16 books like C# 11 and .NET 7

By Mark J. Price,

Here are 16 books that C# 11 and .NET 7 fans have personally recommended if you like C# 11 and .NET 7. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Programming C# 10: Build Cloud, Web, and Desktop Applications

Jesse Liberty Author Of .NET MAUI for C# Developers: Build cross-platform mobile and desktop applications

From my list on C# programming from a C# expert.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a C# programmer for 23 years, and am passionate about the language. It is the perfect balance of power and ease of use, and each year it is extended by its amazing development team. I've used C# to build stand-alone applications, mobile applications, APIs, and database applications and I've never felt constrained. Finally, C# lends itself to best practices and design patterns, and continues to rise in popularity, especially with professional software developers.

Jesse's book list on C# programming from a C# expert

Jesse Liberty Why did Jesse love this book?

While it is true that I wrote the first few editions of this book, Ian has taken it over, revamped it, and made it an iconic work on the language.

It covers every aspect of C# programming, and explains not only how to do something, but why you would do it. It is chock full of best practices and patterns and anti-patterns, and is well written and engaging.

By Ian Griffiths,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Programming C# 10 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

C# is undeniably one of the most versatile programming languages available to engineers today. With this comprehensive guide, you'll learn just how powerful the combination of C# and .NET can be. Author Ian Griffiths guides you through C# 10.0 and .NET 6 fundamentals and techniques for building cloud, web, and desktop applications.

Designed for experienced programmers, this book provides many code examples to help you work with the nuts and bolts of C#, such as generics, LINQ, and asynchronous programming features. You'll get up to speed on .NET 6 and the latest C# 9.0 and 10.0 additions, including records, enhanced…


Book cover of C# 10 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference

Jesse Liberty Author Of .NET MAUI for C# Developers: Build cross-platform mobile and desktop applications

From my list on C# programming from a C# expert.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a C# programmer for 23 years, and am passionate about the language. It is the perfect balance of power and ease of use, and each year it is extended by its amazing development team. I've used C# to build stand-alone applications, mobile applications, APIs, and database applications and I've never felt constrained. Finally, C# lends itself to best practices and design patterns, and continues to rise in popularity, especially with professional software developers.

Jesse's book list on C# programming from a C# expert

Jesse Liberty Why did Jesse love this book?

This is the definitive reference book on C#. The Albahari brothers have been writing about C# since the early bits, and they know the language inside and out. While this is a hefty book, you will find yourself using it frequently, and you'll be impressed by its comprehensiveness and utility. 

By Joseph Albahari,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked C# 10 in a Nutshell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When you have questions about C# 10 or .NET 6, this best-selling guide has the answers you need. C# is a language of unusual flexibility and breadth, and with its continual growth, there's always so much more to learn. In the tradition of O'Reilly's Nutshell guides, this thoroughly updated edition is simply the best one-volume reference to the C# language available today.

Organized around concepts and use cases, this comprehensive and complete reference provides intermediate and advanced programmers with a concise map of C# and .NET that also plumbs significant depths.

Get up to speed on C#, from syntax and…


Book cover of Head First C#

Jesse Liberty Author Of .NET MAUI for C# Developers: Build cross-platform mobile and desktop applications

From my list on C# programming from a C# expert.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a C# programmer for 23 years, and am passionate about the language. It is the perfect balance of power and ease of use, and each year it is extended by its amazing development team. I've used C# to build stand-alone applications, mobile applications, APIs, and database applications and I've never felt constrained. Finally, C# lends itself to best practices and design patterns, and continues to rise in popularity, especially with professional software developers.

Jesse's book list on C# programming from a C# expert

Jesse Liberty Why did Jesse love this book?

This book brings a unique perspective to learning C#. It is fun, easy to digest, and yet comprehensive and a serious contribution to books on C#.

You may well want to make this the first book you read on the language, as it is very approachable and covers all the essentials. O'Reilly has perfected the Head First series, and this book is an exemplary addition.

By Andrew Stellman, Jennifer Greene,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Head First C# as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Finally, there's a bright alternative to the legions of dull C# tutorials. "Head First C#" gives beginning programmers a way to learn Microsoft's popular object-oriented language without boring you with a pile of dry technical material. Through its visually rich format proven to stimulate both learning and retention, this unusual book takes you through C# fundamentals and how the language works to create user interfaces, databases, and more.You can forget about memorizing. "Head First C#" is strictly hands-on. From page one, you interact with the material through plenty of graphics, games, puzzles and more. Once you get the gist of…


Book cover of The Big Red Fez

Don Glickstein Author Of After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence

From my list on effective graphic design.

Why am I passionate about this?

My first career was as a reporter on daily newspapers. As I got promoted to editing and eventually webmaster jobs, I needed to learn about design. Newspapers had been trying to figure out which designs attract the most readers for a century. The Poynter Institute, founded in 1975, began doing quantitative research as part of its journalism education mission. Seven years later, Gannett, a large newspaper publisher, introduced USA Today, based on the latest graphic and readability research. About the same time, Edward Tufte wrote his seminal book on graphic design (See recommendation #1). With the arrival of the web, companies like Google and Microsoft took the research to new levels. For example, Microsoft used readability research to create Verdana, a font designed to be legible with then-low resolution screens. Of course, the advertising and direct-mail industries had been conducting design research for decades to enhance sales. In short, you can’t pretend to be a competent designer, webmaster, or editor in this day and age without understanding quantitative readability research.

