Are printed technical books still relevant?


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Over the past few months, I have found my bookshelves full of printed technical books and materials getting less, and here is why.

In the latter part of every year, I have a ritual of pulling the books on old versions of no longer-needed programming languages out and donating them to the local library (please, everyone, do this to help those who want to learn!) or to Goodwill. This year, however, a handful of books are left on the shelves before I even start. I started to ponder this and reached the following conclusions.

I know I’m still working as hard as ever, so it’s not that I haven’t needed reference materials. I am still learning new technologies and expanding my skill set, so it can’t be that. Then it hit me: Printed reference books are almost redundant! … hear me out …

I hear some of you reaching for the pitchfork to come after me. There are now so many ways to get answers and learn new things that reaching for the books never happens. I even keep some old books because I feel a loyalty to them and what they taught me.

I use online services like Lynda.com or Code School to learn new skills or software packages. Let us not forget the number one programmer mantra: Google it. My eBook library is growing constantly, but even that is starting to slow.

The main reason eBooks, I feel, have been so successful over the print versions is the ability to search. That’s a massive boost to time-saving. I do not think I’ve read a technical book from cover to cover in over a few years.

Then there is the big problem that printed reference material has always suffered from Time to Live! When a book hits the shelf at a bookstore or ordering service, the subject has already been out for at least three to six months, and the new version is already around the corner.

This has always been the problem for people writing these excellent reference books. A perfect example of this is the new Apple Swift language. By the time the books hit the streets, we will already be thinking about WWDC15, and there are bound to be a lot of changes to the language.

I am sad to see my printed book collection shrink. I, like many, I’m sure, love to see the spines lined up on the shelf, just like the day when we would proudly present our software boxes to the World in the same way before everything went digital download.

But I accept and feel others need to do the same, and we have to embrace the new ways and tell ourselves that it’s progress. Or is it? I would learn more from re-reading a book over and over and applying that knowledge to other things than I ever will, from Googling the answer and moving on without ever really understanding what I just did because the search result told me to.

I feel that technology and how we learn need to slow down so we can absorb the information and live in the now rather than always feeling like we are racing to the future. Next time you pass by a book on your desk, bed, or bookshelf, give it a friendly tap and say thanks.

  • Anthony Levings
    Author
    Anthony Levings Anthony Levings

    I’ve been thinking about this topic lately too, but for me there are a few more aspects at play. First, as I learn more languages I can absorb and take on concepts more quickly than I did when I first set out. So this reduces the need for lengthy explanations and background information, which I can more easily skim read these days. But even now I appreciate that the writing of a book requires deeper research and reflection than the writing of a blogpost or a comment on StackOverflow. And I also feel strongly that we shouldn’t ignore or devalue the knowledge of writers nor the ability of good ones to convey complex ideas, and in turn help us to not just fix a bit of code but to understand how to be better programmers.

    For beginners, books are still in my mind essential. If you read a book first then utilise the Internet second you will always have a better grounding than if you run headlong into tutorials to build things well beyond your understanding.

    Personally, I switched to only buying ebooks for reasons of price and convenience (since programming books are often a monstrous size!). Of course the ability of ebooks to be easily updated is also a huge bonus, but that’s a personal choice for each person to make individually. (Some will find using an index in a print book, for example, far more efficient than using search functionality in an ebook which for large books can be slow.)

    • Peter Witham
      Author
      Peter Witham Peter Witham

      Good points Anthony,

      I echo you’re comments regarding eBooks and the ability to keep them up to date (Thanks O’Reilly for doing a great job on that by the way).

      You make one very strong point that I feel is very important and that is regarding the writers, there are many excellent writers out there that have the ability to distill a complex idea into something that both beginners and advanced users can appreciate. We need to keep these people around and inspired to keep writing, I will always remember reading numerous books on object oriented programming and just not getting it until one day I read the right book and suddenly years of frustration went away and since then there has been no looking back.

      Thank you for sharing your insightful comments with us.

  • Lawrence MacFadyen
    Author
    Lawrence MacFadyen Lawrence MacFadyen

    I would echo both of your comments Peter/Anthony.

    I’ve held out and continued with printed books for the most part, when I want to purchase a book, because I really enjoy being able to relax in a favourite chair to hold the book and read it in the old fashioned way. I like having them on my bookshelf. Especially starting out with something new, it is nice, and beneficial, to go end to end through a good book.

    Day to day, often I opt not to buy an interesting looking book in lieu of just reading and learning online.

    Having said all that, when I recently decided I wanted Functional Programming in Swift, I did go with the eBook version because I wanted the updates. I also like to have something to read on my iPhone 6 Plus when I’m somewhere waiting. Maybe the tide is changing for me but I know I’ll always enjoy having a printed book in my hands, even if thats not the route I’m following most often in the future.

    • Peter Witham
      Author
      Peter Witham Peter Witham

      Thanks for the comments Lawrence,

      Interestingly I also went with the eBook version of Functional Programming in Swift (great book right!). I agree with you, I too love having a book in my hand and just browsing my book shelves for a read.

      I draw a direct parallel between this and my habit of making hand written notes still rather than digital, eventually the stuff that matters makes it’s way into Evernote, but I always start with the old trusted pen and paper.

      Peter.