Top NodeJS Books Every Software Developer Should Read

Learning a programming language by reading books may seem like a bad idea to some. However, many people would agree that learning any technical topic through books offers a deeper understanding of technical elements and defines the underlying logic behind every technical concept. That is why learners still switch to NodeJS books when all the information about the language is freely available on the web. In this blog, we listed down some of the best NodeJS books every developer should read in 2023. Another reason to prefer books is that all the information available on the web is scattered and it becomes difficult to maintain a flow of learning. Books help to maintain that flow and offer all that information in a compiled form to have an uninterrupted learning experience. So, if you want to learn NodeJS, choosing a book as per your level of proficiency is a good start. Let’s get started!

How to Choose the Best NodeJS Books?

Want to choose the right NodeJS books for you? Here are some tips that will help:

NodeJS Books for Beginners

Here is the list of best NodeJS books for learning NodeJS from scratch.

1. Beginning NodeJS

If you are just starting with your programming journey, Beginning NodeJS is the book you need. Written by Basarat Ali Syed, this book will take you through the basics of NodeJS in a highly simplified way. The best thing about this book is that you don't even need to be advanced in JavaScript (JS) to understand it. The book starts with an introduction to JavaScript and then dives into the NodeJS framework and its concepts. It teaches how to develop full-stack applications, test and deploy your app on the web and reuse any code for effective workings. All these topics make it one of the best NodeJS books to learn everything from scratch.

2. Practical NodeJS

Practical NodeJS is one of the top NodeJS books for learning NodeJS. This book is written by Azat Mardan who has been termed Microsoft's Most Valued Professional. This book helps learners create scalable web applications by using some valuable development tools. It is also suitable for intermediate learners who have basic JS knowledge. The second half of the book covers intermediate topics like the guide to using a full-stack application. It also covers how to include JavaScript frameworks like Hapi and Express.js along with other standards and packages in the ecosystem.

NodeJS Books for Intermediate Learners

3. Express in Action: Writing, Building, and Testing NodeJS Applications

This book needs some basic JS knowledge and experience in writing server-side apps. The book majorly focuses on building web applications using Express.js and NodeJS. For those who don't know, Express.js is a framework for NodeJS which focuses on organizing server-side JS into maintainable and testable modules. In simple words, NodeJS is a powerful, yet complex tool, and Express.js is used to find a way out of its complex environment. This book introduces various libraries and tools to the readers to use Express.js in creating NodeJS apps through an automated development process while keeping room for testing the applications. This book is recommended to learners who want to learn NodeJS in conjunction with ExpressJS.

4. NodeJS Web Development

NodeJS is a decent book that has been positively reviewed on Google Play, Amazon, and other selling platforms by readers. Written by David Herron, this book shows simple and smart alternatives to Python or PHP. Choose this book if you have front-end JS experience and want to gain server-side development skills. The book starts with an elementary knowledge of JS and then dives into deeper concepts. The second part of the book takes you through learning NodeJS with the Express.js application framework. The practical guide offered by this book covers everything including:

• Microservice deployment with Docker
• Bootstrapped mobile-first theming
• Authentication methods with OAuth
• Real-time applications with Socket.IO
• Unit testing using Mocha
• Functional app testing using CasperJS

5. NodeJS 8 the Right Way: Practical, Server-Side JavaScript That Scales

This book is the second edition of ‘NodeJS the right way’. This version offers great practical learning of NodeJS by Jim R. Wilson. It is full of practical programming samples that are helpful for those who have started with NodeJS. It is a book to learn server-side programming with NodeJS 8 and develop real-life programs which are fast, useful, small, and low-profile. It takes you through dynamic language features and takes JS beyond the browser. The book teaches how to leverage the potential of non-blocking I/O and event loop for building high-quality applications and microservices. It covers the modern development techniques, latest ECMAScript, features, and best current practices for development.

NodeJS Books for Advanced Programmers

6. NodeJS Design Patterns

NodeJS Design Patterns is an advanced NodeJS book suitable for professionals or individuals who have JS working knowledge. This book is an amalgamation of knowledge from two experienced programmers and has been positively rated by many readers. It is a piece of writing that can offer value to experienced developers. It offers valuable teaching to work on live projects and put everything you learn into practice. It is ideal to gain an in-depth understanding of designing and developing business-level NodeJS apps. In a nutshell, it will teach you everything from designing and implementing JavaScript patterns, handling asynchronous code with ease, and preventing common errors or issues.

7. Getting MEAN with Mongo, Express, Angular and Node

Getting MEAN is one of the best NodeJS books for developers and professionals to indulge in advanced learning. This book doesn’t just talk about Node, JavaScript, and Express but also about the larger ecosystem. It is ideal to gain a better understanding of developing dynamic data-driven apps with the help of the MEAN stack. This book is based on NodeJS 4, Angular 1, Express 4, and MongoDB which offers the knowledge any full-stack developer should have. It does so by offering both theoretical and practical knowledge with real-life examples. The book offers systematic teaching in which every topic is explained in proper order for readers to adapt to the learning and practical implementations.

This book teaches how to create responsive and fast applications solely using JS. It is a recommended book as it is easy to follow, and offers a whole lot of useful information about NodeJS and other technologies such as Bootstrap and Git.

8. Learning Node: Moving to the Server-Side

Learning node is an advanced NodeJS book that can help programmers upscale their knowledge and gain NodeJS developer job opportunities. To understand this book, it is important to have good knowledge of JS and its implementations. Learning Node is full of programming samples and deployment examples to better understand the practical side.
The second edition of this book will help you learn how to build web applications and HTTP servers with the help of Node modules and test the app on the go. It also teaches how to use NodeJS in microcomputers and the Internet of Things.

9. NodeJS for Embedded Systems

NodeJS for Embedded Systems is an interesting book by Patrick Mulder & Kelsey Breseman. The book begins with a brief introduction to NodeJS which serves as a base for IoT. This book will help you learn how to use JS for programming components such as sensors and microcontrollers.

It offers an insight on how to prototype IoT devices using Tessel 2 platform. It also teaches how to utilize advanced libraries for controlling machines with the help of Bluetooth. In simple words, it is an interesting book that teaches how to communicate with JavaScript with the help of various hardware platforms.

Final words

The programming/development industry always has something new for developers to learn and gain hands-on experience. With such dynamic changes, it is important to have a strong base of the technologies you work with. With the help of NodeJS books, you can easily scale your learning from the beginner to the advanced level and understand complex topics that add value to real-life development projects. So get started with learning, and pick the best NodeJS ebook to advance your knowledge.

FAQs

1. Can a newbie learn NodeJS?

Yes, a newbie with basic programming knowledge of JavaScript can learn NodeJS even if they don't have prior JavaScript experience.

2. Who developed NodeJS and when?

NodeJS is a relatively new technology that was developed by Ryan Dahl in 2009.

3. Which one is the best NodeJS book?

If you are just starting with NodeJS then the best book for you is Beginning NodeJS. However, if you are an advanced learner looking forward to upscaling your skills then the best book for you is NodeJS Design Patterns.

4. Which book should I read first to start with NodeJS?

To start learning NodeJS you can start with beginner-level books like Practical NodeJS or Beginning NodeJS.