Don's book list on effective graphic design

Don Glickstein Why did Don love this book?

Why are three of the five books I recommend about graphic design written by marketing types? They know that their livelihood depends on effective design. Godin is one of those smarmy marketing types—who else would name a book about web design after a fez?—but he knows his stuff. He argues that website owners shouldn’t take their cues from their IT people, who don’t know nothin’ about sales, customers, and web design. Tufte and Nielsen present the data dispassionately; Godin tells it like it is. This book expands on his legendary essay, “Really Bad PowerPoint,” which you can still find as a free download on the web.

By Seth Godin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Big Red Fez as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Synopsis coming soon.......


Book cover of Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Jeff Johnson Author Of Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines

From my list on making digital technology usable and useful.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been designing user interfaces since graduate school at Stanford, where I studied psychology and computer science. Over the five decades since then, I have designed many digital products and services, learning a lot about how to make them usable and useful. Two decades ago, I turned more towards sharing my knowledge and experience through writing (articles and books) and teaching (professionals and students). I’ve taught at Stanford University, Mills College, the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), the University of San Francisco, and at professional conferences and companies. Google invited me twice to speak in their Authors @ Google series, and ACM and SIGCHI have given me several awards.

Jeff's book list on making digital technology usable and useful

Jeff Johnson Why did Jeff love this book?

If you design Web sites, you’ve almost certainly already read Steve’s book; it may be the best-selling Web design book of all time.  If not, do.

It succinctly explains most of what designers need to know about Website usability. The title of the book – Don’t Make Me Think – is the book’s main point: “If your website makes me think about how to use it, distracting me from my own goals (e.g., booking a flight), I’m out of here.” 

In relatively few pages, Steve explains how to design Websites so visitors need not think about how to use them.

By Steve Krug,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Don't Make Me Think as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Since Don't Make Me Think was first published in 2000, hundreds of thousands of Web designers and developers have relied on usability guru Steve Krug's guide to help them understand the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. Witty, commonsensical, and eminently practical, it's one of the best-loved and most recommended books on the subject.

Now Steve returns with fresh perspective to reexamine the principles that made Don't Make Me Think a classic-with updated examples and a new chapter on mobile usability. And it's still short, profusely illustrated...and best of all-fun to read.

If you've read it before, you'll rediscover…


Book cover of Content Design

Henneke Duistermaat Author Of How to Write Seductive Web Copy: An Easy Guide to Picking Up More Customers

From my list on writing for the web.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2012, I escaped my corporate job to found Enchanting Marketing. I had discovered I love writing and I love teaching people how to write even more. I help small business owners and solo flyers find their voice and share their ideas with gusto, so they can captivate, educate, and inspire their audience. I created this list with 5 book recommendations as a mini-course on writing for the web. There’s little overlap between the books; they all complement each other. Happy reading and happy writing! 

Henneke's book list on writing for the web

Henneke Duistermaat Why did Henneke love this book?

Content design is about creating content (not just written content but any type of content, including maps, infographics, and images) that best serves users’ needs, and it’s key to getting found and read online. 

This short guide in plain English features many examples of how to create content that pulls readers towards a website (rather than just pushing content outwards). I especially like the chapter on the science of reading as well as the chapter on job stories and user stories.

I love how practical this guide is. It’s written by someone who’s clearly been knee-deep in the trenches of content design. 

By Sarah Richards,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Content Design as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Between 2010 and 2014, Sarah Richards and her team at the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service did what many thought impossible: they took over 400 separate government websites and transformed them into a single site designed to effectively serve its users. In doing so, they defined a new discipline: content design.

Content design isn’t graphic design or just copywriting under another name. Content design focuses on what content best serves the users’ needs, whether it be the written word, infographics, visuals, videos, or charts.

At the core of content design are the needs of the users—and this means determining what…


Book cover of Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works

Jeff Johnson Author Of Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines

From my list on making digital technology usable and useful.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been designing user interfaces since graduate school at Stanford, where I studied psychology and computer science. Over the five decades since then, I have designed many digital products and services, learning a lot about how to make them usable and useful. Two decades ago, I turned more towards sharing my knowledge and experience through writing (articles and books) and teaching (professionals and students). I’ve taught at Stanford University, Mills College, the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), the University of San Francisco, and at professional conferences and companies. Google invited me twice to speak in their Authors @ Google series, and ACM and SIGCHI have given me several awards.

Jeff's book list on making digital technology usable and useful

Jeff Johnson Why did Jeff love this book?

When people browse or search the Web for information, they don’t read; they scan, looking for anything matching their goal. Scan, click, scan, click, etc. 

