web design and development, you can learn how web pages and websites work.

By practicing your design and development skills with this book, you will hopefully be able to create a simple website with multi-column pages by the time you finish the book. Although this book is intended for beginners, it is not for complete novices. That's why it's the second most important book in this list. If you are comfortable with HTML and CSS with the first book, you can move on to JavaScript.

JavaScript and jQuery: Interactive front-end development by Jon Duckett

This is another full-color book, that shows you how to create interactive and visually appealing websites. Using code examples, photographs and inspiring infographics, you will learn how to make user interfaces more intuitive.

This book is written for beginners, so the author does not assume that the reader already has programming experience. Of course, you are expected to know the basics of creating a website with HTML and CSS, but if you are not familiar with all the basics, you will be relieved of that. Just go chronologically and practice web development with the first two books on the list.

Webdesign mit Webstandards von Jeffrey Zeldman

In this book you will learn to go beyond the basics of HTML and CSS and apply techniques and concepts at a professional level.

If you create your website using web standards, you do not need to customize your codes separately for different browsers as you would use standard specifications. This way you avoid browser incompatibilities. In this book you will learn how to reduce the costs of design, development and quality assurance.  You'll also learn how to deliver a polished design for a fully functional website, support wireless devices and PDAs without incurring the cost of multiple versions, and so on.

Don't Make Me Think - The intuitive web by Steve Krug

The subtitle of this book in English is "A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability", and true to the subtitle, this book is more about cultivating an attitude to design than about design and development itself. Of course, it is also a guide to web development and design. However, the author's underlying belief is that the purpose of web development must be to eliminate or minimize the cognitive workload of web users.

Using illustrations and witty examples, the author demonstrates the principles of simple web design that will guide you on your design journey. The book is clear and to the point, presenting the basic principles of UX design in simple language. Even if you have a good command of programming languages, your designs need to be user-friendly.

If you want a smooth user experience, you need to curb your enthusiasm to show off your expertise through complicated graphics. This book will significantly change your attitude towards this task.

CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solution von Simon Collison, Andy Budd, Cameron Moll

Source: istockphoto.com

There is a lot of inconsistency and scattered information on the internet about CSS-based design. The information might confuse you, and that's where this book comes in. It's a quick-start tutorial for advanced CSS-based web development.

Even though CSS is easy to learn, it is a bit difficult to master. This useful book will help you effectively plan, organize and maintain your stylesheets. You will also learn how to apply fluid, elastic and hybrid layout designs. After reading this book, you will feel more prepared than ever for your professional position. So it's fair to say that this book deserves to be read and re-read several times.

Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming

This is another book about JavaScript, and for good reason. JavaScript is central to web development and is used in almost every web application. It is therefore worth investing a lot of time and energy in perfecting this scripting language.

This book goes beyond the basics of programming and offers lessons on the use of variables, data structures, functions and control structures. However, the subtitle of the text is somewhat misleading as the book is not aimed at complete novices. It is still an excellent resource that will enable you to write efficient and elegant code, but don't pick it up until you have a good grasp of the basics of programming.

Quelle : istockphoto.com

Learning PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS & HTML5 von Robin Nixon

This book will teach you how to create dynamic, interactive, data-driven websites. It is an easy to read and straightforward guide for HTML users who want to develop their skills. Initially you will need to have some knowledge of HTML to understand it, but for beginner programmers this book is a good guide to creating interactive websites.

What makes this book special is that it deals with a database (MySQL), a web browser programming language (JavaScript), and a general-purpose scripting language (PHP), so you'll learn how they all work together. You'll better understand why it's important to know all of these web development tools.

Reading web development books is just the beginning

With each book, you not only improve your skills, but also increase your value to your customers. The more you know, the more you will earn: So keep learning and challenging yourself.