Most web designers include waaay too much text in their sites, slowing people down, frustrating poor readers (which unfortunately is a large percentage of the population). Most text on the Web is simply ignored. 

I like Ginny’s book because it does a great job of driving that point home and explaining how to cut the text down to what is necessary. It has become a classic in the UX and Web design fields.

By Janice (Ginny) Redish,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Letting Go of the Words as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Web site design and development continues to become more sophisticated. An important part of this maturity originates with well-laid-out and well-written content. Ginny Redish is a world-renowned expert on information design and how to produce clear writing in plain language for the web. All of the invaluable information that she shared in the first edition is included with numerous new examples. New information on content strategy for web sites, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media make this once again the only book you need to own to optimize your writing for the web.


Book cover of HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide

Terry Felke-Morris Author Of Basics of Web Design: HTML5 & CSS

From my list on to learn about HTML and CSS.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been working with the Web since the 1990s. It’s been fascinating to see the progress and growth of the web design field through the years. As an information technology professional, I’ve held many job roles, including software developer, systems analyst, web designer, web developer, and consultant. I eventually discovered my true calling of teaching information technology and am a Harper College Professor Emeritus. In the early 2000s, I developed the curriculum for the Web Design and Web Development certificate and degree programs at the college. This book is one of the two web development textbooks I wrote to provide my students with lots of hands-on practice while learning new concepts.  

Terry's book list on to learn about HTML and CSS

Terry Felke-Morris Why did Terry love this book?

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Castro’s Visual Quickstart books for many years – she offers quick explanations and good examples. This book is an excellent reference manual for HTML and CSS. It’s great to have at your desk when you need to look up an HTML tag or CSS property quickly. 

By Elizabeth Castro, Bruce Hyslop,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked HTML and CSS as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Need to learn HTML and CSS fast? This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with HTML in no time. In this updated edition author Bruce Hyslop uses crystal-clear instructions and friendly prose to introduce you to all of today's HTML and CSS essentials. The book has been refreshed to feature current web design best practices. You'll learn how to design, structure, and format your website. You'll learn about the new elements and form input types in HTML5. You'll create and use images, links, styles, and forms; and you'll add video, audio, and…


Book cover of Lightweight Django: Using REST, WebSockets, and Backbone

Arun Ravindran Author Of Django Design Patterns and Modern Best Practices

From my list on Django for building solid web apps in Python.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been dabbling in Python for the last 22 years. I am a regular speaker at Pycon India ever since its inception. Most of my talks are related to Django. I host arunrocks.com where I write tutorials, and articles and publish screencasts on several Django and Python topics. My initial screencast titled "Building a blog in 30 mins with Django" is one of the most popular screencasts for beginners in Django. I’m a developer member of the Django Software Foundation.

Arun's book list on Django for building solid web apps in Python

Arun Ravindran Why did Arun love this book?

This is a very well-written book that covers some less covered areas like how to write the most minimal Django application or integrating with Tornado server. The book is short and quite engaging. This is not exactly a book for an impatient beginner as it takes time to build the concepts. Also, the book might be a bit dated since it was last updated in 2014.

By Julia Elman, Mark Lavin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lightweight Django as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How can you take advantage of the Django framework to integrate complex client-side interactions and real-time features into your web applications? Through a series of rapid application development projects, this hands-on book shows experienced Django developers how to include REST APIs, WebSockets, and client-side MVC frameworks such as Backbone.js into new or existing projects. Learn how to make the most of Django's decoupled design by choosing the components you need to build the lightweight applications you want. Once you finish this book, you'll know how to build single-page applications that respond to interactions in real time. If you're familiar with…


Book cover of Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns

Jesse Liberty Author Of Git for Programmers: Master Git for effective implementation of version control for your programming projects

From my list on for creating great software.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been coding for over 30 years. I’ve seen some miserable interfaces, and some large programs that collapse under their own weight. Software was, at one point, notorious for being late, over budget, and unreliable. These books have helped turn the corner on these failings, and I have found each of them very valuable in my day-to-day programming. While you can learn technique and even languages online, the kind of insight found in these books is rare and worth spending time and money on.

Jesse's book list on for creating great software

Jesse Liberty Why did Jesse love this book?

There are literally dozens of good books on unit testing, but I highly recommend reading at least one. Unit testing is one of the most important practices that a great many programmers do not do. It isn’t easy, once you get past tiny programs, but it is absolutely essential if you wish to create robust code. Without unit testing you fix one thing over here, and break it over there. With good unit testing you know that your program will be flexible and easily evolved.

By Vladimir Khorikov,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Unit Testing: Principles, Patterns and Practices shows you how to refine your existing unit tests by implementing modern best practices. You'll learn to spot which tests are performing, which need refactoring, and which need to be deleted entirely! Upgrade your testing suite with new testing styles, good patterns, and reliable automated testing.



Unit Testing: Principles, Practices and Patterns is a practical guide to modern unit testing best practices. Microsoft MVP Vladimir Khorikov takes you hands-on with examples of the ideal unit test and unit testing practices, building your skills step by step on a solid foundation.



Key Features

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